HAMILTON — Lexus Jordan never has hesitated to express her feelings.
If the Hamilton High School fast-pitch softball standout felt like saying something, she would let it rip. It didn’t matter if the remark wasn’t positive because Jordan admits she often didn’t have a filter early in her career and, as a result, she might not have set the best example for her teammates.
“Nobody could tell me anything,” Jordan said. “I was like that hard-headed person (that said), ‘Don’t tell me what I did wrong. I know what I did wrong.’ ”
But Jordan, who is the team’s No. 1 pitcher, has discovered the power of positive thinking. The realization has sparked a transformation that has helped her become a leader on a young team that intends to recapture some of the program’s glory.
Hamilton will start that quest at 6 tonight when it travels to New Site for game one of a best-of-three Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 2A North State playoff series. Game two will be at 3 p.m. Saturday in Hamilton. An if-needed game three would follow.
A re-focused Jordan, who feels she has made a “drastic” change in her attitude, will lead the way. She admits she didn’t look up to the seniors when she was younger. She said she wishes she would have because now, as one of only two seniors on the team, she is in their place and is working hard to set an example others will follow to help the team realize its potential.
Jordan’s new attitude has helped her erase the memory of a player who, in retrospect, had a “bad attitude” and was a negative influence.
“If I used to strike out, I would give up for the rest of the game,” Jordan said. “I would just be like, ‘Well, I can’t do it. I don’t know why I am out here.’ Now I realize there always is another time to redeem yourself. Plus, I pitch, and if I get down for the rest of the game, that is going to bring the rest of the team down. I think I have really made a difference in my attitude.”
Hamilton coach Bryan Loague, who is in his first season after coming over from Mantachie, said the entire team has adopted a “winning attitude.” The approach helped Hamilton take Class 2A, Region 3, District 4. Even though it enters the playoffs with a sub-.500 record, Hamilton has followed the form of past teams in that it started slowly in non-league and then raised its level of play for district matchups. It also has been competitive against schools in bigger classifications like Amory, Mooreville, and Nettleton without winning all of the games.
But Loague, who is in his first season as head coach after serving as an assistant to Lewis Earnest with the slow-pitch team, said Jordan has set the tone.
“Lexus has always been good, but this year she has stepped up a little more as a leader in the second half of the season,” Loague said.
“We got off to a rocky start, and as she stepped up a little more you could see the other kids come around.”
Loague said Jordan’s mind-set has become infectious. He wasn’t sure if it was going to take hold, but he knew the team had the potential to do it. With sophomores Alison Atkins, Cheyenne Logan, Raimi Bryan, Jordyn Jackson, and Taylor Hyland, freshmen Addie Thompson and Hallie Dobbs, and eighth-grader Hailee Jones (designated player) in the starting lineup this season, Hamilton has learned its lessons on the field the past few years.
“I didn’t think it was going to happen after the first 15 games of the year,” Loague said. “Hopefully they have learned they can play with anybody, and it doesn’t matter what the other team’s name says on the front of their jersey.”
Looking back, Loague isn’t sure what started the turnaround or why it happened again, but he said his players have shown they are capable of playing with any opponent.
Now the trick is to help the fast-pitch program remain consistent and regain its footing. The program missed out on the playoffs last season. Its slow-pitch team won the state title in 2009.
With Jordan and Aerial Rowell as the only seniors and only one junior — Lynzy Holloway — the future looks bright if Hamilton continues to mature, much like Jordan has developed into a leader.
“I just think if you have a positive attitude about stuff you are less likely to make the same error you just made to get you down,” Jordan said. “I have realized that being negative about everything is going to make it worse and you have to stay positive.”
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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