By RYAN WALKER
Southern Wells had a tough season on the diamond last year, finishing with a 5-20 record and 0-6 in the ACAC.
This year, head coach Jason Riley said he’s feeling positive for the season with some of the team’s youth, experience and attitude in the early season practices.
“I think the biggest strength we have is how (the team) holds each other accountable and push each other to get better,” Riley said. “Our goal is always to improve each and everyday. There is no I in team but their is a I in win. So I have them ask themselves this. We play as a team but how do I help us win? I want them to find the I to help us win games.”
Four impact players on the Raiders’ squad last year have graduated, leaving this year’s team with no seniors on the roster.
Of those graduates, the team will need to replace its only member on the all-ACAC team from a year ago, Jadyn Yencer. The speedy outfielder hit .371 with a team-high 22 stolen bases and 22 runs. She also had a perfect fielding percentage.
Hailey Duncan, Raigen Tarr and Kayleigh Jones will be other bats in the lineup needed to fill up with, along with junior Brittany Costello, who will not be returning to the team this year after hitting a team-high .382 average.
“Last year, our seniors were true servant leaders and will be missed on and off the field,” Riley said.
Every team goes through its hardships in the cycling out of players, but Riley is optimisitc about his Raiders.
It starts with a freshmen duo that did more than enough to prove their worth in their first high school seasons last year.
Kyah Thomas and Emma Parks, now sophomores, were crucial at the dish and on the bump last season. The two were the top innings eaters, hurling 40-plus innings and 15 starts between them.
Parks showed out with a stellar 3.32 ERA and Thomas a 5.86 but threw 31 strikeouts.
Riley says that freshmen Kaylea Coffel and sophomore Maddy Sutton will also get the majority of the innings this season behind Thomas, while Gracie Reeves and Remi Holmes are candidates to help out too.
Parks and Thomas will help carry the offense as well, bringing back two of the top hitters from last year’s lineup.
Parks was second on the team with 23 hits (.324 average) and drove in a team best 23 runs with 10 extra-base hits. Thomas hit .292 with nine RBI.
Collena Reeves will also be a top piece in the middle of the lineup slashing a .348 average and six extra-base knocks. Riley also shouted out Morgan Jones, Kenzie Paxson and Gracie Reeves with varsity experience and had solid seasons a year ago.
When asked about the team’s outlook this year, Riley talked about his two juniors Collena Reeves and Paxson, as having over 50 games of varsity experience, and many other underclassmen who have had varsity games under their belt that makes a strong, depthy rotation of athletes on the team.
Southern Wells will take all the wisdom it can get in a tough ACAC. Four teams finished with a 4-2 record or better in the conference: Woodlan (5-1) followed by 4-2 records by Heritage, South Adams and Jay County. South Adams was also solid despite a 3-3 conference record, finishing 19-10.
ryan@news-banner.com
