CALEDONIA — Caledonia High School softball coach Andy Finch knows that his team’s MHSAA Class 4A, Region 2 title last season means the Confederates are the team to beat again.
That’s not always a good thing.
“‘You won the district, but when you win, it also comes with consequences,'” Finch has told his team. “‘You’ve got a target on your back. Everybody’s looking for you. Everybody’s gunning for you to knock you off.'”
And the ‘Feds’ district has gotten even tougher this season with the arrival of South Pontotoc, last year’s Class 3A champion. The Cougars beat the ‘Feds soundly twice last season in nonconference play and add another threat in the district. Out of the six schools in the new Region 2, Finch said he expects Pontotoc, Itawamba Agricultural and Mooreville as well as Caledonia and South Pontotoc to battle for three playoff spots.
“If we can compete in our district, we’re fine,” he said.
The ‘Feds did just that last year en route to a 9-1 record in district play, which handed them the top seed and a first-round bye. But Caledonia struggled to hit in a second-round series with Corinth, scoring just four runs despite taking the Warriors the distance.
“We didn’t get where we wanted to in the playoffs, so we still have that hunger to get where we want to be,” Caledonia senior utility player Maddy Suggs said.
Suggs acknowledged she and her teammates can be “head cases” on the field, quick to get down when things don’t go right. Against Corinth, senior pitcher Carlee Dale said, that was precisely the case.
“After the first game, we kind of got our heads down,” Dale said. “(The loss) motivates everybody, and everybody wants to get better from that.”
According to Dale, the team has delivered on the improvement it wanted, particularly on the offensive end. Finch has worked with his players on hitting every day, and so far, it’s paid off. Caledonia is averaging nearly seven runs per game, and hitting has carried
“This year, we’ve actually improved on our hitting, and I think it’s kind of impressing some people,” Dale said. “That feels good. Everybody is really confident with their hitting this year.”
And in a sport where skilled pitching is paramount, a staff comprising Dale, senior Tori Brooks, sophomore Ashlyn Jordan and freshman Lauren Brown rivals any opponent, Finch said.
“You’ve gotta have a good pitcher, and we’ve got some really good pitchers on our staff,” Finch said. “We’ve got four girls that could probably pitch at any high school in this area as a starter.”
A four-member senior class of Dale, Suggs, Brooks and outfielder Olivia Boykin provides experience and familiarity for Caledonia. The four have played softball together since third grade and played in the same recreational league at Ola J. Pickett Park, so the familiarity they have is always there.
“When Carlee’s pitching, we just kind of have to trust her to throw strikes,” Suggs said. “When I throw a ball to first, I trust Tori to catch it. When a ball’s hit in the outfield, it’s up to Olivia to catch it. We have each other’s backs, so if something was to happen, we know the other one’s gonna be there. Just knowing each other and knowing that we’re there for each other makes playing a lot easier and a lot more fun.”
So far, Caledonia has impressed in its start to the season, beating Hamilton, Nettleton and Choctaw Central — last year’s Class 3A runner-up — before losing to Eupora, another talented team. Knowing what his team will face down the line, Finch has made sure there are no cakewalks in the Feds’ non-district schedule, and so far, Caledonia has been up to the task.
“I know we’re a better team now, and we’re closer, and we’re more capable of doing things that we couldn’t do last year,” Suggs said.
And while last season’s district title was a “big accomplishment,” Suggs said, Caledonia wants to go further this year and knows it has the talent to achieve it.
“That drive for more is what fuels us for this season: just to want to get better and want to keep that reputation up,” Suggs said.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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