Rattlers look to bounce back for 2024 Season

San Marcos hit the softball fields last week in preparation for the 2024 season.

The Rattlers and Head Coach Cathy Stoughton are looking to rebound after last season, which saw San Marcos finish with a 6-24 record, but they were hit with a slew of injuries that severely hampered the team.

“It was one of those things that, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” Stoughton said. “Having coached for 26 years, I had never experienced anything like that, and it blind sided me. … After the first round of district play, we are sitting in third place. Then, next thing, we are falling like dominoes. It was hard, especially for the ones who were injured, to sit on the sidelines and watch even though they wanted to compete on the field.”

In a season filled with injuries, setbacks and just plain bad luck, San Marcos took their fair share of licks during the 2023 season.

But the Rattlers are turning the setbacks they faced in 2023 into positives for the upcoming season with a combination of upperclassmen leadership and underclassmen competitiveness.

“It was really tough,” Stoughton said. “We faced more adversity than any program I’ve been a part of. We are using that as motivation going into the season to build on that and create buy in and culture. We have ability, drive and determination, which is a good combination along with leadership.”

While grinding away during the long offseason, San Marcos has been champing at the bit to get back on the field and prove that 2023 was not indicative of the Rattler softball program.

“We have been waiting for this opportunity to step on to the field as a team since the last game last year,” Stoughton said. “It’s a long wait. It’s not instant gratification, necessarily, but you want to do something about it. You want the opportunity, and you are ready to make a change. But you have to wait nine months to do it. So the girls were really hungry, and they wanted to get back on the field. When we did on Saturday, it was one of the greatest feelings in the world.”

Last Saturday saw the Rattlers back on the field for the first time since late April as San Marcos opened up scrimmage play with the Lockhart Lions.

Though San Marcos is in the early stages of the 2024 season, Stoughton is already seeing the Rattlers take strides in their improvement from last year.

“We played really well in our scrimmage last Saturday,” Stoughton said. “There were a few nerves that we worked out, but it’s nice to have everyone healthy. … We have a lot of kids that can fill out a lot of roles for us.”

As the Rattlers continue on through preseason play, the meshing of both upperclassmen and underclassmen will be key for San Marcos.

“We are seeing a lot of positives,” Stoughton said. “We have a mixture of experienced veterans and some new faces with some freshmen. It’s been a great balance because the freshmen and the veterans are pushing each to compete. They are playing at a high level especially with the amount of youth on the team. We have a competitive group of incoming freshmen and a competitive group of veterans. It’s meshing well.”

San Marcos will be back at home at Rattler Softball Stadium as the Rattlers will scrimmage New Braunfels Canyon.

First pitch is scheduled for tonight at 6:30 p.m.

San Marcos will begin the regular season Tuesday April 13 against Cedar Park Vista Ridge.

First pitch is at 7 p.m.

cmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc