Bartlesville senior first baseman Kaitlyn Sanders said she first fell in love with softball when she was five-years-old and has been using it as a form of therapy ever since. 

“I love to play because it is a way to escape from the world,” Sanders said. “You don’t have to think about anything going on in your life, good or bad. When you’re playing softball, you are completely focused on the game.” 

Sanders said the season is going well so far. 

“It’s going so much better than it has in years past,” she said. “We are really starting to come together as a team, and we are learning to play for each other rather than what is best for just ourselves. Our morale has also improved significantly from past seasons. While some games we can be not very positive and cheerful, we are working on staying engaged in the game and cheering our teammates on.” 

As a senior, Sanders said playing the part of a role model for the younger players is something she loves. 

“I do really like having the younger ones looking up to me,” she said. “I think it’s important for them to have a positive role model, especially since I had a lot of negative role models. I help them out by keeping a positive attitude even when things aren’t going how we want them to. I also cheer them on while they are playing, whether they are on the field or batting, and I like to congratulate them on their successes.”