Not much of a break this year between basketball season and softball season. Regular season play gets underway Monday, and it appears this could be a very competitive season, with some pretty good teams across the 2nd Region. With that said, one of last year’s championship game teams heads up our preseason YSE Softball Super 7. It’s time to play ball.
1 – Lyon County (26-13) – The Lady Lyons reached the regional championship game last season, without a single senior on the rosters. And, they only have two on this year’s team. Calista Collins and Sydney Melton will lead a potent offense. Consistent pitching will determine just how far this team can go this season. That pitching starts with Allye Culp and Kaelyn Conger, with Tori Schenk in the wings.
2 – Webster County (27-11) – The Lady Trojans had some significant losses from last season, the most noteworthy is Karlie Keeney, who is now spending her time inside the circle for Liberty University. Grace Scott steps into the #1 spot for Webster County in the circle after going 10-5 last season. Gracie Thomas and Hadlee Carter, in addition to Scott, return as the core of the offense.
3 – Henderson County (26-8) – A very very young Lady Colonel team won 26 games in 2019, and reached the semifinals of the 2nd Region tournament. The bad news for the rest of the region is that Henderson County returns virtually everyone off that team. Sophomore hurler Kelsie Hill finished 2019 with an ERA of just 1.10, and could be the premiere pitcher in the region.
4 – Madisonville (24-10) – After a stellar high school career, Courtney Patterson has graduated for the Lady Maroons. Finding the pitcher to replace her will be a big key for Madisonville. Twin sisters Courtney and Lindsey Peyton return to lead a potentially powerfull offense. It appears the Lady Maroons will be able to score, but will every game have to be a slugfest for them to contend?
5 – Christian County (28-9) – The Lady Colonels were rolling through another solid season, but then ran into a buzzsaw in the opening round of the region tournament in 2019. The, graduation took aim at the roster, taking out four big time contributors. Senior Hope Jones and junior Reni Shemwell are a nice duo to build an offense around. Pitching could well hold the key for Coach Sheri Hancock in her first season at the helm.
6 – Crittenden County (16-14) The Lady Rockets managed to win 16 games in 2019 without having Chandler Moss in the circle for a single inning. Moss is back after recovering from an injury, and her performance in the circle will be key for how good a season Crittenden County has, Junior Ashlyn Hicks hit nearly .500 for the Lady Rockets in 2019.
7 – Caldwell County (17-13) The Lady Tigers suffered among the biggest graduation hits in the region. Madi Choate and Majah Hollowell will form the crux of the offense. Like several other teams in the region, someone to step up in the cirlce will go a long way towards determining what kind of season it will be for the Lady Tigers.
