WEST POINT — Three is the magic number this season for the Oak Hill Academy fast-pitch softball team.

The Lady Raiders will have to wait a few months to see if they can build on the momentum they had at the end of last season, but they already appear focused on returning to the state tournament.

If Oak Hill Academy needed any reminders, the team”s six seniors provided the motivation last week when they put three balls on the ground in front of the squad when it was time to take the annual team picture.

Typically, the Lady Raiders place bats or balls or gloves in front of the entire team to serve as a decoration.

This time, though, the softballs had special significance: The seniors want to cap their final high school season with a third trip to the state tournament.

“We all believe we”re going to keep going and that we”re going to keep building the program,” senior Codi Williams said.

Williams and classmates Anna Lummus, Hunter Coleman, Lauren Hitt, Tori Ellis, and Valerie Moore, a transfer from Houston High, admit not settling for anything less than a trip to the state tournament puts pressure on them and their teammates, but they feel they have the potential and the talent to reach that destination.

“I think it is good for us,” Lummus said. “We know we can do it. If we keep working as a team, it is just like we get closer together and we just get the job done.”

With as many as seven players with significant experience returning, Bratton feels this season could be a strong year. He said it is a good sign that this group of seniors, which also played in the state tournament as seventh-graders, wants to go back to the state tournament and is willing to invest the time and work needed to get there.

“Some of them push themselves really hard,” Bratton said. “All of them push themselves. They have been working hard for me. All we can do is work hard and hope for the best.”

A year ago, Oak Hill overcame injuries to pitchers Mamie Allen and Maegen Ellis to qualify for the North AA tournament at Winston Academy. Ellis hit two solo home runs to help Oak Hill Academy beat North Delta to advance to the state tournament.

Hitt provided the magic with a two-out, two-strike home run that kept the Lady Raiders alive and pushed them to a 17-13 victory against Wilkinson County in 10 innings. A loss to Bowling Green (La.) ended Oak Hill Academy”s season at 15-14. Bratton feels the team can use the same tenacity and resilience it showed late last season again this year even after losing Paige Dawkins, Abby Falkner, Anne Stevens, and Mary Helon Hays to graduation.

“They got tougher and did what they needed to do,” Bratton said.

The players agree.

“I think we can go farther this year,” Williams said. “I still think we have strong defensive players to replace each of the players we lost.”

Tori Ellis played seven positions last season, and will see action in a variety of roles this season, including shortstop. Coleman will see time at catcher, while Williams will split time at first base and in the outfield. Meg McBrayer will see time in center field. Allen, a junior right-hander, will be the team”s top pitcher.

The Lady Raiders will have to replace the run production of Dawkins and Hays. Lummus feels the team will be able to overcome the graduation losses in part because the younger players have matured and are ready to step into bigger roles.

Time will tell, though, if the “refuse to lose” attitude Oak Hill Academy flashed at the end of last season will be a consistent source of strength this year.

“It motivates us to know we got that close to finishing but we pulled through it and worked hard as a team,” Hitt said. “Everybody on the team has a part to play.”

Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.