A look ahead to Monarchs spring 2019 sports season

With the spring season around the corner we can expect great things from our basketball, baseball, and softball teams.

By Vicente Vitela, Sports Editor

The spring semester will have a lot in store for Monarchs athletics for both the men’s and women’s teams as they will look to establish themselves as sports powerhouses.

Lady Monarch’s basketball team is headed by Head Coach Monica Hang, who led the team to a second straight Western State Conference title. The team looks to repeat its success from last year, which saw them achieve a 10-0 record in the conference and 21-9 overall. The team will carry five sophomores and five freshmen, with two of those freshmen transferring from out of state (Texas, Minnesota). If the last two years are any indication, this team will be well coached and ready for any competition it will face during the season.

Lady Monarch’s softball Head Coach Greg Venger returns for his sophomore year at Valley College. Last year’s team led the league in home runs with 46 and was ranked 1st overall in on base, and slugging percentage. However, despite an amazing 23-13 record, it still was not good enough for the Monarchs to earn a playoff spot and that is something that this year’s team will try to accomplish. With rumblings of new transfers and fresh recruits, it is safe to say that a sophomore slump isn’t likely in the cards for Coach Venger.

The Men’s basketball team who went 10-16 last year and seek to improve on this. With Head Coach Virgil Watson this year managing a young squad with only three returning freshmen, he looks to have his work cut out for him. Coach Watson, however, is an experienced coach and knows the game well enough to be able to lead this team to a possible Western State Conference Title.

Valley’s Baseball team last year had a few bright spots in what was a disappointing season that saw the Monarch’s go 13-26. The few bright spots were the teams .367 on base percentage and their .945 fielding percentage. Some of the major downsides were the teams 6.24 ERA and their .254 batting average. This team led by Head Coach Dave Mallas, who has been at the helm for over a decade, will look to restore this team to its playoff glory.

If you are a fan of Monarch athletics than the spring 2019 sports will certainly have its fair share of stories, and surprises. Stay tuned for another great year of sports.