The 2009 softball season has been underway for less than two weeks, but the Midway Lady Waves have already provided a year’s worth of thrills for their supporters. The highlights so far include a shutout win in the season opener, a huge win up at Southwest Point, and a victory over a Division II school.
The Lady Waves, however, have one major goal in mind. That goal is to get back to the State Tournament for the fourth straight year. As senior first baseman Kati Alexander put it, “It’s like everyone expects us to make it, so we have to. If we don’t, it’s like we let everyone down.” Now, that sounds like a lot of pressure for a group of young ladies to bear, but these girls are no strangers to pressure. Last spring, the Lady Waves won their third straight District Championship by outlasting Rockwood in a 10-6 slugfest. A few days later, they captured their third straight Region Championship by shutting out Coalfield in a 3-0 pitching battle. Then, two days later, the Girls from the South secured their third straight trip to Murfreesboro by winning their third straight Sub-State game in a 1-0 thriller. These girls still refuse to rest on their past accomplishments. Senior Krystal Rue recently said, “It’s like if we don’t make it this year, we have just went backward instead of improving.” A statement like that should make any SOR citizen proud of these girls.
The team has already had to deal with one major setback. Junior catcher Haley Parks suffered a severe injury in the basketball District Tournament, and doctors do not expect her to play this season. Haley has been an integral part of the team for the past two years. She worked hard as a solid catcher, provided speed and a good glove in the outfield, and was a great hitter. It was Haley’s bat that drove in the game-winning RBI in that Sub-State game. She may not be able to take the field, but her presence on the sideline provides inspiration for her teammates. Before Haley’s injury, the team had lost only one starter from last season, albeit an important one, when third baseman Lacey Davidson graduated.
As the run back to Murfreesboro gears up, the Lady Waves still have many tools to help them along the way. Co-head coaches Craig Hutchinson and Robbie Viar are entering their second season at the helm, and they are blessed with a lot of talent to guide. Still, talent will only get you so far. Fortunately, Coach Hutchinson and Coach Viar have a lot of experience to rely on, as they have both been involved in fast pitch softball for many years.
The Lady Wave senior class is the stuff of legend. Ace pitcher Hannah Colyer is known far and wide for her pitch speed and her accuracy. Throughout her career, Hannah has racked up strike out after strike out, win after win. Her consistency and mental toughness have contributed greatly to the success of the team. Hannah has also been one of the team’s top performers at the plate. She has provided many big hits for the Lady Waves and should provide many more this season. Senior shortstop Alex Coffman is a phenomenal athlete. She’s fast. Really fast. Alex also has a top-notch glove. Very few balls get past her, and her arm is strong. Ask all the runners who thought they had an infield hit. At the plate, Alex hits for average and power. She leads Midway in career home runs, and has already hit two over the fence this year. First baseman Kati Alexander is first class all the way. If you ask each team member who the leader of this squad is, most will probably say it’s Kati. She has a great glove, and her dexterity and limberness at first have led some to dub her with the moniker of Stretch. At the plate, Kati is a power hitter and loves to hit the long ball. Krystal Rue is an all-around softball player who can do just about anything on the field. She has thrilled the SOR faithful with many outfield catches that most fielders couldn’t have gotten to. This year, Krystal has stepped up big time by stepping into the catcher position. She does what her team needs her to do, and there’s a lot to say for that. Krystal is also a reliable hitter. If she puts the ball in play, her speed makes it hard on the defense. Ashley Alexander is the motivator of this team. Although she hasn’t played that much in the past, Ashley has always been there for her teammates, yelling for them and supporting them. This season, however, Ashley has already broken into the starting lineup more than once. She’s a hard worker and a great teammate.
The lone junior on the active roster is Michele Walden. Last season, Michele was the starting second baseman for the Lady Waves. As of late, she has moved over to third and is doing well there. Michele has a very strong arm. She also has a big bat, and has already come up with some important RBI hits this season. Michele has also been working hard on pitching, and is a credible backup to Hannah.
The four sophomores on the Midway roster have all seen a lot of action early in the season. Last year, Taylor Narramore started in right field and was a backup pitcher. Many moves are still being made in the lineup, but recently Taylor has spent a lot of time at second base. She has one of the most reliable bats on the squad, and provided a lot of excitement in the win over Kingston. Paige Moree started in the outfield and at catcher last season. Knee problems have ended her catching career, but she has been a mainstay at center field so far this year. She has a lot of speed and a reliable glove. Paige is a good hitter and can really drive the ball hard. Brianne Reynolds has broken into the starting lineup this season. She has played in the outfield and has a strong arm. Brianne can also hit for power. Ainsley Presswood played mostly as a courtesy runner last year, but she has seen a lot of time in the outfield lately. Ainsley is fast on the bases, and a base hit can quickly turn into extra bases for her.
Not since the current senior class joined the team has such a talented bunch of freshmen been added to the Lady Wave roster. The Midway fast pitch faithful will recognize most of the new faces. Four of the freshmen have been Midway Youth League standouts for the past several years. The freshmen bring a lot of hardware to the table, with several Tri-County Championships, one Diamond League Championship, and three second place finishes in the Youth League State Tournament. Danielle Borum has started her high school career by coming out on fire at the plate. She had two hits big hits in the win over Knox Webb. Danielle also saw action at right field in that game, and has been a valuable courtesy runner in all the games so far. She is very fast on the bases, and can cover a lot of ground in the outfield. Hayley Patterson has played shortstop for most of her career, and has a cannon for an arm. She has also played at catcher this season, and will most likely see some playing time at shortstop and in the outfield. Hayley knows how to hit the ball, and we should see plenty of base hits out of her in the future. Kayla Roberts is transitioning from basketball to softball. Kayla can play any position and has already seen some action in the outfield. Her speed makes her a valuable base runner. We look to see a lot of Kayla in the outfield and possibly at third base as the season progresses. Kayla has also been known to come up with some clutch hits in her Youth League career. Taylr Hall is the heir apparent at first base. She has played that position for her Youth League and Middle School teams in the past. Taylr can scoop balls out of the dirt, and can also be counted on to put the bat on the ball at the plate. The final freshman is Harriman transfer Hali Morris. Many basketball fans will recognize Hali as the 5′ 3″ post player who started on Amy Woody’s squad this past season. Hali has a good build and all the guts. She can also be counted on to wear her Blue Devil sweats or her Oliver Springs purple to practice just to get the seniors’ blood boiling. When it comes to softball, however, Hali is dead serious. She has a powerful bat and a good glove. She has mostly played third base in the past and has already started a game at that position for the Lady Waves.
Top to bottom, the Lady Wave roster is the deepest in school history. In any given game, there are several players sitting on the bench who would be starting for almost any school in our area. All these girls have put years into playing softball and improving their skills. As a group, they have heart and focus. It’s going to be a long road, but these girls are determined to get back to Murfreesboro. I wouldn’t bet against them.