ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights (21-6) are returning to the diamond this year excited to build on the success of the last few seasons, Head Coach Lisa Lawrence said.  

“We've had a really successful program these last several years. We've had some really great athletes and a lot of talent, and we're excited for what's to come this year,” she said.  

The Knights have strung together multiple winning seasons over the last few years, including a state championship run in 2024. As they enter this season, Lawrence anticipates some newer challenges since a few of her core players have graduated.  

However, that does not mean Royal has a shortage of talent. Big Bend Community College signee Jill Allred is expected to fill an integral role for the Knights this season, Lawrence said.  

“Jill Allred has been a standout for all four years. She pitched every inning in our state championship two years ago as well as last year, when we took fifth. We're expecting that she'll be a huge part of our success this year as well,” Lawrence said.  

Aiding Allred in the Knights campaign for another state title this season will be Emerson Eilers, a very useful utility player, according to Lawrence.  

“Every year it seems like she fills the void and has really worked to establish herself as a really core part of our program,” Lawrence said. “She'll probably be stepping into some important roles to help fill some shoes of people that graduated last year, and she's also one of our leading hitters. I think there's great things to come for this year as well.” 

Though they have lost a few core players over the last few seasons, Lawrence said this creates an opportunity for younger players to step into bigger roles. She feels confident they will be able to do so based off the bright spots they showed last season, she said.  

“We've got some younger players that are great athletes. They have a little less competitive softball experience, but last year we saw some real bright spots just being able to tap into their athleticism; they've got a great work ethic and are great for the team's culture. I'm really looking forward to seeing what we can do with our strategy to build a program around some of that athleticism,” Lawrence said.  

As Lawrence and the Knights look ahead to their schedule this season, they aren’t looking past anyone, she said.  

She noted programs across the South Central Athletic Conference have been building winning programs, and the level of competition has elevated. She foresees stiff competition down the stretch for those top spots in the conference tournament and beyond.  

“I like to play good competition. So, I'm happy to see that the league is getting more competitive,” she said.  

A strategy Lawrence implements each year is to take a fresh approach to the season, starting with their motto for this year, ‘We are one.’ From her perspective, it takes everyone to raise the program to a winning level.  

“Sometimes that means putting people in new positions that they didn't expect (to play in), just to build the best team that we can to make everybody better,” Lawrence said.  

The Knights opening day is scheduled for Mar. 17 in a doubleheader against the Wahluke Warriors at 3 p.m. From there, it will be a strategic chess match to pace their season to be peaking at the right time and potentially make it back to the state tournament, Lawrence said.  

“It's a long season, and people are pretty tired sometimes going into state,” she said. “We try to pace it and make incremental goals. We play some really competitive teams and in our non-league games, which is great, because it's all preparing us to be successful at state.” 

    The Knights’ Hali Christensen practices her celebrations as they run through drills at practice Tuesday.
  

    The Knights’ Paige Christensen warms up with her teammates by passing the ball around.
  

    The Royal Knights softball team warms up ahead of practice Tuesday.