WCHS softball ready for action
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The Lady Pioneers’ softball field has progressed to its final stage with the addition of lights and work being done to complete the bleachers in order to be ready for their first home game March 22 against Coffee County.
Coach David Upton and his team finished with a 10-20 record last year, and were bumped out of the first round of the District 7-AAA tournament by Lebanon.
After losing five starters — Crystal Jones, Jasmine Ware, Brittany Patterson, Lacey Griffith and Tracy Medlen — last year to graduation, the Lady Pioneers will have to rely on four seniors and a wealth of young talent this season.
“Our seniors are going to have to take charge and get this team going,” Upton said. ” Erica Warren is our starting pitcher who has two solid seasons behind her, and Candace Stubblefield was our starting right fielder last year and has been moved to left field.
“Kendra Savage is working at first base and Cassie McGinness will be competing for a job behind the plate. The rest of the team will be filled with juniors and sophomores who have to step up and give 100 percent.”
Over the past three seasons the Lady Pioneers’ defense has been strong but the bats have been cold and left too many runners on base.
“Defensively we are going to be pretty solid, especially at the corners,” Upton said. “Shelly Hayes will anchor down third base, and MaCall Cooper will be at first. The middle is still somewhat questionable but Emily Smith and Sara Tanner should be able to step up and get the job done up the middle at short and second.
“The outfield is young with Nickey Poe in right and Alex Mullican in center. Stubblefield is the leader out there and has to keep the younger players in the game.
“Our bats have to come alive this year,” he added. “The hits have to outnumber our errors in order for us to be successful. We have spent a lot of time working on our hitting this spring. The biggest problem we have had in the past is a lack of confidence at the plate. The girls are learning to believe in themselves and when that happens this team will be very solid. All the girls can hit, but they don’t have self confidence right now. Over all the team is young but there’s a lot of talent just waiting to explode.”
For the first time in many years the Lady Pioneers will have depth in pitching.
“We have four pitchers this year and that’s going to be a big plus,” Upton noted. “Warren will be getting the start, but we have Brittany Bowdoin, LeAnn Smith and Ashley McBee who can come in and give us quality time on the mound, which is something we haven’t had in the past.”
The Lady Pioneers will travel to Lincoln County March 15 to officially open their season. In a preseason coaches poll by the Middle Tennessee Softball Coach’s Association the Lady Pioneers are picked to finish sixth in the district. Riverdale is first followed by Oakland, Blackman, Lebanon, Cookeville, Warren, Siegel and White County.