High school softball preview

By KYLE PARMLEY

The high school softball season is back, with Briarwood, Chelsea, Oak Mountain and Spain Park aiming for big things in 2023.

Hornets Embracing 7a Challenge

The Chelsea softball team narrowly missed out on the Class 6A state tournament last year.

That undoubtedly stung, but the Hornets are hopeful the lessons learned from last year’s 20-20 campaign will pay off this spring.

“Having girls who have been through the program and understand the expectations and what we’re trying to achieve, it’s nice to have that leadership locked in,” Chelsea head coach Sara Gallman said.

Gallman was speaking mainly of Chelsea’s eight seniors, who have a chance to step into

Local teams ready to embrace challenges, continue progress

starring roles as the program takes on a tough challenge: Class 7A.

The Hornets are not going to hide from that fact, as they are now playing in Area 6 with Hewitt-Trussville, Oak Mountain and Spain Park.

“You’re the new team that people have to keep their eye on,” Gallman said. “I just want us to work hard, and I want other schools and other programs to think of Chelsea High School as a winning program.”

The senior class is a strong one, as six of them have committed to continue playing beyond this spring. Center fielder Kathryn Bryars is headed to Samford University to play, pitcher Hardy Erwin and outfielder Morgan Erwin are going to Central Alabama Community College, pitcher and third baseman Julie Amacher is headed to Coastal Alabama Community College, Maia Harris will play at Marion Military

Institute and catcher Abby Hibbs has signed with Anderson University.

Ava Morris and Maddison Cheatham are also seniors this year.

“We’ll have high expectations and expect them to be leaders of the team,” Gallman said of the group.

Eagles Continuing To Build

As Jordan Burson enters his third season as coach at Oak Mountain, he is excited about what his team will put on the field this year, as well as what is coming through the program in future years. There are three quality seniors on this year’s team. Infielder Elizabeth Zaleski, outfielder Emily Mackin and pitcher Kristian Carr will play out the final season of their high school careers and are looking to do so in successful fashion.

“We’re meshing really well and I’m excited to see what that group can do and lead us,” Burson said.

Other returning players for the Eagles include infielders Carolyn Graham and Alea Rye, catcher Anna DuBose and utility player Sheridan Andrews. Emma Hawkins has transferred into the program from Spain Park as well, an addition Burson said will be fun.

In addition to Carr in the circle, seventh grader Marian Cummings is expected to log plenty of innings for the Eagles. She’s one of many middle schoolers and young high schoolers that lead Burson to believe the future is bright as well.

“I’m fired up about our middle school and JV,” he said. “We’re going to have some pitching depth in the next year or two or three.”

Oak Mountain is in Class 7A, Area 6 with Hewitt-Trussville, Spain Park and newcomer Chelsea. It will be no easy feat to advance out of that area.

“We’re going to battle and hopefully find some success,” Burson said. “I know we can compete with all of those teams.”

Lions Ready To Get Started

The Briarwood Christian School softball team is ready to hit the field this spring.

Head coach Ashley Segreto said she is excited to see what this season holds for a

“great group of girls.”

“The chemistry with this group is the best I have seen in a long time,” she said.

Junior Meredith Kellum returns as one of the top players on the team and could establish herself as one of the best in the area with the offensive prowess she has shown recently.

“She is truly a jack-of-all-trades,” Segreto said. “She is willing to play wherever she is needed and excel wherever she plays.”

The Lions’ roster features one senior this season in Callie Mann, who enters her sixth year in the program. Segreto said she has absorbed lessons from seniors of years past and is putting those into practice for her final year with the program.

“She is the epitome of hard work and dedication to the game,” Segreto said. “The amount of improvement she has made from when she started playing for BCS in seventh grade is astounding.”

The Lions will compete in Class 6A, Area 8 this season alongside Helena and Pelham.

Helena was the state runner-up last season and Pelham has shown continued progress as a program in recent years.

“We want to continue to grow as a program, but more importantly, help give young women a platform to use their God-given gifts to glorify Christ through the amazing game of softball,” she said.

Jags Look For Continued Success

The Spain Park High School softball team is looking for another highly successful season in 2023.

The Jaguars have long been one of the top teams in Alabama in Class 7A, and it appears likely to remain that way this spring.

This year’s squad has three seniors in infielder Katie Flannery, pitcher Ella Reed and outfielder Blakley Watts. Ritenour is excited to see that trio lead the team on and off the field this season.

The program’s balance and strength across several grade levels will be a strength. The crop of freshmen and sophomores flashes great potential alongside the juniors and seniors leading the way.

Flannery has signed with the University of Oregon and is considered one of the top players in her class throughout the country. She hit 10 home runs and knocked in 50 runs a season ago. Reed won 20 games, struck out over 200 hitters and posted a sub-2.00 earned run average last year. Flannery and Reed were each named AllSouth Metro first team last spring.

Catcher Maggie Daniel, a UCLA commit, was also first team All-South Metro and returns for her junior season. In 2022, Daniel hit 14 homers and knocked in 53 runs in a stellar season.

Aside from the three seniors and Daniel, also returning from last year’s lineup is Charlee Bennett, a sophomore who played much of the year at second base.

The Jags will have stiff competition in its quest to return to and excel at the state tournament. Class 7A, Area 6 consists of Oak Mountain, Chelsea and Hewitt-Trussville this year. The top two teams from the area will face the top two from Area 5 (Hoover, Thompson, Vestavia Hills and Tuscaloosa County) at the regional tournament, with only two of those advancing to state.

The Chelsea girls indoor track and field team walks up to claim the Class 7A state runner-up trophy at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Feb. 4.