Lady Jackets look to continue growth this season

Starkville High School head softball coach Brittany Tillery admits to having a young team with growing pains.

With one lone senior on the roster in shortstop Casey Meador, Tillery admits to this being a rebuilding season, but she also admits to her hopes of building a softball dynasty that will last for years to come.

The Lady Yellow Jackets are off to a 3-4 start. While that sits under the .500 level, Tillery believes her team's best days are still to come.

"It's overwhelming in a fun way, playing the schedule we're playing," Tillery said. "We have kids who don't have any playing experience, but we're learning how to be strong.

"It's like building a house. You've got to have a foundation and a roof."

Starkville was slated to play two games against Choctaw County on Friday night, but those games were canceled.

Tillery said the Lady Jackets will use just two starting pitchers this season with right handers Olivia Mattison and Marion Tate.

Madison is a junior which, according to Tillery, sports a lively fastball.

Tate, nicknamed "Mouse" due to her 4-foot10 frame, is a sophomore with an above-average breaking pitch and has the heart of a competitor.

"Olivia is a fastball pitcher," Tillery said. "Tate may be small, but she plays big."

Tillery said that her relief pitching was "rising up" for the season ahead.

The SHS infield will be captained by junior first baseman Kiersten Burnett.

"Kiersten has the most maturity on the field," Tillery sad of her first baseman. "She's the momma of the team. She picks people up when they get down."

Second base duties will be shared by the duo of junior Kendall Thompson and seventh grader Leigh Parker

Morgan.

Thompson is a member of the Lady Jacket basketball team, while Morgan, a 5-foot seventh grader nicknamed "Little Skinny" is what Tillery called "a big girl playing in a little girl's body."

"She's always on the move," Tillery said of Thompson. "She's every