Salisbury High’s softball team is doing just fine, thank you, considering the program had been declared a total loss and had literally folded its tent in the late ’90s.
Now there’s stability, as coach Bob Beiter returns for his fourth season at the helm.
Last year, the Hornets posted a 6-12 mark, the best they’ve fared since the sport was revived. That upward mobility could continue this season since Beiter returns 10 veterans, including five seniors, and welcomes a strong freshmen group.
Junior pitcher/second baseman Kady Brown and junior center fielder Ticora Jones made the All-Central Carolina Conference team last season.
Other Hornets to watch include a pair of sluggers — first baseman Karima Freeman and right fielder Kari Johnson — and left fielder Alisha Woods, whose specialty is defense.
“With the ability and potential of our freshmen, it will be interesting to see who starts,” said Beiter. “There are heated competitions going on for positions.”
NORTH
Senior all-county and all-conference player Heather Johnson, who pitches and plays third base, anchors coach Ruby Cutshaw’s second North Rowan team.
Other familiar faces include All-CCC catcher/outfielder Jessica Moore, Jenna Wooten, Kyuanna Foxx and Kristi Thomas. North newcomers are led by freshman pitcher Samantha Kelly.
The Cavaliers finished fourth in the CCC last season with a 4-6 league mark and Cutshaw says they have their eyes on a top three finish this season.
That won’t be an easy task with potential powerhouses West Stokes and Central Davidson joining the league and with always solid Ledford and East Davidson still on hand.
But the Cavs have put in tons of off-season work in the weight room and indoor batting cages and are confident and optimistic.
“This team is fundamentally sound and we have some great hitters,” said Cutshaw.
It will be an uphill fight for either North or Salisbury to make the state playoffs. The CCC gets two berths.
SOUTH
South struggled to a 4-14 mark last season, but coach Jan Dowling can certainly plead extenuating circumstances. The Raiders were 2-1 when star pitcher Lauren Raper suffered the second torn ACL of her career and was lost for the season. After that, South took it on the chin 2-13.
This season promises to be better as the Raiders return six starters, including a trio of all-county and All-Central Piedmont Conference performers — Ashlee Rhoades (.397 batting average), Erin Moore (.373) and Melissa Cranford (.320). Other vets are Mandy Yost, Sheena Culbertson and Kelly Schenk.
Much depends on how quickly a pair of freshmen pitchers — Laura Davis and Heather Suggs — adapt to the level of play in the CPC.
“We have some talented freshmen that need to learn a lot, but if our upper classmen take control like they should, we’ll be competitive,” said Dowling.
The CPC gets two state playoff berths. Perennial beast North Davidson will likely grab one. Davie County also figures to be good despite serious graduation losses and a coaching change.
WEST
The county’s highest hopes revolve around West Rowan, which reached the finals of its conference tournament and made the 3A state playoffs last season with an exceptionally young team.
The Falcons, 17-6 in 2001 — with half those losses to state champ Central Cabarrus — remain youthful. Coach Vanessa Noe’s 10 returnees include only two seniors, standout pitcher Alicia Wilson and outfielder Natalie Jones.
Other leaders include right fielder Emily Wallace (.355), infielder Hillary Hampton (.317), pitcher/shortstop Lyndsey Gay, third baseman Brittany Harkey, center fielder Blair Harkey, left fielder Cara Graham and first baseman Jac White.
Blair Harkey, Gay, Wilson and Wallace were all-county last season.
Noe is also high on freshman Devon Williams, who will work her way into the mix in the infield or on the mound.
West’s strengths are the speed of Gay and Wallace at the top of the lineup and airtight defense.
Noe has a hole to fill at catcher, but if that position works out, West has a chance to win the strong 3A North Piedmont Conference and make noise in the state playoffs. It won’t hurt West’s chances that realignment moved nemesis Central Cabarrus and North Davidson, the team that eliminated the Falcons last season, up to the 4A ranks.
EAST
Coach Mike Waddell’s Mustangs are always competitive, but he faces a rebuilding chore after losing a senior class that included perennial Rowan County Player of the Year Julie Alexander, and three other all-county stars — catcher Kristen Yost, pitcher Kathryn Julian and outfielder Amy Hoffman.
With East making the state basketball playoffs, Waddell is waiting as long as possible to select this year’s team.
The NPC gets two state playoff berths. West and East are expected to battle North Iredell, Northwest Cabarrus and Mooresville. There is no NPC tourney this season.
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Contact Mike London at 704-797-4259 or mlondon@salisburypost.com
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