STEENS — After the best season in Columbus Christian Academy softball history, the Rams were rewarded accordingly last week as two players were selected to All-Star/Futures games rosters for the Midsouth Association of Independent Schools.
Senior pitcher/third baseman Shienne Easterwood was selected to the 2A-3A All-Star team while junior pitcher/shortstop Avery Johnston was selected to the Futures game roster.
“I’m excited for Avery and Shienne,” head coach LeAnn Shelton said. “It’s been an honor coaching them. … Both have helped build heart and trust on the team. They’re both leaders.”
Both games are set to take place on Wednesday afternoon at Jackson Prep, with the All-Star game set for 2 p.m. and the Futures game set for 6:30 p.m.
Easterwood and Johnston were staples in the rotation for CCA as well as important position players.
As upperclassmen on a small and largely inexperienced roster, Easterwood and Johnston served as an important bridge between present and future success.
“Defensively, Avery is one of the best players I’ve seen in a long time,” head coach LeAnn Shelton said. “She works hard at practicing on her range every day, soaks in the information we throw at her and then applies it in games. … Shienne is a huge asset to our team. She’s grown so much over the last year, not only as a player but also as a teammate and an individual.”
The Rams won only two games last year but turned that around in 2023, going 5-3 in district play to finish second, and earning a home playoff game in the Class 2A postseason.
Unfortunately, their time in the postseason was cut short after a first-round loss against Calhoun Academy.
The season’s positives, however, certainly outweigh any disappointment about how things ended.
“It’s a big door-opener for CCA softball,” Shelton said. “Last year was really the first year having a softball team. It’s been a really big turnaround. Last year, when I took the head coaching job, I knew I had talent to turn this softball program around. That was my number one goal.”
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