“My personal goal for this season is to leave it all out on the field and pour my all into every game and practice,” said Elgin senior Sarriyah McIntosh, a four-year slow-pitch starter determined to finish her high school career on a high note. “I want to leave the legacy of the first slow-pitch team to bring home the state title to Elgin.”

McIntosh said the Lady Owls’ energy and mindset feel different this spring. “I think our team morale this year has been very good, really focusing on building our chemistry and mindsets not only for the spring but for the seasons to come,” she said. “The biggest improvement I’ve seen from the girls have been our attitudes on the field.”

The team’s main target is clear and ambitious. “Our team goal is to obviously win state,” McIntosh said. “I don’t think a lot of people are expecting us due to our recent seasons, but we have a lot of new face taking the field for Elgin slow-pitch, everyone is coming to practice with the mindset to get better every rep and I’m super excited to take the field with them in March!”

She believes the way Elgin plays together gives them an edge. “Our biggest strength has to be our ability to work together no matter what happens off the field,” she said. “When we step on that field all of us are battling together.”

On defense, McIntosh’s versatility is vital. “I play first base, pitcher, and third,” she said. “When I’m playing defense, I like looking at where the hitter is set up. A lot of the teams we play have girls that can placement hit, so just looking at that and letting my outfield know where to shift.” At the plate, she keeps her approach simple. “My mindset when I go to the plate is generally to stay simple and aim for a gap,” she said.

McIntosh said the team’s personality is a big part of its identity. “Fans and outsiders may not know about is how we don’t like to be serious,” she said. “We are always up and giggling. We know how to get the job done but we also know how to have fun while doing it.”

Her favorite memory comes from the fall. “My favorite memory comes from fast pitch this fall when we made state and dogpiled on home plate, the energy from the fans and emotions from the girls made the moment a memory to last forever,” she said.