Lady Cyclones squad features new faces this season
The Russellville Lady Cyclones softball team is in a whole new ballgame this year. “This is a new-look team with a lot of new faces,” interim coach Mickey DuVall said. Former coach Harley Sisson stepped down, but he is the defensive-line coach for the football program. DuVall said the 6A team lost 12 players this year, nine to graduation and three who were exchange students, including a varsity player. DuVall has seven freshmen on this year’s team. Last season’s team was 7-17 overall and 5-6 in conference play. It will be a work in progress to get there this year, DuVall said. “With so many new, young faces on the team, we just want to improve our fundamentals and be playing our best by the end of the season,” the coach said. The three returning starters are seniors Meredith Duffield and Sierra Porter and junior Emmy Hipps. Duffield, the team’s pitcher, batted .293 last year. Her ERA was 3.38, “the best on the team. She was the winning pitcher in six of our seven wins,” the coach said. “Meredith, her main strength is experience. She was starting games as a freshman when we had an injury to probably the best pitcher who ever came through here (Andrea Kindrick),” DuVall said. “[Meredith has] gotten better and better every year,” he said. “Sierra’s strength is she’s versatile. She started left field last year. She’s probably the team’s starting catcher this year,” DuVall said. “She can play just about anywhere. Emmy’s strength is her speed. No matter where we put her, she’s pretty fast.” Hipps, who was second baseman last year, will probably fill the shortstop position this year, the coach said. Although three players are returning, “it’s almost like one is returning,” he said, because two are learning new positions. “With so many new faces, I’m trying to figure out what faces go where,” DuVall said. “The main thing is to build the program, and that’ll take some time, but if you can build the program, build the interest and fundamentals,” it will create interest and loyalty in the team, the coach said. “If all we do is focus on fundamentals, we won’t beat ourselves.” The team last went to a state tournament three years ago and lost in the first round; the Lady Cyclones’ last state championship was five years ago, he said. “The returning players have set a goal to improve the win total from their previous two seasons and make the state tournament,” DuVall said.