Read all about coach Ken Miller’s thoughts on the upcoming season.
As the weather finally starts to warm up and the girls of Palmyra High School’s softball ball team prepare for another season, coach Ken Miller said he expects the team to remain a contender for this year’s title in the Burlington County Scholastic League Independence Division.
After capturing the title in 2015 and sharing the title with Medford Tech in 2016 after going 7–1 in the division, Miller said many of the same girls who first helped turn the team’s fortunes around in 2014 as freshman are now ready to return as seniors to compete for their third straight division title.
“They just came together and they’re a good group,” Miller said. “They play together well.”
With small schools such as Palmyra, Miller said it can sometimes prove difficult to get enough players committed to just one sport for teams to remain competitive.
However, with the attention attracted by the program’s current crop of players, Miller said no matter what happens this season, the girls can “walk away proud” for what they’ve done to help softball at the school.
“They’ve helped the program get back on solid footing and made softball at Palmyra something where hopefully the tradition can continue,” Miller said.
Miller credits the team’s seniors and their record with helping bring more attention to the program, as this year Miller said the program has more than 25 players on the roster, meaning the program could field a team for a full junior varsity team.
Miller said he couldn’t recall the last time when the school had enough players to fill a full JV team, possible stretching back six or seven seasons.
“Instead of sitting on the bench watching just the varsity team, they get to play junior varsity games and get that experience,” Miller said.
Looking to Palmyra’s competition in the season ahead, Miller pointed to the usual suspects of Medford Tech and Willingboro High School.
Miller said Willingboro always has solid athletes to compete against, and Miller said Medford Tech somewhat mirrors Palmyra’s situation last season with a strong junior pitcher and catcher returning.
Palmyra is set to play Medford Tech on Thursday, April 20 and again on Friday, April 28.
“They go through that same cycle that we do that you get good years and down years,” Miller said. “Year in year out, you never know what can happen with any of these teams, but those are the ones where we’re going to focus,” Miller said.
In addition to another division title, Miller said he also hopes the team might get the chance to upset a team or two in the divisions above Palmyra and win a playoff game.
This year’s Palmyra softball tournament has been scheduled for Saturday, April 22.
