MACON — Unfinished business is a mantra the Central Academy fast-pitch softball team hopes provides enough motivation for it to make a title run this season.
With four seniors and a junior who were key members of the school’s slow-pitch softball team in the spring, the Lady Vikings have plenty of confidence as they prepare to kick off the 2013 season Monday at home against Starkville Academy.
Central Academy would have had even more optimism surrounding another season if it had gotten a chance to build on a 12-0 record and capture another Mississippi Association of Independent Schools slow-pitch crown. But rain, wet field conditions, and an inability to agree on a timetable to get all of the teams together at another field left coach Sammy Lindsey and his players with an incomplete feeling at the end of the 2012-13 school year. Lindsey hopes the disappointment from not being able to complete a perfect season stays with his players this fast-pitch season and helps them take the next step and get back to the Class A State tournament.
“Last year, our goal was to get to the playoffs and see what happens,” said Lindsey, whose team went 1-2 and missed advancing to the state tournament by one victory. “Now they believe and think we have a good shot. We have to play well and not have any injuries. If we do, we think we will make a pretty good run at it. We’re not guaranteeing anything, but we think we can make a good run at trying to get a fast-pitch championship.”
Lindsey has seen his players have more confidence through the first three weeks of practice. Led by seniors Blake Rigdon (catcher), Sarah Norris (infield), Neely Abrams (outfield), and Cassie Campbell (outfield) and junior Kayla Brown (infield), he said some of his younger players show flashes of that belief at the end of the fast-pitch season. Sophomore Courtney Gaylord and freshmen Sadie Lindsey and Allie Beth Rigdon and Brown will help make up a deep pitching staff Lindsey said has made strides since last season. He knows how important it is to have multiple pitchers, and with a strong defense and even more timely hitting he feels the team will be able to realize its potential, especially after not completing the softball season.
“We know we can do it, and we want it more this year,” Norris said.
Rigdon, who has led a group that has played since the sixth grade, believes this year’s team has some of the same strengths that squads from three or four years ago had. She feels the team’s defense is equally strong and that the players have played together for such a long time that they confidence and camaraderie to make it happen.
“Last year, I think everybody looked at us as a young team and they didn’t think we had what it took to beat them,” Campbell said. “Then when we played them and beat them and showed them we were way better than them. Now they know we are all seniors and we are going to be better, I think everybody should be watching out for us. I think we’re going to be really good because even our younger girls, their athletic ability is really great, especially with our young pitchers.”
Savanah Stapleton and Kelsey Robbins, who is injured, will provide depth on a 13-player squad that is still very young, even though it is a year older.
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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