After falling just one game short of making the state championship tournament last season, the Goshen Eagles softball team is back for another run in 2010.

Head coach Dee Hughes said the Eagles look ready for another grueling season.

“Our practice Wednesday looked really good,” Hughes said. “The girls look real excited about starting the season, and they’ve been hitting the ball real well.”

The Eagles’ opponent in the season opener will be Ariton. The Purple Cats are a youthful team this season, but Hughes said the Eagles must be ready to play.

“Ariton’s a bit of a younger team this year, but we’ve still got to have solid pitching and play good defense,” Hughes said.

Hughes said she is worried about some early-season jitters affecting the Eagles, but expects the bats to carry the team through.

“A lot of times early on in the season, teams will not be as sound on defense,” Hughes said. “Teams are going to make mistakes, but if you can hit the ball and score some runs, that winds up taking a lot of pressure off of you.”

Goshen and Ariton play a junior varsity game today at 4:30 in Goshen, followed by the varsity game at 6 p.m.