At the end of an afternoon practice last week, The Woodlands softball players all huddled in the center of the diamond. After a short word from coach Richard Jorgensen, the girls broke down: “1, 2, 3, Hunger Games!” That exclamation has become this season’s calling card for the Lady Highlanders, who are determined to return to the Class 5A Softball State Tournament this year at the University of Texas at Austin.

“This is the best offseason we’ve ever had since I’ve been here,” Jorgensen said. “We’ve pushed them harder than ever, and the team chemistry is really good. There’s a lot of talent, so the expectations are really high this year.”

After winning the state and national championships in 2011, The Woodlands narrowly missed the state tournament in both of the past two seasons, falling in the regional finals to Klein Collins and Kingwood, respectively. Click here for complete story