For Starkville Academy, this upcoming softball season is about getting its returning younger players some playing time and experience while hopefully stacking some wins along the way. 

And over in West Point, Oak Hill Academy is in the same softball boat. The Raiders saw three seniors leave the program, and the Volunteers had five depart in the offseason. For both schools, it’s up to the younger players now to build upon last season’s early playoff exits.

On Friday, the two schools start their season’s trek as opponents at 6 p.m. in West Point to open the MAIS softball season.

“That’s all we’re looking for right now, progression from year to year and trying to get better,” said SA head coach Lee Berryhill, who is entering his sixth year as the main man of the Vols. 

Starkville Academy posted a 13-9 season last year. First baseman Preslee Jackson is the team’s lone senior, and she’s joined by the team’s eight sophomores. Berryhill said about half of those 10th graders have been starting since around the eighth and ninth grades and will help anchor some key spots in the infield and outfield. Sophomore Molly Ingram, a left-handed pitcher, will provide the most pitches from the circle.

“We’ll lean on her heavily,” he said. 

Ella Kate Heflin, a versatile sophomore who spent time at third base, shortstop and catcher last season, has emerged as the leader of the group, Berryhill said, and centerfielder Lauren Adkerson will bring some experience to the outfield. All three will also lead SA’s batting order to start the season.

“(The sophomores) have had a pretty good bit of experience the last couple of years with us, playing young. So, we’ll have to lean on the one senior, but we also will have to lean on those sophomores,” said Berryhill, a Mississippi Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee who spent over 20 years coaching in the high school ranks. “So, you kind of have to grow up quick.” 

Oak Hill, which captured the District 1-4A title last season and finished 16-7 overall, saw three seniors leave, and with them went most of the team’s speed around bases. Starting pitcher Kaelyn Pennington, now a freshman, is back commanding the circle for the Raiders. But the first base and centerfield posts, occupied last season by seniors, have been vacated, leaving head coach Lewis Earnest an offseason to identify replacements.

“I have to fill those in and hopefully we’ll have another good year,” he said. … I’m going to miss (the seniors), but I have some young players that are pretty good. They just have to step up and play.”

Making up the roster are two seniors, four sophomores “and then it’s just young,” Earnest said. Young or not, the players know the season rests on their shoulders and have taken it in stride during offseason training. 

“They’ve been working hard. Man, we’ve been going in that heat everyday, and it’s been tough, but they haven’t complained and have been working hard,” said Earnest, who is entering his fifth year at Oak Hill.

Berryhill said opening the season against Raiders is a great way to begin because he knows Earnest will have them ready to compete out the gate. 

“Coach Earnest over there does a great job. He’s a retired public school guy, too. Me and him competed against each other in public schools, and he does a great job with the girls,” Berryhill said. “He works them hard and teaches them the game and the proper way to do things. They’ll be well prepared. He’s got a little more back from last year than we do, a little more experience on their end than on our end. We are excited about going and competing and trying to get the season kicked off.” 

Earnest said he wouldn’t be surprised if he’s strapped into a pitchers’ duel to begin the year.

“Two pretty good pitchers going against each other, I don’t expect there to be a whole lot of hitting, but we’ll see,” he said. … “I just want to see them compete and have some grit and get after it. If we make an error, that’s alright as long as we’re getting after it.”