By Chris Parker
Reeds Spring softball makes the move from fall to spring this season, and the Lady Wolves are excited for the change.
“This transition is one that will benefit our program as a whole in so many ways,” head coach Troy McPherson said. “We will no longer force our athletes to choose between softball and volleyball, we will make travel to away games much easier, and we will be able to schedule games with much greater ease. While all these are true, the primary reason we chose to make the switch at this time is because we joined the Mid-Lakes Conference, which is one of the top conferences in the state for Spring Softball.”
The transition means when Reeds Spring starts this season it will be the team’s first game in 17 months.
“Not having an official softball game for 17 months has been rough on the girls, but it’s made the anticipation and excitement for the season that much greater,” McPherson said. “We have had to shake off a large amount of rust throughout this off-season, but our girls are eager as ever to step back on the field and represent their school in an official season.”
Reeds Spring returns five regulars from the lineup last season and six letterwinners. Otherwise, the other nine players are either freshmen or new to the program this season.
Cami Lee will be the team’s top pitcher in her junior season.
“Our primary pitcher will be Cami Lee,” McPherson said. “Cami started over half of our games last season before sustaining a season-ending shoulder injury in mid-September. The long off-season has allowed her time to recover fully, and we expect her to be a key leader for our team this year. Cami’s greatest weapon as a pitcher is her ability to change speeds and utilize spin. She works as hard as any of our athletes at perfecting her craft and leads our team by example. Cami is also a great player at the plate and is one of our top returning hitters after compiling a .425 OBP last season. We expect her to help drive in runs in the middle of our order.”
Kinzey Skidmore will also see some time in the circle as a freshman.
“Kinzey is a very gifted athlete that can play all over the field,” McPherson said. “When not in the circle, she could see time anywhere in the infield and outfield. She figures to be a part of the middle of our order this season. In the circle, Kinzey brings a ton of raw potential and solid velocity. With more command and growth, we expect her to be a key piece of our pitching rotation for years to come.”
Freshman Chloe Clevenger will be the catcher.
“Chloe is arguably the most talented freshman catcher that I have ever worked with,” McPherson said. “She has a quiet confidence that allows her to compete at any level she plays. She is a tough, gritty, and smart ball player and will be a key piece of building our program for the future. Chloe has also shown that she is one of our top offensive options and we will count on her to provide some pop in the middle of our order.”
Grace Chastain will anchor the infield at shortstop. She earned second-team all-district and honorable mention all-conference honors last season while hitting .263 with a .440 OBP.
Emma Vance is the team’s lone senior and will likely play third or second base.
“Emma has truly stepped up to become a vocal point of positive leadership for our team in this very long off-season,” McPherson said. “Emma had a solid season last year, highlighted by a .333 OBP. We look for her to continue to be a vocal leader on our infield and find a home somewhere in the top half of the order.”
Brenley Johnson will be at first base in her sophomore season. She had a .367 OBP last season.
Alexa Weber (sophomore), Grace Johnson (sophomore), Madelyn Reynolds (sophomore), Chastain and Skidmore will be in the outfield.
Leadership will come from all levels this season.
“Our leadership team this year is made up of Emma Vance, Cami Lee, Grace Chastain and Chloe Clevenger,” McPherson said. “Each of these players brings a different leadership quality that has already helped our team navigate so many drastic changes in just a few years. With just one junior and one senior, we are going to rely on some of our youngest players setting great examples for our team this year.”
This year’s roster brings great chemistry to the dugout, but must improve on the field defensively.
“Our greatest team strength this year is our team mentality and overall team chemistry. We also have a great number of talented athletes with solid team speed that will allow us to wreak havoc on the bases,” McPherson said. “The area we are working hardest to improve this year is our ability to consistently defend our positions. Last season, we would often succumb to pressure situations and make unforced mistakes that made it difficult to stay in games. If we can make the plays that are there to be made and not allow one mistake to become two, we will have a great deal of success this year.”
Reeds Spring opens the season on Mar. 24 at home against Billings.
“I want this team’s identity to be one of constant progress and growth. With a team that has just two upperclassmen, this team is being built for the future. We are truly building a foundation that will allow us to have a great deal of success not just this year, but for the next 4-5 years,” McPherson said. “My expectation is to compete in any and all games that we play. This group has the athletes to compete with most of the teams on our schedule. It’s my hope that we can win the games were supposed to and steal a few that we aren’t and make a little noise in what’s sure to be a very loaded conference and district.”
