Lady Bucks look for good health
Smackover's softball season hasn't officially started, yet, and it's already been a bit of a nightmare. Senior first baseman Sydney Preston is a question mark after her third knee surgery. Sophomore pitcher Emily Camacho is recovering from a torn ACL suffered during volleyball season. Sophomore Taylor Darden is battling back from shoulder surgery.
“I don't know if Sydney is going to be able to play,” said Smackover coach Dennis Steele. Of the two sophomores, “Neither one is full-go, yet but they both can play. They've both been released to where they can play.”
Not an auspicious start to the season for the Lady Bucks, who start on the road at Junction City on Monday.
Smackover's roster features two seniors, five juniors and a whole bunch of freshmen and sophomores. The Lady Bucks will have to replace fouryear starting pitcher Malorie Pullin and the whole infield.
“New first baseman, new second baseman, new shortstop, new third baseman, new catcher, new pitcher - it's going to be a little different than what we've had the last six or seven years,” Steele said. “But I don't think you can count us out. I think we'll be very competitive in the conference. Our kids work hard.”
The Lady Bucks had a four-hour practice on Tuesday as players worked on new positions.
“We've been going over a lot of drills, a lot of situations, base running with the kids. We need the work,” said Steele.
The coach hopes to balance the need for practice with the need for rest and recovery, especially for players trying to return from surgeries.
“The key is, like I told Camacho and the Darden girl and I told Sydney, ‘Don't push it. Come back at your pace that you're going to be able to play.' The first month it's not going to be state games. We have to just be competitive and play hard. I think time will heal things and get the girls ready to play.”
The team will have a different look, the most glaring in the circle. The Lady Bucks will replace Pullin, a two-time Sports Alley/News-Times Softball Player of the Year.
Camacho, who played centerfield as a freshman, moves into the role as No. 1 pitcher.
Of the injury, Steele said, “She's back. She's working out. She's still going to treatment. She's not 100 percent yet but she's still the number one pitcher.”
The other pitcher will be freshman Alyssa Hubbard.
“You have a girl like Malorie, she pitched all those years. Plus there were a couple other pitchers who could throw. It's going to be a challenge,” said Steele.
“We're going to have to score some runs. Neither has pitched at the varsity level. We may not be barn busters at the start but they do work hard. They do listen. They do the little things.”
Darden looks to anchor the infield, moving from the outfield to shortstop.
“She's back to practicing every day when she's not going to treatment. She's a very good shortstop.”
Presley Ainsworth, who played first base last year in Preston's absence, will play catcher this season. At first base will be Preston or Jaylyn Crawford. Chloe Lewis at second and freshman Julia James at third will round out the infield. The outfield leaders are Abby Brewer, Gretchen Goodwin and A'olani Bougus.
“Defensively, we'll be good because we take hundreds of ground balls every day. I think we'll make those plays. We just have to be able to score some runs.”
Smackover went 18-5 last season before falling in the first round of the 3A State Tournament. The Lady Bucks have dominated the 3A 8 conference and advanced to the state semifinals two seasons ago.
Could this season be the start of a rebuild? Steele said, not necessarily.
“Don't get me wrong, we practice and the kids have worked. The last two or three weeks, I've moved kids around, trying to get them in the right spots to help us win ball games,” he said. “I'm not worried. When it comes time, I think we'll be good and our kids will perform because they work hard.”