After finishing the regular season with the third seed in the area the Charles Henderson High School softball team is ready to travel to Ozark for the area tournament, a tournament that head coach Robin Snyder believes his team can win.

“This season we’ve been able to beat everyone in the area except Carroll,” Snyder said. “We’re susceptible to mistakes on the field and we aren’t strong at pitcher so we need a good defense to win games and have to eliminate errors. I’ve got no doubt that we can go down and win the area tournament we’ve just got to play like we’re capable of playing.”

The tournament will be hosted by number one seed Carroll and will start today with the Eagles first taking on Eufaula, the number two seed.

The Trojans have already faced Eufaula twice this season, splitting the two matches.

The Trojans have played through the 2012 season on the talent of some younger players, with no senior experience to rely on and an eighth grade pitcher in Meredith Motes.

Motes is expected to start the first game against Eufaula but Snyder says to expect a bit of variety from the Eagles pitching staff.

“We’re probably going to mix and match at pitcher,” Snyder said. “Meredith will probably start but we could have three or four games to play so we’ve got to switch it up. Meredith does a great job but just doesn’t have many pitches and batters can adjust to that. But she’s a great pitcher and I hope that we’ll have her for the next few years.”

As far as older player experience goes the Trojans have three juniors who will be playing in the tournament in Becca Hartley, Victoria Outlaw and Madison Mehafley, all three of whom Snyder say the team will be looking to for leadership.

The Trojans will play at 10 a.m. against Eufaula in the first round of the tournament, with a second game immediately after at 12 p.m. with either the winner or loser of the Carroll-Rehobeth matchup.