Beginning with a 13th-District runner-up in 2007 and a district title in 2008, the Todd County Central softball team made six appearances in seven years in the 4th Region tournament, but enter 2021 without a postseason win in the last 6 seasons.
After sitting out the 2020 season along with the rest of the state, Coach Casey Williams enters his first season in charge looking to replace 7 players lost to graduation over the last two years.
Among those are three of the statistical leaders from the 2019 season, Jordan Weathers, Emma Harris, and Whitney Higgins. Weathers was first on the team with 24 hits and second with a .348 batting average. Harris hit .311 with 23 hits and a team-high 26 RBI, and Higgins hit .308, good enough for fifth on the team.
The Lady Rebels will put a young team on the field this season, with only 4 upperclassmen, 8 freshmen and sophomores, and three 8th graders. Seniors Haylee Vass and Maddie Williams anchor the pitching staff, along with sophomore Abby McPherson.
Vass and Williams each started a team-high 9 games in 2019, with McPherson making 8 starts. McPherson pitched a 59.1 innings with 52 strikeouts, both team highs. She finished with a 4-8 record and a 7.31 ERA, while hitting a team-high .444. Williams finished with a 2-4 record with 49.1 innings pitched, 36 strikeouts, and a 5.25 ERA. Vass went 31 innings, recording a 3-5 record. Shae Wade pitched in a pair of games as an 8th grader and is back for her sophomore season. Freshman Jocelyn Mack rounds out the staff.
Vass and McPherson will also see time at 3rd base, while Williams can also play 1st. Junior Samantha Case will play behind the plate as well as shortstop after hitting .333 as a freshman in 2019.
Coach Williams is excited about his young players who he says are versatile with lots of speed and make good contact at the plate. Outfielders Brooklyn Alder and Madelyn Slaughter were both on the 2019 roster as 8th graders, while freshman Abby Williams should also have an impact.
The regular season begins with a visit from Trigg County on Monday, followed by a trip to McLean County on Thursday. The Lady Rebels will travel to Murray to play in the Spring Break Bash on April 9-10, before district play begins on the 13th with a trip to Logan County.