Forget what you think about girls softball, this year the Old Rochester Regional High School team is planning to upend all the old misconceptions, and they’re going to do it with a vengeance.

“These girls are tough,” said head coach Michael Roderick. “They’re not standing in the outfield picking daisies.”

Roderick, who is new to the team this year, admits that the girls haven’t had an easy go of it.

“This is not the number one sport here. We’ve got a couple of girls who have taken it on the chin for a few years,” he said.

With only five wins last year and one senior on the varsity team this year, Roderick and his captains have their work cut out for them.

“We are a really young team. We’re just looking to build up confidence and skill and mechanics,” said captain Jenny Galavotti. “You gotta have faith in your team.”

That doesn’t mean they’re in for a difficult year, said her fellow captain Kaleigh Goulart.

“It’s going to be a building season. We told the girls if they want to stay after practice, we’re willing to stay an extra hour or two hours,” said Goulart, a sophomore.

Both Galavotti and Goulart dedicate much more than their daily team practices to the sport - from traveling to hitting and pitching lessons regularly.

“Year round, I don’t stop,” said Galavotti, a senior. “It’s worth it though. That’s what you need to be successful in the sport. It’s getting more and more competitive.”

As the team prepares for their first game on April 5 at home against Apponequet Regional High School, there is plenty of work to do.

“We should put together a pretty good defensive team,” said Roderick. “We’re just going to have to work at exploring runs. It’s a group effort.”

Roderick’s focus also extends to the junior varsity team.

“They’re the future. We have a lot of swing players back and forth from JV. Pretty much every position is wide open right now,” he said.

With winter hanging on, the team’s first outdoor practice was on a blustery Tuesday afternoon, but there wasn’t too much complaining.

“They’re all athletes and this is the year I think they’re going to earn their respect in this school,” said Roderick.