By Matt Turer — mturer@ky3.com
@MattTurer
It’s been an ongoing battle in Seymour to get the softball program back to .500. It’s something the group hasn’t done this decade, and back even further than that.
After a 3-17 record in 2015, the Tigers seemingly took a step back with a 2-20 mark in 2016. But that needs to be taken sort of lightly since Seymour starting pitcher Faith Pearce missed all of last year’s fall season with an injury. Pearce returned for Seymour’s (unofficial) spring season and helped lead the Tigers to a 7-8 record.
“She gave us a ton of confidence as a team because she can consistently pitch strikes, giving us a chance to compete on the defensive end,” Seymour head coach Ellisa Hastings said. “I look forward to the fall season. We will face some tough opponents, as we are still rebuilding our program, but we are becoming more confident and skilled each and every time we step on the field.”
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And confidence is a big part of it. It’ll be interesting to see if Pearce’s return this fall can push Seymour higher than the pair of six-win seasons it had in 2012 and 2013.
“I believe our kids are starting to buy into what we are teaching them and believing they can be successful,” Hastings said. “We’ve had overall good commitment in the summer and I only see us playing better and better each day.”
Seymour is going to be a young group in 2017, which bodes well for future growth. Hastings said the Tigers will field as many as 14 freshmen and sophomores (and as many as seven juniors and seniors). Even so, Hastings will lean on that veteran leadership, starting with Pearce.
“Overall, I feel like our top players at this point are those who have had the most experience on the field,” she said. “Our team is pretty even across the board as far as skill level, but you can see a difference in who is more experienced at times.”
Hastings said senior catcher Stormi Akers is another key name. She also pointed to seniors Maddy Barlow and Darbie Noonan while saying to keep an eye on Seymour’s entire group of sophomores.
