Q&A with Ellensburg High School head softball coach Greg Olin
ELLENSBURG, Wash. — A Q&A with Greg Olin who is the head softball coach at Ellensburg High School.
How long have you been coaching?
Greg Olin: I have been coaching for 22 years. (Baseball, Football, Basketball and Softball)
I have been coaching Softball for 7 years @ EHS (2nd聽as Head Coach)
I have also coached Ellensburg Synergy for the last 11 summers
What are one or two things that the team does in training that are keys to their success?
Olin: This year we invested in a mindset coach for the program Coach Danielle Orvella from the DO Method.聽 The training they received brought a lot of good and bad things to light about how they have gone about athletics/life in the past.聽 It was something that I felt really needed to be addressed this season, and the benefits of that training was immeasurable.
Also, assistant coach Darian Olin held softball specific weight training/workouts which also benefited this group greatly.
Please describe the most memorable games/tournaments/championships/moments of this team.
Olin: Winning each of the elimination games, and watching the team鈥檚 confidence grow with each victory.聽 Pulling off the upset against Shadle Park. (That game had a championship game feel to it.聽 The pressure, the great pitching, defensive plays, executing to score the game鈥檚 only run)
Describe your proudest coaching moment of this year.
Olin: Proudest moment would be how the girls never let a mediocre/disappointing regular season get them down.聽 The team and coaches just kept saying 鈥済et us to Districts and anything can happen鈥�.聽 We rallied around that thought process, and truly played our best ball when it mattered the most!
What legacy do you hope to leave as a coach?
Olin: Legacy would be to hopefully have made an impact on my players lives, not just softball related, but as people.聽 I am truly blessed to have an incredible wife, son and 2 daughters of my own.聽 But coaching softball allows me to connect with so many other girls who truly are like additional daughters in my life.聽 I wouldn鈥檛 trade it for anything.
Anything else you’d like to add about this year’s team?
Olin: Losing 6 Seniors from this year鈥檚 team is tough, but we are extremely excited for the experience that our underclassman gained this season, and really look forward to their leadership next season!
Please share team stats?
Olin: Couple of stats/highlights from this year.
15-13 overall record.
Won 3 straight elimination games to qualify for the State tournament (1st聽time that has happened in program history.)
Eliminated #2 seed East Valley, #5 seed Ephrata and #3 seed Selah
Won first game @ State vs #4 overall seed Shadle Park by a score of 1-0
Season Stat Leaders
P/1B Maddie Kennedy-Colson – .500 BA/45 hits/13 HR/45 RBI聽 102 Innings pitched/107 K鈥檚
CF Victoria Zimmerman – .418 BA/41 runs/18 of 20 stolen bases
SS/P Lily Case – .411 BA/39 runs/12 doubles/6 triples/37 RBI (.639 BA in Conference games)
3B Chante Leadercharge – .451 BA/7 doubles/5HR
LF Alexis Gillespie – .386 BA/8 HR/35 RBI
Post Season Stat Leaders (8 games)聽
Maddie Kennedy-Colson – .667 BA/1.708 Slugging %/8 HR/13 RBI
Chante Leadercharge – .476 BA/.952 Slugging %/3 HR
Kass Winter – .419 BA/5 doubles/6 RBI
Alexis Gillespie – .407 BA/1.074 Slugging %/3 doubles/5 HR/17 RBI
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