Hughes, Dorsett ready to climb mountain once again
The Hewitt-Trussville High School softball team made it to the top of the mountain in May, capturing the program’s first ever Class 7A state title.
But a new school year means the Huskies will have to restart the climb to the top, just like every other team in the state. Every team begins the year at ground zero.
The Huskies’ two seniors this year, pitcher KK Hughes and outfielder Abigail Dorsett, believe they have the pieces to accomplish something similar again in the spring.
“A lot of people are going to be surprised,” said Hughes, one of the top pitchers for the Huskies in last year’s run and the unquestioned ace of the pitching staff at this time.
Hewitt-Trussville could be expected to take a step back with the departures of slugging catcher Hannah Borden, crucial arm and bat Molly Cobb, Maddie Katona, Kailey Walters and Hayden Neugent.
Dorsett admits it will be weird without those seniors, four of which are playing in college. But she believes the lessons learned from that group will carry on.
“It’ll be different, but I think it’ll be good,” she said. “It’s going to help with me and KK being older and having that experience. … They did really good on showing leadership and team bonding. We have to do what they did and focus in.”
Hughes and Dorsett are two of five players on the Hewitt roster currently committed to play college softball. Hughes has pledged to South Alabama, Dorsett will follow her sister Maddie’s footsteps and play at Samford, Jenna Lord committed to Alabama in September, Anyce Harvey is set to play at Middle Tennessee, and Madi Mitchell has committed to Birmingham-Southern.
Hughes and Dorsett both chose their schools based off softball and academics. Hughes wants to be a neurologist and can take the school’s biomedical sciences track. Dorsett said she “loves the coaches” at Samford and appreciates its faith-based principles.
The support the team received from the community after the 2019 state title was not lost upon the players.
“It’s just nice that now that we’ve done something, people are supporting us,” Hughes said. “It’s nice to know there are people out there that support your sport.”
As for the duo’s final spring, it has already been made apparent through summer and fall workouts that the success of last season grants the Huskies nothing for the 2020 season.
And they’re fine with that.
“We can’t go in there with the mindset that we’re state champions,” Dorsett said. “We have to act like it didn’t happen. We want that feeling again, but we have to work for it.”