New season, new look for Lady Patriots Softball

New season, new look for Lady Patriots Softball

The Marion Lady Patriots softball team starts off the 2017 season with a new head coach and a revamped group of players

sports@theeveningtimes.com

The Marion Lady Patriots Softball team has began a new season with a new look.

After the retirement of head coach David Horton, Sean Gray takes over the reins of a team that carries only two seniors, five fewer than last year’s club.

While the title of head coach is new for Gray, the experience of managing the Lady Patriots hardly is. Gray started assistant coaching with Horton five years ago, and has been combed for this role ever since.

“The last few years Horton has slowly handed the reins over to me,” Gray said. “Last year, I basically called everything except pitches. I kind of knew he was retiring soon and he was kind of getting me ready to take over. He was trying to groom me to be the head man.”

Gray takes over a team that graduated seven seniors, a group that brought the Marion Lady Patriots softball team to the state semifinals three consecutive seasons. Taking their place this year is Camryn Martin and Hope Phipps.

Martin is a speedy outfielder who has already committed to play softball at the collegiate level. In December of last year, the Lady Patriots senior inked her intentions to join the William Baptist College Lady Eagles. Her current coach, raved about Martin’s leadership and work ethic.

“She’s increased how hard she works and has really become a leader of the team,” Gray said. “She does such a great job of keeping everybody on track and making sure they’re working hard.”

Phipps joins Martin to make up the 2017 senior class of the Marion Lady Patriots softball team. The Marion right-hander heads the team’s pitching rotation.

While the Marion team lacks the number of seniors it had last season, several juniors have already made the jump in leadership, according to Gray.

“Our juniors have really been stepping up big,” Gray said. “We have a solid group of juniors who are all returners and played a good bit last season. The juniors have really stood up and kind of helped teach the freshman and rookies the roles of being a Lady Patriots softball player and what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable in practice and in the games.”

Making up that junior class is; Blakeleigh Garrison, Haley Cook, Shelby Carpenter, Destiny King, Ashley Harney and Kaitlyn Bain.

The leadership of those juniors play a big part on a team that carries nine freshmen, three of which anchor the pitching rotation.

Megan Adams, Hartley Reece and Kyndel Williams (all freshman) join Phipps and King in the rotation for Marion.

Williams represents the only left-handed pitcher on the Lady Patriots roster.

Gaining experience now is key to getting the younger players more game ready as the season progresses, according to Gray.

“These games in the early season are really big because every at bat, every play they can make just makes them better,” Gray said.

Expect to see a lot of running on the base paths in these early games.

“We have a lot of speed and not as much power,” Gray said. “So, we want to try to get out and run as much as we can and be aggressive on the base paths. We’re going to do a lot of bunting, hit-and-running, bunt-and-running and stealing. We just want to use our speed to the best of our advantage as much as we can.”

While many of the faces and names have changed this season, the expectations of the Lady Patriots softball team on and off the field has not.

While many of the faces and names have changed for the Lady Patriots, the expectations on and off the field have not.

“We have high expectations and high standards for our athletes not only on but outside the field. Doing the right thing in the classroom and when nobody’s watching is a big thing that we preach. The girls holding each other accountable is a big thing that we harp on.”

When asked about returning to the semifinals for a fourth consecutive season, Gray remained focused on the next regular season game.

“Our goal is to try to get better every game and by the end of the year try to be playing out best ball and try to get the most out of the talent that we have,” Gray said.

The Marion Lady Patriots (1-2 overall) defend their home diamond today against Forrest City at 4:30 p.m.

By Collins Peeples