If the Lady Tigers are going to have a strong start in the next couple of weeks, it might be because of what they have already done.

Varsity softball season features a notoriously short time between the date the teams report for official practices and the date of the first game.

The Dawson County High School squad worked out most of the summer, in addition to matching up with area teams for several summer league games.

Head coach Jim Pruett said the best thing about the past two months was all the quality repetitions the Lady Tigers were able to get in.

"We got in a lot of good fundamental work," said Pruett, "hopefully all the work during the summer will pay off."

In order to gauge the team's progress, The Lady Tigers held a team camp at DCHS near the end of the summer.

Pruett said that in contrast to the summer league games, the camp allowed the coaches to evaluate the players with consistency for several days in a row.

And the coaches liked what they saw, with a strong turnout of nearly 30 players.

"Team chemistry is really important," Pruett said. "You can have players that are talented but they must also be able to get along."

The Lady Tigers should be able to take advantage of some good speed on the roster to steal bases and manufacture runs this season, the coach said, while strong pitching and defense will likely be at the heart of the team.

With a blend of youth and experience, the team is expecting big things from senior Jenna Abbott in the pitcher's circle and also at the plate.

Providing plenty of experience and leadership will be Martie Rogers, a junior first baseman and pitcher.

As there are several young players in the softball program this season, Pruett said there should be some competition within the roster.

With all the younger players already having some type of softball experience, the coaching staff tries to smoothly transition them to the Dawson County team.

The Lady Tigers won't waste any time getting the season started as they are set to begin a weekend tournament at Lanier Point Athletic Complex in Gainesville with two afternoon games this Friday, Aug. 10.