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Marshall softball rebuilds By BARRY BURLESON
Editor The start of the softball season is just over five weeks away, and for Marshall Academy, it will be largely a new beginning. All but two players on the Lady Patriots’ roster will be in ninth grade or below. “We will pretty much be a junior high team,” head coach Susan Rodgers said. “I told our parents that we’re rebuilding from the ground up, but our state championship teams started in the same position.” MA
won back-to-back Class AA state championships in 2008 and 2009 and the
coveted overall crown in 2009. Some of those girls started playing on
the team in the sixth grade. Lost from last
year’s squad, due to graduation, are three long-time contributors to
the team’s success – Casey Gibson, Courtney Gibson and Anna Roberts. Upperclassmen returning this season include senior Mallary Covington and junior Chelsey Gilliam. Coach Rodgers said the team is practicing Monday and Tuesday afternoons, with regular practices set to begin July 19. “Right
now, we will have maybe five players one day and nine the next, out of
18 players, because of things like VBS, basketball camps, church camps,
vacations and things,” she said. “We’re starting
from the ground up – reteaching some and breaking bad habits. We also
have some who have never played softball before. We just have to teach
fundamentals and get better.” She is assisted by Carlton Gibson and Lamarcus Moore, plus a new helper, Terry Hoffman, who recently moved to Holly Springs. “I
have four girls taking pitching lessons from Terry, and it’s going
well,” Rodgers said. “He also plans on helping us during the season.” The Lady Patriots will open the season the last weekend in July in a tournament at Magnolia Heights. “They
will also have some professional softball players there conducting a
clinic,” she said. “That will be very helpful to our young squad.” Coach
Rodgers said she has added some new teams to the schedule this year,
plus the MA squad will continue to play in some college exposure
tournaments. |
