Don’t let the TikTok dances before practice fool you — the Bishop’s Softball team is a serious competitor. Even if they warm up to “22” by Taylor Swift. 

On Hunte Fields every afternoon, the team starts with stretches, jokes and the occasional silly dance. Once warm-ups end, it’s drill time — outfielders shag flying balls, infielders dive, Assistant Coach Cristina Byrne lobs high balls for players to catch. Then from about 4:45-5:30 p.m., players rotate through the batting cages, refining their swings. 

But between these structured moments, the real heart of the team beats through — superstitions, rituals, and inside jokes that make Bishop’s softball more than a Varsity sport.

Take, for example, Sydney Mafong (‘26), co-captain of the Softball team. She swears by her lucky hair ribbon, wearing it to every game. “If I don’t wear it, I just feel off,” she admitted. For Bailey Brightenburg (‘27), #8 and a key starter for each softball game, it’s in the jewelry. “I always have to wear earrings and a necklace during the game or else I feel incomplete,” she said. These little actions make the game feel more like their game, turning routines into traditions. 

And then, of course, there are the superstitions with food. 

Senior captain of the softball team, Jayla Stafford, insists on creating the infamous candy salad before each game, which includes a daredevil mix of every sugary snack imaginable — Nerd Gummy Clusters, Starburst Minis, and Watermelon Sour Patch Kids — shared in the dugout like a pregame offering to the softball gods. 

The sugar rush proves to be successful. “Our team gets really hyped up when we have a candy salad,” said Bailey. Maybe this is why starting at the beginning of last season, Jayla began the tradition and kept refilling the bowl, taking it out whenever there was a game. “It’s a necessity. If we don’t have it, the vibes are just off,” Lucy Wagner (‘27), #6, said. Everyone on the team can contribute to the candy mix, and they pass it around during games for a little motivator. 

Before each away game, the team loads into the van with another essential ritual: the Chick-fil-A stop. “We always force Coach [Joe “Joey” Moreno] to run in and grab it for us,” Sydney shared with a smile, “Then we pass it around throughout the van… There’s a lot of bonding over food.” Bailey will never forget the moment last season when they all convinced Coach Joey to go to Chick-fil-A in the van pregame. Passing around the meals, music blasting in the background, and teammates hyping each other up, this was a moment of sisterhood. “The Chick-fil-A stop is non-negotiable,” Bella Bravo (‘26), co-captain of the softball team, said. “It’s basically part of our warm-up at this point.” 

And then there are the chants. Apart from the regular “One, Two, Three, Knights!” The Softball team has their own little flair. Every time the infield gathers between innings, they say their traditional but unconventional: “What the Sigma!” — a “brain rot” phrase, an inside joke, but regardless, a rally cry that has evolved into a core part of their team identity. 

Sharing candy, stopping at Chick-Fil-A, or quirky chants might not seem like much, but these traditions are the threads that weave together the team community, showing that being a member is so much more than just playing softball. 

But keeping up that energy isn’t always easy. “If you are not willing to play for yourself, play for the people around you,” Jayla always tells the team before games. “And if you are not willing to play for the people around you, at least try and find something within yourself to play for.” One of her biggest challenges as captain has been ensuring the team is taken seriously. “Since we are a smaller program, I feel like there’s an outside appearance of our team as being less serious… It’s kind of hard to gain respect, even from players within our own team” she said. 

But she sees that shifting. “There’s a new curated culture of [the team] being more positive and uplifting.” That culture is built on friendship — knowing how to support each other, how to resolve conflicts, and how to keep that energy high, no matter what the scoreboard says. 

Coach Joey sees that energy every day and makes sure to keep it alive. “Both [fun and winning] are a priority to me,” he says. “Why be out here if we aren’t having fun?” Whether it’s impromptu fun games and competitions during practice, kidding around, or just moments of laughter, the team never loses sight of the joy in the game. “Every practice is a constant blooper reel,” he laughs. 

Sydney agreed. If they had an actual blooper, she stated, it would most definitely include plenty of base-running accidents. “We have some videos of us bulldozing over other teams… anything to score a run,” she joked. 

That balance between absurdity and competitiveness is what makes this team unique. One moment, they are focused, chasing down grounders, and perfecting their swings. The next, they are making jokes about “knee-vage” (the tragic result when a new member joins and doesn’t cover up their knees completely with the softball pants and socks) or arguing about the real hype-up song (currently a close call between “Guns and Ships” from Hamilton and “Gasolina,” according to Jayla). 

This fun and supportive atmosphere has helped them connect so well as a team. For instance, freshman Jessica Yao has already found herself a home on the team. “We just bond. We love each other, and that’s what makes us successful… We just have so much fun,” she said. 

Coach Joey sees this too. When asked what makes this year’s team special, he immediately answered, “It’s the fact that everyone on the team is so inclusive… The culture that has been established within the group is something I hope is carried on with the underclassmen. They are a family of sisters.” 

The Softball team started strong this season. They secured their first win against the Santa Fe Christian Eagles on Wednesday, March 19th by 7-4, coming back from a tough 0-2 early on. They also fought hard against the Escondido Charter White Tigers, with Jayla and Bailey scoring a home run each, though the Bishop’s Knights ultimately fell short by seven points, losing 2-9. Their next game is on Monday, April 7th, against Foothills Christian High School. We wish them the best of luck! 

But beyond the scores and stats, it’s the spirit of the team that stands out. Through every joke, every practice, every game, one thing is for sure: this team is special.