By MIKE HUTSELL
Tim Hauber doesn’t believe that pressure enters into the equation this time of year.
“This is the fun time to be playing,” said the veteran Clarksville High School softball coach. “I don’t think anybody is worried about too much right about now.”
As the Generals prepare for their first Class 2A Forest Park Regional game since 2004, Hauber fully believes his team is as even keel as it has been all season — maybe even more relaxed now that it has ended its sectional drought and advanced to meet Tell City at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
“We expect a lot out of the team all year, so right now they all kind of feel like they’ve made us happy,” joked Hauber. “When we talk now, we’re all pretty relaxed and feel good about where we are going forward.”
While it has been five years since Clarksville appeared in the regional round, the Generals (20-8) will face a Tell City team that is making its first-ever trip to the regional.
The Marksmen (16-8) won last week’s Forest Park Sectional, defeating North Posey in the championship game last Friday, 6-4.
“It’s a little surprising to see them there,” said Hauber. “We kind of felt there were three pretty good, pretty traditionally strong teams in their sectional with Forest Park, (Evansville) Mater Dei and North Posey. We didn’t know a lot about them going in, but we do now.”
Hauber said he had a chance to catch Tell City’s sectional final victory and he has scouted out more information on the team online this week.
“We’re learning about them,” said Hauber. “They aren’t here by accident.”
Still, the Clarksville coach likes how his team has played since the start of the postseason.
Clarksville limited its three sectional foes — West Washington, Brownstown and Pekin Eastern — to just two runs in three games while outscoring its foes 16-2 to win the Clarksville Sectional title last week.
In the sectional final, Clarksville blasted Pekin Eastern 9-0, totaling 11 hits in the victory.
“It’s as good as we have hit it in a while,” Hauber said. “Our approach was good and we worked on some things before we started.”
Pitcher Amber Wingler was also strong in the three postseason wins.
The offense will need to be back in tune for the Generals as they prepare to face Tell City pitcher Josalyn Ress. The hurler has posted a 15-7 record on the season and gave up just one earned run in the sectional-clinching win last week.
“They’re in our league,” said Hauber of Tell City. “I don’t think you’ll see them overwhelm us. But at the same time, I doubt you see us overwhelm them.”
The winner of the semifinal will meet either Cloverdale or Linton-Stockton (18-5) in the championship game.
“We don’t make a habit out of preparing for a game we don’t know we’ll play,” said Hauber of the potential championship-round foe. “We’ll have plenty of time between games to get ready for that one there if we get through.”
