Lake Oconee Academy softball coach Glynn McDaniel knew his team would face adversity during the non-region schedule.
That was by design. The Titans (4-6) built a challenging schedule to prepare their young roster for region play and, ultimately, the postseason.
“We built a tough non-region schedule because we knew the girls could handle it,” McDaniel said. “Through the adversity, we knew that would build some competitive character that we would need moving forward into region and into the playoffs.”
McDaniel breaks the season into three parts: non-region play, the region schedule and the playoffs. The goal is to use each stage to prepare for the next while playing the team’s best softball late in the season.
That progression appears to be taking shape.
“We’ve played really, really tough opponents,” McDaniel said. “But over the last four or five games, we’ve played some of our best softball, which is obviously what you want.”
The Titans open region play Thursday after recently competing in a South Georgia tournament against Swainsboro and Class 7A Valdosta.
LOA battled Swainsboro into extra innings after taking a seventh-inning lead before a few mental mistakes ultimately proved costly.
For a young team, McDaniel sees those moments as valuable lessons.
“You kind of expect some of those growing pains,” he said. “Hopefully some of the things that we’ve learned through this non-region play with our young team, that they build upon that adversity. And in the region, we don’t make those same mistakes.”
Several young players have already stepped up. Josie Ware delivered a game-winning hit against Rabun County, while Kaitlyn Mamay has continued to make an impact in the circle after being the team’s top pitcher last season.
At the plate, Lola Slaughter has emerged as one of LOA’s biggest offensive threats.
“She just can’t miss,” McDaniel said. Slaughter leads the team in several offensive categories and has become a leader for the Titans.
“She’s a real quiet leader,” McDaniel said. “She’s a leader through her work. When she’s at the plate, you know she’s just going to do damage.”
McDaniel also credits LOA’s middle school programs for helping develop the younger players now contributing at the varsity level.
That development will be tested in a smaller region this season. Towns County dropped its varsity program, leaving LOA, Lincoln County and Washington-Wilkes as the three remaining teams. The schools agreed to play each other three times rather than lose two region contests.
Washington-Wilkes, the defending region champion, enters as the favorite in McDaniel’s eyes, but he believes all three teams have a mix of young players and veteran leadership.
For LOA, that experience includes Addison Kelley, Elizabeth Moore and Ella Strickland.
“Hopefully that gives us the edge in the region, being able to lean on those three, because those are three really good ones to lean on,” McDaniel said.
LOA opens region play Thursday against Lincoln County, and McDaniel knows the Titans cannot afford to take any opponent lightly.
“LOA should play LOA softball all throughout,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s the worst team in the league or the best team in the league. We should play our brand of softball.”