MACON — Sammy Lindsey hopes last year was more than a warmup for his Central Academy fast-pitch softball team.
In 2010, the Lady Vikings relied on the leadership of seniors Megan Banks, Kendall Taylor, Rachel Holley, and Kellie Hailey to guide a young and inexperienced team.
The loss of the leaders, especially Banks and Taylor, two stalwarts on some of the school”s strongest teams in recent years, has left Central Academy even younger as it prepares for its season opener at 4 p.m. Friday against Winston Academy.
But don”t associate pessimism with the Lady Vikings” youth.
While his team may be young, Lindsey said the pieces are in place for the team to have a successful season if it can come together, stay focused, and avoid the nerves that are bound to be there competing against older teams.
“When you”re young, sometimes you have to learn how to respond to the pressure,” Lindsey said. “But I think we will have enough talent to start filling in and fill those gaps.”
Lindsey said a lot of the younger players saw plenty of game experience last season. Still, there”s a difference between competing with freshmen and sophomores and juniors and seniors. And with only 13 players on the roster, Lindsey acknowledges the team doesn”t have a big margin for error if injuries hit.
“I am eager to see how we react,” said Lindsey, who has five sophomores, two freshmen, an eighth-grader, and three seventh-graders. “I think we can be good if the pressure doesn”t affect us. They may act like they”re not nervous, but it is different when you step into the batter”s box.”
Logan Waggoner, who transferred from Heritage Academy and played on Central Academy”s slow-pitch team at the end of the 2010-11 school year, is the team”s only senior.
Sophomore Blake Rigdon, who has played on the varsity team since the sixth grade, will be an anchor at catcher and will help nurture a pitching staff that includes freshmen Kayla Brown and Paige Buchanan and eighth-grader Courtney Gaylord. Two other younger players also could see time in the circle.
“We are young on the mound, and it is time to grow up now,” Lindsey said. “It isn”t like we haven”t played young people before. We have dealt with it for a long time with a low number of students (at the school). I am interested to see how they do.”
That youth may forecast a bright future for Central Academy, but Lindsey and the players won”t be content to wait for good things. They want to make them happen this year.
“We do only have one senior and one junior, but some of the younger kids are still really good ballplayers ” first baseman Claire McKinnon said. “They have been playing all of their lives, and they”re really hard.”
Said third baseman Sarah Norris, “Everybody is key. We all have to work together. I think we have a pretty good chance. We all care. As long as we work together and try, we can do our best. We still have to remind the younger ones you are part of the team and don”t think that just because you”re young you”re not part of the team.”
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.