The New Hope High School softball program will have one final go-round today and Saturday.
New Hope”s Tabitha Beard will coach seniors Haley Tutor and Brandi Brantley in the 25th annual Mississippi Association of Coaches Slow-Pitch All-Star game at Mack Fanning Field at Newton County High.
Beard and her players will stay in the area to watch senior Anna Holley play Saturday in the 10th annual Fast-Pitch All-Star game.
Hamilton High”s Caitlyn Atkins and East Webster”s Cayley McClellan will play for the North in the Class 1A/2A/3A slow-pitch game.
Hamilton”s Anna Imel and East Webster”s Swayze Hollenhead will play for the North team in the Class 1A/2A/3A fast-pitch game.
Caledonia”s Macy Hicks and Amory”s Ashley Camp will join Holley on the North”s Class 4A/5A/6A team coaches by Shane Staten of Southaven.
Beard, who will be joined by assistant coach Connie Sharp, said it will be special to be with her players and some of the state”s best one more time.
“It is a privilege to get to do it,” Beard said. “We get to meet some of girls, who are not so much enemies, but we have played against them. We have a real good time.”
Beard had a chance to select the players she will coach. She would have loved to have had all of her seniors on the slow-pitch squad, but she said the size of the rosters — the North team has 11 players and the South team has 12 — made it impossible.
But she doesn”t mind because she will get one last chance to see her seniors play. She credited Brantley, Holley, and Tutor for playing key roles in the Lady Trojans” Class 5A state championship, which was the program”s fourth in a row, and for helping raise the level of the school”s fast-pitch program.
“It is always humbling (to get a chance to coach in an All-Star game),” Beard said. “I have always said I am what I am because of the girls. I have a great group of girls. They have made it a little easier for me to get that honor, and I feel honored to be given that opportunity.”
Holley, who recently signed a scholarship to play softball at Itawamba Community College, anticipates playing in the infield and at catcher Saturday. Game 1 of the Class 1A/2A/3A doubleheader will start at 10 a.m., followed by Game 1 of the Class 4A/5A/6A doubleheader.
Game 1 of the Class 1A/2A/3A slow-pitch doubleheader will begin at 5:30 p.m. today, followed by Game 1 of the Class 4A/5A/6A game.
“It is awesome,” Holley said of her selection. I will be playing with great caliber players. It is something I am really looking forward to. I can”t wait.”
Holley said it will be “bittersweet” not getting a chance to play with Brantley and Tutor again. But she said it will be exciting to have them in the stands cheering her on.
Brantley, who will play soccer in the fall at Hinds C.C., likely will split time at first base and pitcher, while Tutor, who recently signed a scholarship to play softball at East Mississippi C.C. will play in the outfield.
Both players practiced earlier this week at New Hope High. They don”t think they will have to make a big adjustment to get their slow-pitch swings back. It might be easier for Tutor, who didn”t play for the Lady Trojans” fast-pitch team as a senior.
“I am very excited,” said Tutor, the PopStar Award winner as the state”s top slow-pitch softball player. “It will be good to see the competition and to catch up with some of the girls.”
Brantley said the All-Star game will be a great opportunity to “beast it up,” a motivational phrase the New Hope players used in their careers. She said she and Tutor will bring plenty of enthusiasm for the slow-pitch game and save some for Saturday when they watch Holley.
Tickets for the games are $5 per person for general admission seating each day.
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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