Greene County’s baseball team began practicing last week, and the highly anticipated 2015 softball season for the Greene County Rams officially gets underway today with the first practice. This will be a season unlike any other the Rams have had since almost every starter returns from the 2014 team that finished third in the Class 3A State Tournament after entering the post season not ranked among the top 15 teams by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union.

That team won five of six postseason games, all against competition ranked number 12 or higher. There won’t be any sneaking up on any teams this season with first team all-state pitcher Marissa Promes, second team all-state shortstop Emily Christensen, and all-conference players Kayla Mobley, Hannah Onken, Carleigh Paup, Sydney Koch, and Emma Saddoris. Starters Bailey Godwin and Tressa Rasmussen are also back. Head Coach Tom Kennedy would have returned every starter from last season except for off-season shoulder surgery on catcher Hannah Cooklin’s throwing arm that will prevent her from being behind the plate. Hannah Promes, a catching candidate, had knee surgery during basketball season and hasn’t been cleared yet to play, so catching is one of the few question marks the Rams will have entering the season.

Greene County went 29-8 in 2014, but did not win the Heart of Iowa Activities Conference title. That honor went to PCM (Monroe) with the Rams placing second. PCM visits Greene County on Tuesday, May 26 to open the season for both teams.