“I feel like through quarantine, I was so trapped inside, it was softball that really got me through it,” BHS junior Riley Pritchard said. Pritchard is a BHS softball catcher who’s been playing for ten years. From starting on a recreational team in Oakland to being the only freshman on the varsity team two years ago, softball has proven to be one of the most important parts of his life. Although softball comes with its challenges, the team is what makes softball so great for him, “Obviously, I love the sport, but I love the people, and the connections I’ve made over my time playing.”
Throughout Pritchard’s many years of playing he has learned how to balance the mental side of the sport as well, “I just take a second if I’m batting, I’ll step out of the box and just take a deep breath … I feel like it’s very applicable to life.” Softball in college is still on the cards for Pritchard as he loves the sport, but until then, he is focused on the current spring season.