Since the seventh-grade, Dickinson High seniors Jess Priebe and Madi Steier have been teammates.
Yet, for Priebe and Steier, the Dickinson High softball team's co-captains and starting center and left fielders, respectively, the last two years has been more than about just being teammates.
The two have become best friends in the process and have each other backs on and off the field.
"It's really nice playing with someone that is so close to you," Priebe said. "You know that they are always going to be there to back you up. Since we've playing with each other for so long, we just trust each other."
Steier added: "I just know I have her there for me. It makes me feel more confident, because if I miss a ball, I know I have her there as my backup. If she misses a ball, I'm there for her backup."
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Priebe and Steier enter the final weekend of their high school careers as the Class A state tournament begins today at West Fargo Elmwood Softball Fields.
Dickinson, the No. 3 seed from the West Region, plays Valley City, the No. 2 seed from the East Region, at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
"We just have to win the first game," said Priebe, who will attend the University of Mary in the fall. "Or else, we aren't in the championship bracket anymore. Coach always says focus on one pitch at time, one play at time, one game at a time. That's what we are going to go in doing."
However, preparing to enter the state tournament was a far cry from where Priebe and Steier started their softball careers. Steier said back then, the game wasn't about getting wins.
"We didn't win much at all," Steier said with a laugh. "At that point, it was just fun to be out there. It was something new and we wanted to go out there and give it our all. It was just exciting to get a run or to get a hit."
With time, they knew winning was going to come.
In the words of Dickinson head coach Bill Butterfield, "You have to learn how to lose, before you can learn how to win."
Those words would ring through his players' minds for the last two seasons. This season was the Midgets' best regular-season finish with a 17-4 overall record. After a 2-1 performance at the West Region Tournament, Dickinson's heads into the state tournament at 19-5.
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"I had my suspicions the kids would be ready and, if things fell into place, I thought we could have a good season this year," said Butterfield, who was named West Region Coach of the Year. "I think everything was aligned for it, but you never really know until you play it out.
"It's been a good season, but we have more to go. It's one game at a time now."
Priebe and Steier have each made an impact their senior season.
Entering the season, Priebe had been the leadoff hitter for the last two seasons. She was moved to the No. 2 spot in the order and hasn't skipped a beat. She is batting .387 with three doubles, 14 RBIs and 36 runs scored.
"Jess was our leadoff hitter last year and we asked her to play a different role this year," Butterfield said. "She stepped in and has done extremely well."
Steier packs power in the middle of the lineup with a .354 average with seven doubles, one triple, 26 RBIs and 30 runs. One of Steier's goals this season was to hit at least one home run. She has two.
"I came into the season wanting one home run on my sleeve," said Steier, who will attend North Dakota State in the fall. "When we were in Bismarck and I hit one over fence, I was so excited I ran it out. I didn't know it actually went over the fence. I was so excited."
Though a majority of the seasons the two seniors put in for the Dickinson softball program weren't winning ones, Steier said she wouldn't trade those years for anything.
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"(My softball career) has been more than I wanted it to be," Steier said. "I've been so close to my team and it breaks my heart knowing this weekend is the last weekend I'll be out on the field with them. It's bittersweet to be done, but I know I've had the best softball career I could have ever asked for."
