Sept. 9, 2009

The first of the brand-new Gamecock Softball blogs, which will have a name to be released later, comes from sophomore outfielders Lauren Lackey and Kaitlin Westfall. The duo will start a weekly feature on the softball page of GamecocksOnline.com, the official home of the University of South Carolina athletics.

Hey Gamecock fans! We are Lauren Lackey and Kaitlin Westfall, two sophomore outfielders on the women’s softball team. It’s that time of year again, classes have begun, and we’re all glad to be back in Columbia. Even though we’re back into our normal routines, we had a great summer filled with fun while still training hard for the upcoming year.

The two of us were lucky enough to have some time together. Though we live on opposite coasts, Kaitlin was able to take a trip to California for the first time. It was exciting to be able to share a different lifestyle all the way across the country. The weeklong visit was a blast and included many fun-filled events. We spent a day in San Diego, went to a Dodger game, enjoyed a relaxing day at a spa and watched the US Open of Surfing at Huntington Beach. We also had fun at Six Flags Magic Mountain, enjoyed cookouts with friends and family, and took in a minor league baseball game where we actually got to watch former Gamecock baseball players James Darnell and Wynn Pelzer play at the next level for the Lake Elsinore Storm (the California League affiliate of the San Diego Padres). It was a great experience, and we are looking forward to making it an annual summer tradition! Even though it seems like our visit was all about having fun, we still actually managed to make it to the gym, determined to keep up with our summer workouts.

Now that the summer has come to an end and we are back in school, we are getting back to the old routine: conditioning, class, going to the field, working out in the weight room, and hanging out with the team. Everything seems to be working out really well with the newcomers that we have this year. The team is getting along great, and we all seem to have a new positive outlook on the year. We have all been working really hard and could not be more excited to see where it will take us.

Hope you enjoyed our blog and GO COCKS!