OWINGS, Md. — The Northern High School Patriots softball team is headed to states this week, where they’ll face off against the Cougars of Chesapeake High School.
The game will take place at 8 p.m. at the University of Maryland’s softball complex in College Park on Friday, May 22. Admission to the game is $10, and children under 6 are free. There is no fee for parking.
The Patriots are competing for the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) 3A Championship. The team secured their spot after a 15-2 victory over Towson in the state semifinals on Tuesday, May 19.
The team has been competing in the regional and state tournament since the beginning of May. After receiving a bye for the quarterfinals, the team won against Oxon Hill 20-0 in the regional semifinals; 8-3 against Chopticon in the regional finals; and 19-9 against Atholton in the state quarterfinals.
Coach Vincent Gregory said the team is feeling good and credits senior leadership and the team’s offense with their success so far. He said they’ve “hit the ball well,” which has carried them to their wins. Senior pitcher Dani Sybolt has had a “tremendous” season and tournament, and Gregory added that freshman pitcher Natalie White “came up big” in the state quarterfinals to relieve Sybolt.
“The state tournament was a team goal for this season. Senior leadership has been tremendous this year and it’s more than any coach could ask for. The credit goes to the players for getting this far, and I’m ecstatic for them and to be on this fun ride with them. All we ask now is they leave it on the field one more time like they did all year and we’ll see what happens,” Gregory said in an interview with The BayNet.
The team has had plenty of support this year, from their loyal fans traveling to each game to parents pitching in to get the field ready and feed the players. Gregory said they appreciate the support and hope to see all the fans out there on Friday, cheering on the team for their last game of the season.
Overall, the softball team has been to the state finals 13 times. This is Northern High School’s first appearance at the state championship since 2015, which they won.
Follow the team on Facebook to stay up to date and learn more about how to lend support.
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