tennis starts season with high hopes

other year of experience”

Fleming said.“Each year of experience [we] have under [our] belt, we can push that much more.”

Her teammates agreed that just be- better, and I want to do better than last year,” said sophomore Chiara ‘High Socks’ Santoro. “Last year was pretty good, I would say, but I think we can do even more.”

“First year, I was nervous all the time. I did not really know what to do, specifically in doubles,” Santoro said. “I got more experience now, and I think it is going a lot better.” cause they did really well last season does not mean they are anywhere close to the peak of possibility for success.

Tennis stands out as one of the toughest mental games, and most players become significantly more comfortable and successful the more years they play.

“I feel like we can do

Courtesy of GC Athletics

Santoro finished last season 4-2 in singles and 4-2 in doubles, finishing the season 8-4, improving from her freshman season.

First look at GC softball

Christian Castillo

Contributing

Writer

With opening day of the 2023 season days away, GC softball is eager to get back out on the field. Last season, GC Softball had an underwhelming year, with records of 12-32 in the regular season, 4-20 in Peach Belt Conference play.

With a strong group returning, and a new wave of players, the Bobcats are equipped with an improved team, more experience and undetermined expectations.

After last year’s performance, the first aspect of the team in question is mindset. The Bobcats have a competitive mindset entering the season, starting at the top with the team’s head coach, Jamie Grodecki.

“As a staff we put a lot of time into this recruiting class, and we believe that, with the addition of these new faces and our returners in place, we can have a very successful season,” Grodecki said.

“We have been pushing them hard, and I believe it will give them the confidence to get it done when it matters most.

We have great leaders, and the ladies seem to work well together.”

During the offseason, Grodecki reloaded as best as possible, putting lots of work recruiting players out of high school and the transfer portal.

“We made an effort to bring in a couple girls out of junior college as well as our incoming freshman,” Grodecki said. “We have brought players that will add both depth in all positions and experience from successful programs.”

After last season, the Bobcats have nowhere to go but up from here. If last year was anything, it was a learning year.

“We are on a mission to put our softball program back at the top of our conference and back in the hunt for postseason play, where we have been, historically,” Grodecki said. “This group has the ability and talent to get us back on track.”

Everything sounds good from the top. Now what matters is that the players are ready to win some games. One thing is for certain: The team has bought into Grodecki’s attitudes of being ready to win and bringing GC back.

Being out on the court with just yourself or one partner brings a lot of self-pressure and nerves, especially to new team members, like freshmen. However, one freshman would actually disagree.

One key player returning for the Bobcats is redshirt-senior infielder Katelyn Hobbs. Hobbs was a huge contributor for the team a year ago and has the most experience of any player on the team.

“[I want to] make the most of my last year and get better while not taking anything for granted,” Hobbs said. “I want to make every moment count with my teammates. We started a new thing called ‘be the palm,’ and we will have an inflatable palm tree in the dugout. It is a reminder to roll with the punches. We will bend like a palm tree instead of breaking.”

With many players returning from a season ago, the players

“Honestly, I do not really feel any pressure, maybe I should have,” said freshman Ansley Morrison, the younger sister of junior player Ashton Morrison. “Also, having my sister on the team, I already felt like a part of the team before I got here. With the season about to start, I am trying not to freak out too much. I am just trying to chill.”

Morrison went 2-1 in singles last semester, going into her first spring season with a winning record already.

The GC women’s tennis team is looking to keep climbing to the are extremely familiar with one another.

“Our biggest strength is definitely our chemistry,” Hobbs said. “We are very close as a team, and it shows on the field. We are also a versatile team, so no matter what girls are in we can play.”

Team chemistry and squad depth will be key factors to a good season. The crucial depth will be supplied by younger and incoming players, such as freshman Emily Hobbs, who is the younger sister of fifth-year player Katelyn Hobbs.

“I am so excited to begin my college career,” Hobbs said. “I can not wait to play at the next level. I feel like I fit extremely well into this team, which was beyond welcoming.” peak of success this coming season. They were happy with their performance last season, but they know they can, and want, to do better. Last season, the Bobcats finished fourth in the PBC (Peach Belt Conference), right behind the University of North Georgia Nighthawks. The Bobcats open their season at home on Saturday, Feb. 4 against Emmanuel College of the Conference Carolinas. Emmanuel College placed fourth overall in their conference, finishing with an 8-3 record in conference, but finished 10-15 overall.

The Bobcats are going to benefit from younger players aspiring to contribute and compete.

“I hope to contribute on both offense and defense,” Hobbs said. “I want to make plays and get on base to score some runs. I want to earn a spot on the team and work hard each and every day for the team’s success.”

This season could be a major bounce-back for the Bobcats, who are coming off a disappointing campaign last year. On all levels of the team, the attitude is clear. Leave last year in the past. It is a new group, a new year, and they are ready to compete and win. GC will look for a strong start against Fort Valley State on Feb. 5 for their home opener.

Wildcat

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Jeremy Cudd, assistant professor of performance, expressed his optimism for Hawke’s directing through his previous work on the

2018 film “Blaze.” The film depicted a Southern gothic atmosphere with a struggling artist at the center of it, similar to what is expected in the O’Connor biopic.

“He has writer sen- sitivity,” said Cudd. “He is a novelist too, so he knows the struggle of a writer. Engaging in that increases intimacy with other people who do those things.”

Former Andalusia employee, sophomore English major and self-proclaimed O’Connor fanatic Charlotte Aexel, who is originally from Wisconsin, chose to attend GC largely due to the Milledgeville writer.

Aexel shared that the interpreted meaning behind the film’s title is based on O’Connor’s master’s thesis which shares the same name. The thesis focuses on a character who is dealing with the realities of his nearing death, much like O’Connor, who struggled with her illness for much of her adult life until she passed away at only 39.

“The movie could be really, really good or really, really bad,” said Aexel. “Either way, it is going to be a movie that literature enjoyers will appreciate.”

Aexel made sure to emphasize her hopes that the film will garner attention with a popular, young actress at the forefront and shed light on the mental repercussions of a terminal illness. Additionally, she wishes to see LGBTQ representation since some of O’Connor’s closest friends identified as bisexual.

Tanner Harris, a first-year English major, expressed his excitement for the film through his own parallels to O’Connor’s life as a writer and personal connection to Lupus.

“There is hardly any representation for the literary realm or Lupus in film,” said Harris. “It is a story that needs to be told.”

While referencing popular works such as “Everything That Rises Must Converge” and “A Good Man Is Hard To Find,” Harris noted the - profound yet often overlooked - merit that O’Connor’s writings held.

“Her work was controversial and extremely progressive for its time,” Harris said. “This film is necessary for what it is trying to accomplish.”

Production on the film broke ground at the