The Lake Oconee Academy softball team has been getting out on the field early for its summer practices.
After finishing fourth in Region 8A-Public last season, the Lady Titans return all but one player from last year’s varsity team and are expecting their experience to carry them through games this season.
Even without senior captain Elizabeth Beatty, head coach Keetah Singleton is optimistic about the upcoming season and acknowledged that last year’s young squad has already shown signs of maturing.
“We’re only having to replace one key position on the field, and that person was already molded for that position, so there’s not a whole lot of drop-off there,” Singleton said. “Our goal this year is to win the region and make it to state and get further than last year’s first-round.”
To do so, the Lady Titans have a mix of seasoned rising seniors and promising rising sophomores that make up the roster.
Ava Johnson, Gracie Stanford and Jordan Nichols are just some of the players Singleton believes will be instrumental in the overall success of the team.
“I’m excited to see them finish out their four years on the field,” Singleton said. “Ava is a force on the field in any position we put her in, Gracie was our defensive player of the year behind the plate and Jordan Nichols has really come alive offensively. Those three girls leading us this year will be great.”
Singleton also recognized how important the younger players are for making a complete team.
“We’re really just solid all around,” Singleton said. “Our sophomore class is just full of studs. We have five sophomores, and they all are vital to the team. I’m excited to see them grow and become stronger players.”
The Lady Titans have strong arms on the mound including those of juniors Jacy Singleton and Makenzie Brunette.
Having dependable pitching has allowed Singleton to focus on developing the team’s skills evenly both on the field and at the plate.
“I think right now, we’re focusing a lot on meshing half-and-half, defensive and offensive work,” Singleton said. “Our pitching is pretty solid. They (the players) pitch all summer long, so I’m not really worried about their ability, I’m worried about the long haul and keeping them healthy. For the summer, we’re trying to build that strength offensively and defensively, so that we can all know what we’re thinking without having to talk. The key to defense is being able to know what each other is going to do without having to say anything.”