LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- One of the biggest challenges for any team that wins a title is to follow up that magical season with another. And Ballard softball is close to getting that done.

The Bruins have gotten used to carrying around a target.

"We have a target on our back," said Junior Shortstop Mikayla Milby. "Every team we play, they come out like, you'd be surprised, people literally bring their 'A' game every time they play us."

They went 39-0 a year ago and with most of the team back, they are 32-1 heading to Lexington for this year's state tournament.   

"Just trying to keep them humble, trying to keep them hungry," said Ballard head coach Alan Jones. "You know, when you win something in life, it's like the challenge is gone. So how do you get that challenge back and that's for me, you know?

"So we talked a lot about that and you can tell they're ready. They're fired up. We gave them three days off, which I've never done after we won the regional. They're fresh. We're calling this the new season, so that's our theme. This is a new season. We have to go 4-0. Based on the last two practices, they've been unbelievable." 

A superstition from last year has popped back up this year. 

"The rocks!" shouted senior first baseman Macy McCoy. "I don't know what to say about them. They're nuts."

The rocks have kind of taken on a life of their own. They live in the team's locker room.

"Honestly when I saw them on the floor in March, I was getting ready to throw them away," said Jones. "And then they're like 'Don't touch them because these are our good luck rocks.' Everybody's hit those rocks. For example, our second baseman hit them and her car the same day went over the embankment. We had player that hit the rocks and she had to go to the ER. Our catcher who was a great hitter last year hit the rocks and she struck out four times in a row." 

This year, they got suspiciously knocked over the week of their only loss, which came against Great Crossing in early May. 

"I don't really know how they got knocked over," said McCoy. "They sit aside so whoever knocked them over was being very devious."

"We never figured out who knocked them over that week," said Milby. "So it was like we all took the burden on because nobody ever figured out who did it."

"They're in a glass case," said Jones. "I should have had 24-hour security around them but they're safe and hopefully nobody touches them."   

Ballard will stay away from the rocks and begin state tournament play Thursday at 9:00 p.m. against Woodford County in Lexington.  

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