Depth is biggest strength for 2018 Lady Jaguars

The McCrory Lady Jaguars will rely heavily on their team depth and chemistry as they look to make a return trip to the regional tournament this season. “I feel like we have real good chemistry in our ballclub,” coach Ronnie Massanelli said. “The girls have the desire to succeed, and we have some girls who can come off the bench and do a good job as well. “Depth is going to be a strength. I think we have gotten stronger in the offseason as well. We have improved every aspect of our game.” Massanelli said the coaches have always stressed the importance of defense. “We are always trying to get better today than we were yesterday,” he said. McCrory finished as conference champions with a 21-4 record last season. The Lady Jaguars finished runner-up in the regional tournament but were eliminated in the first round of the district tournament by East Poinsett County High School. Returning seniors include Caroline Lane, Lexi Epps and Alona Griggs. “Caroline has been all-conference the past three years and has moved around [to different positions] a lot in her career,” Massanelli said. “She’s got a strong arm, and she was our second-leading hitter on the team. “She is a very versatile player. We are going to put her at third base, and that may be her strongest position. She already has three offers from colleges to play at the next level.” Massanelli said Epps does an “outstanding job” at center field. “She knows the game real well,” he said. “She’s been all-conference the past three years. She has committed to Lyon College [in Batesville] to play softball. “She does a real good job at the plate, laying down the bunt when you need it. She also does a real good job of going opposite field with her bat.” Griggs has been hampered in the past with injuries but is expected to play right field this season. “She has a real strong arm and is a real aggressive kid,” Massanelli said. “She has a lot of power at the plate. Hopefully, she can stay healthy this year because she has a lot to offer our ballclub.” Massanelli said it is very important for his team to stay healthy this season, “especially with our pitching staff,” he said. Junior pitcher Carli Whitehead returns after earning all-conference the past two seasons. “Last year, her ERA was under 1, and she was like 16-2 as a starter,” Massanelli said. “She has real good movement on her balls, as far as hitting her spots.” The coach said Whitehead is also the

No. 2 hitter on the team, hitting over .500 last year. Junior Paige Dollar will play first base after playing in the outfield the previous seasons. “She does an outstanding job at first base, especially with blocking the ball on bad throws,” Massanelli said. “Her best position is in the outfield, but she has converted and does an outstanding job. “She has really good speed and is a good bunter. She has a lot of power when we have her swing.” Junior Sydney Beazey started part time in the outfield at different positions last year. “She has real good speed in the outfield,” Massanelli said. “She has really improved her hitting; she has really come a long way with hitting the ball.” Sophomore Blaire Kennon earned all-state as a ninth-grader. “She has a real strong arm as well, and she just makes the plays at shortstop that most wouldn’t,” Massanelli said. “She batted over .600 at the plate. She is the kid who is not going to strike out. “She was our leading hitter on the team and was also our golden glove on defense.” New to the team this year are freshmen Kyndal Dollar and Jenna Sablotny. “Kyndal is Paige’s little sister and will catch for us this year,” Massanelli said. “She does a real good job behind the plate and has a strong arm. “What we have seen in travel team and summer ball, and this offseason, she is a real strong hitter at the plate. She is also a real smart base runner, so we are going to put her behind the plate and see what she can do.” Massanelli said Sablotny will see some playing time at various spots in the field, including backup pitcher. “We set our goals high, and we want to always give 100 percent,” Massanelli said.