By Matt Browning 

Delaynie Esterly was a part of Belle Plaine’s Class 3A fourth-place softball team last year and she is looking forward to picking up right where the Dragons left off.

“I am stoked for the upcoming season,” Esterly said. “I look forward to being able to play the sport I love with my friends from school. I also look forward to building off of our season last year ending fourth at state.”

Esterly’s summer was all softball, all of the time. Between her traveling team and camps, she was also reaching out to college coaches.

“In between showcase tournaments and camps, I primarily worked on contacting college coaches, fielding, footwork, conditioning and lots of hitting,” Esterly said. 

Last season, Esterly hit.479, with a fielding percentage of .899 and an on-base percentage of .554. Improvement in all areas is something she is seeking this season.

“My goal for this year is to expand my recruiting process and keep preparing myself for my upcoming years of softball,” Esterly said. “As a team, it would be great to expand on last year’s victories and make it further in state.” 

Off the field, Esterly is the FBLA vice president and also participates in SADD. Esterly wants to play softball in college and would like to major in business.