QUICK Q&A:  MALORIE GIERE, NEW LIFE ACADEMY FRESHMAN

Your team is back in the state tournament with an almost completely new roster. How does that feel? It's crazy. It feels really good to come through like we did at the end of the season.

Did you ever think this team, with no seniors and only two juniors, would get this far? No. Honestly, I didn't. It was such a great surprise. But it was such a new group of players, we really had nowhere to go but up.

The biggest difference between this year and last year? This year, it's 100 percent team effort. We need everyone to contribute. We couldn't have done it if we didn't pull together. 

In what way did the success of past teams, with all of their state titles, help this team? It helped us handle the pressure, to stay relaxed and find a way out of tough situations. We had been able to do it before.

How tough was the adjustment to catcher this year? It's been difficult, but I catch for my summer team, so it wasn't completely new.

What is the best part of catching? It's super rewarding helping the pitcher throw strikes.

The worst part? All the hits you take. I've had some pretty big bruises.

What is one thing you can't take the field without doing? Talk positive to myself. I tell myself what I need to do and that I need to be confident. Oh, and we need to do our team cheer.

What is that? It goes "Big D, no E, go Eagles, HUH!" It gets us fired up.

JIM PAULSEN