This year’s team looks to begin another run at making the playoffs.  Last year’s squad had a disappointing finish at 25-15.  The injury bug hit hard late in the season, with 3 key players lost and one severely limited.  The Lady Wolves lost several very close division games, finishing one game out of the playoffs.  This ended a 4 year string of finishing first or second in the very tough MACJC South Division.

All 9 of last year’s sophomores actually graduated and walked, an accomplishment Head Coach Allen Kent is very proud of. “We try to stress that there is a reason “student” comes before “athlete” in the term “student athlete”.  High profile players lost to graduation were two time All-Region selection Erin Douglass and All-Region and Academic All-American with Distinction selection Annie Selman.

This year’s squad returns NJCAA All-Region pitcher/utility player Meleah Brown. Infielders Kayla Crochet from Redemptorist, Baton Rouge, and Ashley Sykes from Brookhaven High School, outfielder Emily Langley from Brookhaven Academy and pinch runner Amber Bowman from Wesson are other returning sophomores hoping to provide leadership.

Brown lead the Lady Wolves in many offensive categories last year, including RBI, doubles, homeruns and slugging percentage.  She compiled a .382 batting average, while also fashioning a 7-4 record on the mound with a 2.53 ERA.

Crochet hit for a .375 average and had a record of 9-5 in the circle.  Sykes finished with a .342 average and was really swinging a hot bat when she went down with an ankle injury and was lost for the last 14 games of the season.  Langley hit .348, leading the team in stolen bases and was second in RBI.  Burkes posted a 4-2 record with a 2.17 ERA.

A key pickup this season is the addition of sophomore transfer Rebecca Bailey from of Live Oak High School in Louisiana.  The Baton Rouge product is a pitcher/first baseman who looks to provide an immediate boost to the Lady Wolves squad.

Incoming Freshmen are: Bogue Chitto products Candace Avants(utility), Chelsey Miller (outfield) and Devon Welch (utility).  Copiah Academy catcher Becca Boone, Magee High School utility player Brittany Watts, Lawrence County pitcher/utility Ashley Jones, ACCS outfielder Alex Foster, Catcher Missy Paulina from Grace King High School in LaPlace, Louisiana and pitcher Rebecca Rousseau from San Antonio, TX.

Pitching appears to be at a premium this year.  The Lady Wolves squad boasts five pitchers.  Sophomore hurlers will be Rebecca Bailey, Meleah Brown and Kayla Crochet.  Freshman pitchers are Ashley Jones and Rebecca Rousseau.

Having 5 pitchers is unusual, but not necessarily a problem, according to Kent.  It gives us so much more depth, as well as many relief options.  Most of our pitchers swing the bat well enough to be on the field even when they are not in the circle. 

The catching position should be strong as well, with 4 incoming freshmen with plenty of catching experience.  Candace Avants, Becca Boone, Missy Paulina and Brittany Watts all have spent time behind the plate.  Boone and Paulina probably have put in the most time at catcher, but having others that can get back there is always a plus.  It’s not the most glorious job on the field, but one of the most important.  We feel really good about this position for the next 2 years.

Errors plagued the Lady Wolves last season, averaging just over 2 per game, accounting for 70 unearned runs.  We must do a better job of taking care of the ball.  Our pitchers should keep us in most games, but the defense has to be able to back them up.

Our team speed should be a little better this year.  I would like to see us steal more than we did last year with 50 stolen bases.  We have the ability to steal more, its just getting those people on base in the right situations.  Langley, Avants, Miller and Bowman all have the potential to put up some good numbers on the bases.

We must be at the top of our game every time we take the field.  There are no cakewalks in the South Division.  Defending State and Regional Champion MS Gulf Coast Community College only lost a couple of players.  South Division runner-up Pearl River returns one of the top pitchers in the league and is always strong.  Jones County JC has developed into a major contender and Southwest will be much improved.