By Mike London
mike.london@salisburypost.com

West Rowan softball

Coach: Jimmy Greene, 6th season, enters 85-33

Key returners: SS Mary Sobataka, 1B/P Taylor Walton, 3B/P Hannah Roberts, CF Hannah Pratt

Key additions: Junior P Whitley Arnott (transfer from South Rowan), Junior C Reagan Haggas, Freshman RF Kenadi Sproul

Key losses: 1B Morgan Corriher (19 RBIs), C Parker Greene and 2B Alexandra Linder combined for 68 runs scored

2018 record:18-7 overall, 8-2 North Piedmont Conference (tied for 1st with Carson)

Playoffs: Lost 5-4 at Marvin Ridge, 3A first round

2019 record: 2-1 (Beat Mooresville and Lake Norman, lost 4-3 to Hickory Ridge)

 

MOUNT ULLA — West Rowan has been a consistent winner in coach Jimmy Greene’s five seasons, although playoff success has proven elusive.

West has claimed three league championships or co-championships during Greene’s tenure and has won 85 games, but only two of those 85 have come in the playoffs. West hasn’t made it past the second round since it was 3A runner-up in 2005.

“One thing we’ve learned is that it’s extremely important to win your conference, so you have a chance to play a lot of home games in the playoffs,” Greene said. “You saw what Carson did at home in the playoffs last year (the Cougars rolled all the way to the regional championship series without leaving China Grove). Meanwhile, we’re on the road in the first round and we lose a one-run game at Marvin Ridge.”

While West and Carson split the regular-season showdowns in 2018, Carson’s 5-0 win over the Falcons in the North Piedmont Conference Tournament championship game was a pivotal clash for both teams. That game put the Cougars at home for the playoffs and sent West on the road.

“The Carson game at our place and the Carson game in the tournament, Rylie Stewart probably pitched the two best games of her life,” Greene said. “Rylie got hot at the end of the season and her team peaked at the right time, and hats off to Carson. We did tie Carson for first place last year, but my mindset is that Carson wears the crown right now. They’re the team to beat.”

West has put together a challenging schedule filled with 4A as well as 3A powerhouses.

West still should have a chance in every game it plays. West already has smacked a Mooresville team stacked with talent, 10-1.

West should be above average at all nine positions and has All-State candidates at first base, pitcher and shortstop.

Whitley Arnott, 6 feet tall and a powerful hurler, could be a program-changer. The transfer is an extreme strikeout pitcher, fanning 184 in 114 innings as an all-county sophomore and leading South Rowan to a 17-win season. She has re-opened her recruiting recently and is likely to wind up with a D-I program.

“She’s got a lot of power, but she’s also got a lot of pitches,” Greene said. “She’s tough and she hates to lose.”

Offensively, West can build around a pair of sluggers. First baseman Taylor Walton mashed as a freshman in 2018, swatting seven homers and driving in a team-high 33 runs.

Senior shortstop Mary Sobataka, who signed with Coastal Carolina, crushed nine homers and drove in 31 runs a year ago.

“Both of them can really swing the bat and Taylor gives us another outstanding pitcher,” Greene said. “Mary is Mary. She’s a really talented player and her optimism spreads to everyone on the team.”

Third baseman Hannah Roberts has pitched a lot in the past and gives West a third option for the circle. She’s a solid, competitive player and is headed to Limestone.

Senior Hannah Pratt has been holding down center field for a while. She’ll contribute offensively, but defense is her forte.

“She should be as good as anyone in center field, just a really smart ballplayer,” Greene said.

Sophomores KK Dowling (left field) and Allison Ennis (second base) are exceptional athletes. Like Pratt, they were all-county volleyball players. They’ll be excellent defensively and Greene expects both to enjoy breakout seasons with the bats.

“I told KK she was going to hit her first home run this season — and she already hit one on opening day,” Greene said. “Defensively, she’s a vacuum in left field.”

Freshman right fielder Kenadi Sproul is potentially one of the fastest players in the county — in any sport — but she’s also trying to come back from a serious knee injury that kept her out of action for more than a year. She slid for the first time since her injury recently. If healthy, she’ll be the lead-off hitter.

“If she hits it on the ground, it’s going to be hard for anyone to throw her out,” Greene said. “She has elite speed.”

Catcher Reagan Haggas will be a critical player. She’s learning a new position on the job. Her background is as a first baseman, but West needed a catcher.

“She’s making amazing progress behind the plate,” Greene said. “And we know she can hit.”

Greene said seniors Cheyenne Barber and Kemuel Mauney will contribute. So will outfielder Megyn Spicer. The school’s top cross country runner, she’s been out with a concussion, but once she returns, the Falcons will have another  quick runner.

If everything works out — things like Sproul’s health and Haggas’ conversion to catching — this could be an elite squad, a team that can compete on the regional and state level.

“We lost a great assistant coach (Erin Foster) who’s been with me since the beginning,” Greene said. “So we’ve got new coaches, we’ve got new faces, and we’ve got a new team. But we’re optimistic. We couldn’t be more excited about this season.”