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Although still early in the season, the Coral Reef Senior High School girls’ softball team is feeling confident, and with good reason.
In mid-February, the Barracudas vanquished archrivals Palmetto Senior High School by a score of 9-6.
According to Coral Reef Coach Zach Segal, the team is anchored by a tight-knit crew of seniors who have played together since their freshman year. Stellar shortstop Ana Hernandez, whom Segal calls the “heart of the team,” already has accepted an athletic scholarship to play softball for the University of Pittsburgh in the fall. She hit the game-changing home run against Palmetto and sealed the Panthers’ fate.
Other stars include catcher Samantha Trina, who plays equally well at third base, and second base player Brooke Eduarte, the team’s clutch hitter. Kira Boyer skillfully handles first and third bases and Nelisa Ultrera is another to be counted on for a big hit when the pressure is on.
Segal, 33, a volunteer firefighter who teaches autistic children at Coral Reef High, served as the team’s assistant coach for three years before taking the helm in 2018. That year, he took the team to the state championship tournament, where they beat Palmetto and made it as far as the semi-finals. He has a good feeling about 2021.
“This year looks like the one,” he said. “If they keep doing what they’re doing, meshing the way they are and working hard, we’ve got a real shot at winning that last game of the year.”
