The 2022 softball season is right around the corner, and the Lake Oconee Academy Titans feel prepared.
The Titans have their first game this Thursday, Aug. 6, against Elbert County, and head coach Keetah Singleton believes the summer has gotten them ready for the year.
“I think it’s gone well. We tried to keep it as low-key as possible, not too much pressure or work put in because we’ve got about 28 games this season,” Singleton said. “They’ve been working hard on defensive drills, fundamental skills and hitting, and they’re starting to jive as a unit.”
On top of practices, Lake Oconee Academy was able to schedule five scrimmages during the offseason.
They competed against programs such as GMC Prep and Brentwood towards the beginning of June, and others like Piedmont, Putnam County and Morgan County in an FCA Invitational in July.
Singleton acknowledged how playing against other opponents helped develop the Titans' on-the-field skills.
“[GMC and Brentwood] went fairly well. Both of those games were early in June, so those were used just to see what we needed to work on,” Singleton said. “Then, we played in an FCA invitational tournament in July. We were missing most of our infield because they were at other tournaments, but the girls played well, and I saw a lot of positive things we can build on.”
The Titans have slowly progressed as a program over the last handful of years.
After missing the playoffs multiple years in a row, Lake Oconee Academy turned it around and made the Class A-Public state tournament last year. They finished 4-6 in region play - earning them the fourth seed - and eventually fell to Gordon Lee in the first round.
However, with new region alignments all across the state, Singleton believes this year’s grouping will be advantageous in their push for a state title.
“The change in the region has made it more balanced. Everybody in the region that plays softball are smaller schools, so I think that will level the playing field out,” Singleton said. “I think our girls have realized that each year, their level of being able to be competitive has grown. They have bought in more and believe they can compete with just about anybody else in the region.”
Heading into the season, the Titans return almost all of their varsity starters.
Elizabeth Beatty is the only player from last year’s roster that graduated, and Singleton believes that it’s this season’s rising seniors that will step up as leaders.
Pitcher and catcher duo Ava Johnson and Gracie Stanford are expected to hold it down in the infield, and center-fielder Jordan Nichols is expected to contribute from the outfield in a big way.
Ultimately, the Titans have a long season ahead of them; however, they feel as though they are equipped to handle any challenge thrown their way.