Conway, Ark. - "I have to believe that I am here for a reason," said first-year head softball coach Jaydan Hunt when asked how she felt about being at the helm of the Warriors softball program in just her second season as a coach. Hunt, a two-sport standout athlete in her time at Hendrix, is continuing to make a lasting impact on Warrior athletics.
Coach Hunt is "beyond excited" by the talent that the program has added with this year's recruiting class. "There were a few freshmen who I had an idea that they would be pretty good, but they blew my expectations out of the water this fall." In keeping with most other programs, this year's recruiting class is one of the largest in the team's history, and Coach Hunt feels confident about the caliber of ballplayers who have joined the team. She added that a lot of the girls have "stepped up [and] they have been incredibly coachable," which will certainly carry an impact on how well-suited the team is to succeed once they enter Southern Athletic Association (SAA) play.
Birmingham-Southern and Berry have traditionally been at the top of the conference. Coach Hunt said that these two squads will be the biggest challenge for her vastly improved Warriors team. She remarked that "Sewanee has, 100%, stepped up their game," in recent seasons, and opponents like the Tigers will not be taken lightly because they have given the Warriors "some very competitive games," in the past. Similarly, an always-potent Millsaps team may prove to be a good challenge this season. Top to bottom, the SAA might have more talent than it ever has before.
Coach Hunt has sought to change the thinking of the team in regard to the SAA standings, "I want to get out of the mindset that we're going to be in the middle of the pack. I am tired of hearing that we play our best softball in April, we should play our best softball all year long." With the talent that this year's Warriors team possesses, they are more than capable of competing with every team on the schedule. With some talented new faces and Coach Hunt at the helm of a solid Warriors team, there is plenty to be excited about this season.
