Avery pitcher Kelli Blackburn delivers a pitch to the plate in conference softball action from last season. The senior anchors the Lady Viking pitching staff this season.
Avery pitcher Kelli Blackburn delivers a pitch to the plate in conference softball action from last season. The senior anchors the Lady Viking pitching staff this season.
NEWLAND — The softball season has been enjoying the good weather this spring – “a first” in his 11 years of coaching, says head coach Mike Shook. Shook shared that the pleasant weather is necessary because “This year we have the biggest turnout in program history,” with as many as 32 players on the roster and the field.
The current varsity roster is made up of three seniors, one junior, four sophomores, three freshmen, and two juniors who are currently on injured reserve. Shook added that he will add one or two more from the JV team, which will leave the JV team with about 16 players. There are only three schools in the conference who have a JV team, so getting games for them has proven difficult.
Standout players include seniors Kelli Blackburn and Caroline Rose as pitchers and Cora Lee Hollifield at shortstop, as well as junior Shelby Grindstaff at outfield, sophomores Ava Trice, Brooklyn Williams, Melanie Arnett and Charity Barnard, and freshmen Emma Clark, Addison Herbert and Emily Brigman.
Coach Shook added that the JV program “has really been a new process for the incoming freshmen and first-year sophomores.” The pace and speed during and between the drills at practice has been “an eye-opener for the players,” according to the coach, with many still learning the game of softball.
The coaching staff is made up of Allen Herbert as assistant varsity coach and head JV coach, handling pitchers and hitting, as well as Mike Jackson, serving as assistant coach for both the varsity and JV working with catchers and hitting.
Viking home games will begin at 4 p.m., with the varsity game first and the JV game to follow. A home game against Rosman will be played this Friday, March 17, and all are invited to root on the Lady Vikings.
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