The Carroll softball team was the first Corpus Christi ISD team to try out the new turf at Cabaniss Softball Field on a cool Wednesday afternoon.
At least from Carroll players and coaches, the early returns on the turf are a thumbs-up. The field is not completely ready for game play as the netting that surrounds the field has yet to be installed but the new playing surface will be a change for the better.
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“I like it but it’s different than dirt,” Tigers junior catcher Samantha Gaona said. “Sliding is way different and then I’d say blocking for catching is way different because if its skips it can go over.”
The turf was part of a multimillion-dollar bond package passed in 2016 that also included putting turf on practice fields at five of the six high schools, and installing the synthetic surface at Cabaniss Baseball Field and Cabaniss Soccer field.
There will be differences playing on the turf but Carroll coach AJ Caballero said what the turf offers is a chance to play games in inclement weather. A rain shower in the morning or early afternoon before a game now gives teams a better chance to play the same day.
In previous years, rain could force the postponement of games for multiple days depending on the weather.
Plus, the turf’s durability makes it a place where playoff games could be common in May and possible June.
“You can count on having a game day whether it rained earlier in that day and during the playoffs it’ll be a good spot to have and to host other teams,” Caballero said. “It’ll be good for us and good for our district.”
The Tigers are also beginning a new era as this is the first season since 2013 that Hannah Mayo will not be in the circle. The expectations for the Tigers after a 33-5 season and trip to the Class 5A regional semifinals have not changed.
The goal is to make the playoffs, win the district and advance in the postseason. Some of the names may be different but the culture of winning for the program that has been established over the last few years is not.
“I think that overall the morale and chemistry of the team is really good right now and they are coming together,” Caballero said. “Even though we lost some hitters and obviously, Mayo on the mound, some of the girls are up to the challenge of filling in those posts and making an impact early.”
Caballero said freshman Vanessa Quiroga will likely see most of the pitching reps early this season while Samantha Miller and Hailey Avalos will also work in from the spot. Gaona, meanwhile, is returning along with Kelli Serrato, which gives the Tigers some experience.
And they have the chance to start that new era on some new turf on their home field.
“It’s to keep grinding and keep working,” said Gaona, a first-team All-South Texas selection in 2017. “Last year we set the bar high and we are expected to keep that but we are ready for it and keep going with the same expectations. We know we have the same target on our back.”