Even as 5-year-old, Farmington's Doyle came to play ball

Senior first baseman Amber Doyle is looking forward to Farmington's initial season in the South Suburban Conference for softball.

The Tigers are coming off a 16-9 season, and finished third in the now defunct Missota Conference a year ago. They lost to eventual Class 3A state champion Lakeville South 9-3 in the Section 1 finals. Lakeville South is a member of the 10-team South Suburban Conference.

"This year my goal is to be the underdog team in our new conference that surprises everyone," Doyle said. "We're ready to compete."

Here is a closer look at Doyle:

Q Three words or phrases your friends or teammates might use to describe you?

A Dependable, superstitious and loyal.

Q Name three songs you never skip on your iPod?

Q What are your three favorite apps?

A Twitter, BBC News and Instagram.

Q Who do you like to follow the most on Twitter, and why?

A I love following the Dalai Lama. He tweets so many inspirational sayings and his tweets are always a great reminder to stay humble and to be kind to others.

Q Why and when did you get involved with softball?

Q At my first varsity practice, you were …

A … scared. Definitely scared. I was a freshman and things seemed so orderly and I wasn't quite sure I was ready for it. It didn't take long before my captain that year took me under her wing and I got into the swing of things. That scary feeling soon turned into excitement to be there working hard with the team every day.

Q What did you work on most in the offseason?

A I worked on training my mental game harder than I ever have before. Yogi Berra once said "Ninety percent of this game is half-mental," so I've been working hard to master that side of the game to eliminate mental errors.

Q To get focused for a game, you …

Q What is your most memorable moment as a high school athlete?

A Has to be from sophomore year when we beat Hastings twice (7-6 and 3-1) in the Section 1 championship to go to the state tournament for our second year in a row.

Q What is the best sports advice you have ever received?

A To work hard and trust the journey. I'm notorious for over-thinking things and worrying about my future. I had two really amazing coaches who constantly reminded me to trust the journey, that one way or another I would end up where I was meant to be. It really helped me relax on game days and I've transitioned to using that in my day-to-day life as well. Trust the journey, enjoy the journey.