Young. Hard-working. Competitive.

It’s still in the very early going this season, but the Goshen High School softball program is already producing plenty of positivity on the field.

The Gladiators are looking to keep their winning ways going when they host Washingtonville on Friday, April 25.

“Having advanced to the semifinals in Section 9 last year, we are hoping to advance deeper into the Section 9 playoffs,’’ Goshen head coach Mike Kelly said. “We play in, arguably, the most competitive Division in the Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association (OCIAA). We want to be competitive in every game and work hard to dominate on both sides of the ball (offense and defense).’’

Several key varsity tested student athletes are in the lineup for the Gladiators this spring.

“Our top returning players are Sophia Springer, a sophomore short stop; Mia Antolino, a senior team captain who plays centerfield; Marley Northrup, a sophomore catcher; and Addison (Addi) Freiberger, a freshman pitcher,’’ Kelly said.

“Our promising newcomers from last season’s undefeated JV team are Olivia Jordan, a freshman outfielder; Anna Mayo, a sophomore who pitches and plays first base; and Bailey Gomulka, a freshman who will be playing third base for us this season.’’

Dependable leadership on the roster will be crucial to Goshen’s success this year.

“We have six seniors, three of them are returning starters from last year and we are looking for them to step up this season as leaders,’’ Kelly said. “(We want them to) use their accumulated experience of varsity level competition in order to acclimate our talented freshman and sophomore players.’’

The Gladiators posted a solid 12-9 overall record in 2024 and they face very tough competition once again this year.

“We see ourselves as being able to compete with every team in our Division, a Division that includes powerhouse teams such as Minisink, Warwick, Valley Central and Cornwall,’’ Kelly said. “We think that on any given day, each of these teams is capable of beating the other. The defending champ, Minisink, in my opinion is the team to beat. However, this Division is very competitive with Warwick, Valley Central having many strong players. Goshen and Cornwall should be competitive as well.

“If our returning seniors can take the next step in being productive and our young crop of players (freshman and sophomores) can realize their potential, we will be a tough team to beat this season,” Kelly added. “I am concerned about our youth and the very competitive Division that we play in-Class AA.’’