Page 39 - RVO Diamond Roundup March 2017
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RIVER VALLEY & OZARK EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE BASEBALL & SOFTBALL REVIEW | SUNDAY, MARCH 19, 2017
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ATKINS LADY RED DEVILS
Lady Devils hope to rebuild after graduation
BY SARAH DECLERK
STAFF WRITER
Following an exciting season last year that took the Atkins softball team to the second round of the state tourna- ment, where the Lady Red Devils fin-
ished with a 25-11 overall record and a 10-2 conference record, coach Tracey Brown said the team will focus this season on beefing up its strength to recover from the graduation of several leading players.
Nonetheless, Brown, who has coached the Atkins softball team for 17 years, including 15 years as head coach, said she expects to com- pete for a district championship this season by harnessing the power and expertise of several returning starters.
“We lost six seniors who were key players in the past few years,” she said. “We will be in a re- building stage with our defense and bats, but I have four returning starters in the middle of the field to help lead this transition.”
This season’s returning starters include seniors pitcher Sydney Webb and center fielder Shelby
ATKINS RED DEVILS
Davis; and sophomores shortstop Mary Kate Brown and catcher Ally Darter. During her time on the team, Webb has shown mastery of both the mound and the plate, the coach said.
“Sydney Webb is patient and consistent at the plate,” she added. “We can always count on her in a clutch situation.”
The senior really shines when it comes to pitching, however.
“She is fearless at the mound,” the coach said. “She is a great leader, and we will see big things from her this year.”
The coach named Mary Kate Brown as the team’s best power hitter, a reputation that the player earned last season when she racked up a .705 slug- ging percentage. She impressed crowds last year with two home runs, one of which was a grand slam during the state tournament. The sophomore is verbally committed to play at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Brown said.
Davis will be a key fielder for the team, Brown added, naming Davis and Darter as the team’s fastest players.
“Shelby Davis has tremendous speed and agil- ity in the outfield,” Brown said. “She has been in
ATKINS SOFTBALL
MARCH 28 ................................ PERRYVILLE* MARCH 30 ..................................... @DOVER* MARCH 31-APRIL 1 .... @VAN BUREN TOURNEY APRIL 4 ................................... DARDANELLE* APRIL 7 ......................................... CLINTON* APRIL 10 .......................................... LAMAR* APRIL 11 ..................................TWO RIVERS* APRIL 13 ................................ @POTTSVILLE* APRIL 17 .................................. JESSIEVILLE* APRIL 18 ................................ @PERRYVILLE* APRIL 20 ......................................... @OZARK APRIL 21 .......................................... DOVER* APRIL 24 .............................. @DARDANELLE*
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
left field the past three years and will move to center to lead our outfield.”
Another senior set to lead the team this season is Stephanie Aldrete.
“[She] has great hands and an eye for the
WILLIAM HARVEY/RIVER VALLEY & OZARK EDITION
Atkins senior Stephanie Aldrete takes a throw at first base.
ball,” Brown added. “She will be big in our lineup this year.”
Other players expected to invigorate the Red Devils include juniors Sadie Johnston and Caitlyn Deal, who “add two great arms” to the team’s defense, Brown said.
Fans of the Red Devils may have already marked on their calendar the March 28 home game against long-standing rival the Perryville Mustangs, and the coach said her team is plan- ning to play hard for that game.
“Perryville has always been a big rival of Atkins,” she said. “I’m expecting competitive games down to the last out.”
Confident Red Devils coach eyes championship season
BY SARAH DECLERK
STAFF WRITER
As Ben Miller enters his fourth season as head coach, he said prospects are look- ing good for the Atkins baseball team. Last year, the Red Devils finished in the regional championship with an overall record of 18-7 and a conference record of 10-2, and Miller said he hopes to surpass that outcome this year.
“We expect to compete for a conference championship, district championship and regional championship,” he said. “This team has a great opportunity to get to the state tournament for the first time in 20 years.”
Some well-seasoned players may help propel the team to the top this season. The team is returning eight of its nine starters, the coach said. “We’ve got a lot of depth,” he said.
Two of the team’s best hitters are leading the Red Devils this year. Senior first baseman Dylan Wilson, who has been starting for four
years, has an accumulated batting average of .220, and junior shortstop Robert Deal, who has racked up an accumulated batting
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