Page 23 - RVO Diamond Roundup March 2017

RIVER VALLEY & OZARK EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE BASEBALL & SOFTBALL REVIEW | SUNDAY, MARCH 19, 2017
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NEMO VISTA LADY RED HAWKS
New coach hopes to rebuild nest for defending state champion
BY DONNA LAMPKIN STEPHENS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Nemo Vista’s Lady Red Hawks won
Class 1A state softball championships in 2008, ’11 and ’16, and reached the Class 1A state semifinals in ’15.
But 2017 will be a rebuilding project for new coach Taylor Hamilton after seven players grad- uated off last year’s squad, and the three rising seniors decided not to play this spring.
“I have high expectations for my softball girls,” said Hamilton, who played softball at Lyon College in Batesville and served as a volunteer assistant with the Lady Red Hawks last season. “This season may be tough, but I think we will make it back to the state tournament.”
Nemo Vista finished 19-3 last year, winning its final eight games. In the postseason, the Lady Red Hawks rolled to the Class 1A Region 3 champi- onship by a combined 35-1 — beating West Side Greers Ferry, 15-0; South Side Bee Branch, 13-1; and Concord in the championship, 7-0.
In the Class 1A State Tournament, the Lady Red Hawks didn’t allow a run until the champi- onship game. At Mountain Home, Nemo Vista knocked off Trinity Christian, 15-0; Calico Rock, 9-0; and Armorel, 3-0, before facing Concord in the championship game at the University of Arkansas’ Bogle Park. The Lady Red Hawks pre- vailed in that game, 8-7 in eight innings.
Concord, which finished as state runner-up in 2015 and ’16, finished 33-5. Two of its losses came against Nemo Vista.
Conference: 1A-5 North Coach: Taylor Hamilton Assistant coach: Lindsay Bean 2016 record: 19-3
Mascot: Lady Red Hawks
Returning starters: Taylor Bess and
Morgan Smith
But with nine of the 15 Lady Red Hawks still playing basketball at press time — Nemo Vista is the three-time defending Class 1A state cham- pion — it may take some time for the softball team to jell.
“We have big shoes to fill this year,” Hamilton said. “However, I am confident in the talent that I do have and hope they match the success from last year. If we can’t match the success, then we hope we can get pretty close.”
She said the team’s biggest strength will be offense. Defensively, she must find the right combinations.
“All of the girls are all-around players and can play just about every position,” Hamilton said. “So figuring out the right placement of the girls on defense may be a weakness.”
Nemo Vista will play in the 1A-5 North Con- ference, along with Abundant Life, Guy-Perkins, Maumelle Charter, Mount Vernon-Enola, Sacred Heart and Wonderview. Last year, Sacred Heart fell to Bay in the opening round of the Class 1A State Tournament.
During the regular season, the Lady Red Hawks will play in combined classification
WILLIAM HARVEY/RIVER VALLEY & OZARK EDITION
Nemo Vista junior Taylor Bess hits off a tee in the batting cage. Bess is one of two returning starters.
1A/2A District 7 with Bigelow, Conway Christian, Guy-Perkins, Mount Vernon-Enola, Quitman, Sacred Heart, South Side Bee Branch, St. Joseph and Wonderview.
South Side Bee Branch reached the Class 1A state quarterfinals in 2016.
Hamilton said that among the games to watch this spring will be contests with Mount Vernon-Enola and Wonderview.
Hamilton, 23, grew up in Greenbrier and graduated from the University of Central Ar- kansas in Conway. She teaches high school math but said she always knew she wanted to coach.
And she isn’t afraid of the daunting task of taking over a defending state championship team. “It is nerve-wracking,” she said. “Everyone has
high expectations for the girls.”
NEMO VISTA SOFTBALL
MARCH 27 ..............................WONDERVIEW* MARCH 30 ..................................@BIGELOW* MARCH 31 .................................. MAYFLOWER APRIL 3 ................... MOUNT VERNON-ENOLA* APRIL 6 ...................... @CONWAY CHRISTIAN* APRIL 7 ................................... @MAYFLOWER APRIL 10 ...................................... QUITMAN* APRIL 13 ..............................@GUY-PERKINS* APRIL 17 ........................CONWAY ST. JOSEPH
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
But the job is one that suits Hamilton.
“Nemo lost a lot of great seniors last year, and there are no seniors on the team this year,” Ham- ilton said. “So my team is a young team, which is going to be great because I will have the same girls back next year, plus more. As a new coach, I am glad to have a young team so that we can grow together.
“I can’t wait for the season to get started.”
NEMO VISTA RED HAWKS
1A runner-up finish in 2016 gives Red Hawks confidence
BY DONNA LAMPKIN STEPHENS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Four returning starters, including three seniors, are back for Nemo Vista as the Red Hawks aim for just the second state baseball title in school history.
Logan Williams’ team finished 20-8 last season, winning conference and district championships, finishing runner-up in the Class 1A Region 3 Tournament and advanc- ing to the quarterfinals of the Class 1A State Tournament.
Those accomplishments provide the back- ground for the Red Hawks’ goals in 2017.
Conference: 1A-5 North Coach: Logan Williams Assistant coach: Scott Perry 2016 record: 20-8
Mascot: Red Hawks
Returning starters: Justin Brown,
Bradley Hill, Preston Honeycutt and John Riley
success,” said Williams, in his third season at Nemo Vista.
The Red Hawks won their only state base- ball title in 1996.
NEMO VISTA BASEBALL
MARCH 24-25 ............ @ATKINS TOURNAMENT MARCH 27 ..............................WONDERVIEW* MARCH 30 .................................... @BIGELOW MARCH 31 .................................. @CONCORD APRIL 3 ................... MOUNT VERNON-ENOLA* APRIL 6 ........................ @CONWAY CHRISTIAN APRIL 7 ..........................................DERMOTT APRIL 10 ........................................ QUITMAN APRIL 11 ... FAULKNER COUNTY HOMESCHOOL APRIL 13 ..............................@GUY-PERKINS* APRIL 14 .................................. @POTTSVILLE APRIL 17 ........................CONWAY ST. JOSEPH APRIL 20 ...............................ABUNDANT LIFE
“We want to continue to build on our past
NEMO VISTA BASEBALL continued on 27VV
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES