Dena Stancil brings a wealth of knowledge about the game of softball to Gatewood as the head coach.
For the past few seasons, she has served as an assistant coach under Daulton Veal, but she recently began her first year at the helm of the Lady Gators’ program.
Gatewood’s roster is comprised of a lot of underclassmen this year. So, the Lady Gators will depend on that inexperience to succeed as they navigate through the season.
“I am really excited about our youth. We’ve got a young team,” Stancil said. “I’ve got a bunch of freshmen. My older girls have been out on the field, and they’re really great leaders, but this group of freshmen is as tough as nails. They do everything that I ask them to do. They’re all bought in and are going to figure it out.”
Taylor Mareno and Ashley Martin are two players that the first-year head coach mentioned as being “leaders.” Both are upperclassmen and have been “staples” in the program over the last few years under the direction of Veal and now Stancil.
As far as the younger talent, there are three Lady Gators’ freshmen that are returning who started as eighth graders - Natalie Sills, Riley Roberts and Ellie McMillian.
“Those three really shined for us last year,” Stancil said. “Natalie and Riley were our two main pitchers from last season as eighth graders. Ellie also was our catcher. So, they are really coming in strong as freshmen because they’ve seen the field as varsity players before. The rest of the freshman are coming along as well.”
In 2021, Gatewood went 6-13 overall and 1-5 in GISA Region Region 1-AA competition. The Lady Gators hope to be more productive on the diamond this season.
According to Stancil, she believes that her squad can do anything it set its mind to.
“We started off the summer with one goal in mind, and it is to win the last game,” Stancil said. “My coach in high school had that goal, and we achieved it several times. So, I started off thinking I am not going to make any other goal except to win a state championship. That’s our goal for this year and every year following [this season]. If it’s not our goal, then I don’t know what we’re doing out here.”
Of course, for Stancil, there are other day-to-day goals as well, including getting better as a team.
“We’re also looking to perfect the little things, which is (playing) fundamental softball,” she said. “That’s what our goal has been this summer leading up to our first game.”
Gatewood will start its season on Thursday, Aug. 11 at Central Fellowship Christian Academy.