Jan. 18, 2013

OXFORD, Miss. – With the fall having come and gone, and the winter holidays now also in the books, the beginning of the 2013 softball season is just weeks away. On Friday, the Ole Miss softball team concluded its first week of practice, and while the weather was not ideal, the Rebels did get in a lot of good work that head coach Windy Thees was excited to see.

“It was good for us to get them all back in the swing of things,” Thees said. “Even though we had to be inside for a few days, the pitchers got some really great work in and they were really ready to jump on the hitters. Our hitters were a little defensive, but that’s good because it means our pitchers were really getting after it. We still have three weeks, so we’re going to keep working at it. We have a long way to go, and we have to be more aggressive in all facets of the game, but it was a good starting point.”

On Wednesday, the coaches and student-athletes had a little fun with their workout. Despite temperatures hovering around freezing, the team participated in its first annual team triathlon relays. The Rebels broke into teams of three, with each team designating one person to do 10 laps in the pool, one person to bike three miles around campus, and one person to run one mile around the interior of campus.

“It was a good way to get a work out in, but still have fun doing it,” Thees said. “I want the girls to enjoy coming out and to give them new challenges and things to look forward to. They know when I say something’s going to be fun they’re probably going to have to sweat too.”

There was no trophy awarded to the winning team – the coaches’ team – but Thees joked afterward that a plaque may be in order for next year.

The Rebels open play in Honolulu on Feb. 7 with a doubleheader against Saint Mary’s and host-school Hawaii as part of the Oceanic Time Warner Paradise Classic. Ole Miss welcomes in nine newcomers to the roster this season, and Thees said the goal and focus for 2013 is simple; win.

“The girls understand we have one central focus, and that is to elevate our game, play at the highest level and get wins,” Thees said. “We want to have the best year in Ole Miss softball history. It’s definitely a unified goal for all 18 of our girls and they’re very dedicated to it. They’ve done a good job of supporting each other through that and if we can continue to do that we’re going to have a very successful year.”

For all Ole Miss softball news and information, go to OleMissSports.com, and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissSoftball and on Facebook at Ole Miss Softball.