Ridgeland set to test itself in 7-AAAA
The 2019 campaign never really got off the ground for the Ridgeland Lady Panthers.
Injuries to key players put a major damper on the season before it even got started and a youthful squad missed the state tournament, snapping a streak of four consecutive appearances.
However, if there was a silver lining for the Lady Panthers it was that a youthful squad got plenty of game-day experience against the top competition in always-tough region. Now, with a year of seasoning behind them, the Black-and-Silver are out to prove that last year was merely a bump in the road.
“They’re not very happy about what happened with the outcome of last year,” head coach Richie Wood said. “So they’ve been coming in and doing 8 a.m. workouts, just working to get fundamentals back. They’re working on their hitting and the pitchers have been working with pitching coaches.”
Offensively, Ridgeland brings back a good nucleus of upperclassmen.
The Lady Panthers return just two seniors, but they are two of the team’s leading returning hitters from last year in terms of average. Marianne Beliveau (.344, 11 RBIs) will take over at second base after seeing time at third in 2019, while left fielder Anna Jenkins (.292) will give the Black-and-White veteran leadership in the outfield.
Behind them is a large junior class that goes seven strong.
Dasia Watkins (.347, 9 RBIs, 15 runs scored) will be back at shortstop, while Makayla Cope (.288, 3 HR, 15 RBIs) will line up again at first base this season. In centerfield is Maggie Dickson (.329, 14 runs scored), a second team All-Region selection a year ago, while pitcher Brianna Goldsmith (.305, 6 doubles, 18 RBIs) gives Ridgeland another veteran that batted over .300 last fall. She also collected three victories in the circle last year, compiling 49 strikeouts in 91 innings of work.
The junior class will also return utility player Carlin Scott, who will see a bulk of her playing time in right field, but who can also fill in on the infield, behind the plate and even in the circle, if need be. Elly Barnes will also see action at first base, while Jenna Morgan will take over behind the plate. Morgan was a second team Catoosa-Walker Dream Team pick as a freshman.
Sophomore catcher Kylie Collins (.291, 5 extra-base hits, 8 RBIs) will take over at third base in her second season, while sophomore Hannah Sims will give Ridgeland another solid utility player. The roster will be rounded out with freshman utility player Kelsey Goins, freshman catcher Maddie O’Toole and freshman pitcher Katie Wagner, who will be counted on to log some innings for the Lady Panthers this season.
Wood said one of the strengths of this year’s team is the middle of its defense.
“We’re going to have a good middle infield, a strong outfield and then behind the plate with Jenna,” he added. “We don’t have a lot of players. We’re going to be thin, so these girls are (all) going to have to be utility players.”
The region will have something of a different look to it this fall. Gilmer and LaFayette have dropped to Class AAA and they have been replaced by Cedartown and CentralCarroll. That means that five of the last eight state champions in Class AAAA reside in what is now known as Region 7-AAAA.
Northwest Whitfield won back-toback titles in 2012 and 2013, Central won it all in 2016 and Heritage, who finished second to Northwest in 2013, are the two-time reigning champs in the classification.
“It’s still going to be a strong region,” Wood explained. “It’s going to be a dogfight just to get into the state playoffs.”
He added that pitching would be critical this season if the Lady Panthers have designs on playing in the post-season.
“We can’t give up too many runs and expect to win,” he said. “We just have to learn how to compete this year.”