Junior Danilo Paulo smiles after practicing his swing. Throughout the whole practice, the players had smiles on their faces and laughed along with their teammates. “I want to see my players improve throughout the season, learn to play as a team and have fun,” Bruneel said.

Allied softball players practice their defense while fielding balls their teammates hit off the tee. “My biggest concern is getting outs,” Bruneel said. “Playing defense in Allied Softball isn’t easy.”

Bruneel and Coach Kim Pericles direct players to their spots during practice. Bruneel has coached allied softball at Einstein High School for the past three years.

Junior Danilo Paulo prepares to take a swing. With less than a week until the team’s first game, they were focused on getting as many reps in as possible.

Junior Timothy Mulema prepares to swing his bat. Coach Joe Bruneel was beside each player when they practiced their swings to make sure they had instruction when needed.

Senior Madeline Beins begins to swing her bat as one of her teammates waits in line and watches. Beins consistently displayed energy and passion during the practice.

Coach Joe Bruneel lines up the players against the wall as they transition from hitting to base running. Bruneel made keeping the players focused a priority throughout the season.

Junior Lamar Hayes runs to first base after hitting. Having a strong offense is important for the team, which Bruneel focused on in practice.

Coach Joe Bruneel high-fives junior Danilo Paulo as he reaches home base. The team worked on situational base running to prepare for their first game on March 24 at Clarksburg.