Morgan County softball is currently underway in the 2026 season, with two games under its belt.
The Dogs hosted Walnut Grove Aug. 6, securing a 10-1 victory over the Warriors, before taking the road to Prince Avenue Aug 10.
The Dogs took a 6-4 loss against the Wolverines and will hit the road again Aug. 13 to face Collins Hill.
Just a week into the new season, Morgan County head coach Chad Pigg said he is beginning to see “positive signs” with multiple younger athletes stepping up. He emphasized that the athletes’ willingness to take on new roles is one of the “most encouraging” aspects of the season so far.
“We’re asking some kids to step into roles that they’re not used to being in, and they seem to be doing a good job of taking it in stride,” Pigg said. “I’m really proud of those players; they are not necessarily all just young girls, but a couple of our older girls that may not have played as much up at this point as they have in the past."
Pigg said the team’s lineup adjustments have given sophomores Maeleigh Gibson and Brynnlee McBay opportunities to contribute, while Payton Davis and Hadleigh Bruce have also moved into different roles.
“We haven’t played a whole lot, but we’ve asked them to step in the lineup, and they have, and they’ve stepped into the roles and have done a good job for us,” Pigg said. “We’re having Bruce hit in the middle of the heart of the lineup, and she’s doing a good job with that, having quality bats there.”
The Dogs’ game was cut short by lightning delays and ultimately called after five innings. Pigg said he felt the game was heading in the right direction and is proud of his players for their efforts regardless.
“I liked our chances if we would’ve gotten two more bats, at least making them do something again before; we were really hitting and getting to their pitcher,” Pigg said. “You could tell they didn’t want to go to the pen at all; a lot of our outs were loud outs, you know, right at people and stuff.”
With the recent match, Pigg said that regardless of game outcomes, having his team travel to such schools and “consistently barrel up pitchers” is a “good day in his book.”
Overall, Pigg believes his players have “potential” to make a good run this season, if they continue heading in the same direction. He said he anticipates seeing the team develop over the season, before entering region matchups.
“This group has the potential to put a lot more balls in the gap and even run a couple out here and there,” Pigg said. “I’m excited to see us progress over the year as we see some better pitching and get into our region schedules and see where it goes. Right now, I’m definitely optimistic with our lineup and just the way that we’re swinging it now.”