Lady Titans could have special season
BY DONNA LAMPKIN STEPHENS CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Five returning starters, strong senior leadership and some talented youth could combine to make 2018 a special softball season for Jacksonville’s Lady Titans. “We are young and very inexperienced, and that will lead to some growing pains, but lots of raw talent could form to make us very competitive,” coach Hank Hawk said. Jacksonville qualified for the Class 6A State Tournament last year after finishing fourth in the 6A East District Tournament, but fell to El Dorado in the opening round, 10-1, to end the season 15-14. Seniors Jordan Moody, Megan Davis and Samantha Luna lead the returning starters. Moody, who has signed with Central Baptist College in Conway, is back at third base and is the team’s best hitter for average, Hawk said. Davis, the first baseman, sports the Lady Titans’ best speed. Luna returns in the outfield. Other returning starters include junior pitcher Lindsey Holt, whom Hawk called the team’s best pitcher; and sophomore shortstop Rebeka House. “Rebeka House is only a sophomore, but she has all the tools to play at the next level,” said Hawk, who said House is the team’s best power hitter, best fielder and best arm. The major team strength, Hawk said, will be senior leadership, but on the flip side, the Lady Titans’ major weakness, at least at the beginning of the season, will be a lack of game experience. “We should be pretty close to the same ability as we were last year, but we hope to have more people hit the ball more consistently, and that will give us a chance to improve on last year’s record,” Hawk said. During the regular season, Jacksonville will compete in combined conference 5A/6A District 4 against J.A. Fair, Little Rock Christian, Little Rock Hall, Little Rock Parkview, Maumelle, Pulaski Academy and Sylvan Hills. The Lady Titans must finish among the top six in the 6A East District Tournament in order to return to the state tournament. The 6A East also includes Jonesboro, Little Rock Hall, Marion, Mountain Home, Pine Bluff, Searcy and West Memphis. Jonesboro won the East last year and reached the state semifinals, where the team fell to Greenwood. Other East teams qualifying for state were second seed Marion and No. 3 Searcy, both of which exited in the quarterfinals; and Jacksonville, Mountain Home and Pine Bluff, all of which lost in the first round. Hawk said games with Mountain Home and Pine Bluff this spring could decide some of the seeding for the state tournament. Overall, the coach said he is excited to see what 2018 could bring. “With many new faces in new places, the team is an unknown at this point,” he said on the eve of the season opener. “It will be fun to watch them grow as players and as a team.”