Huskies looking ahead to 2020 after state title

The time for soaking in the moment has passed.

In fact, if you ask Hewitt-Trussville High School softball coach Taylor Burt, that happened several months ago.

“We made a point — not just me, but our older ones — in August. We said, ‘Hey, what we did last year doesn’t mean anything. It’s great. … If we ever want to feel that feeling again, we’ve got to get back to work,” Burt said.

That’s not to reduce the magnitude of what the Hewitt-Trussville softball team accomplished last season. Last May, the Huskies dropped their first game of the Class 7A state tournament before rallying to win six straight games over two days to capture the program’s first state championship.

Hewitt-Trussville’s 2019 team made a habit of responding with its back against the wall. In each of the postseason tournaments (area, regional and state), the Huskies faced at least one elimination game. After the dust settled, they finished 44-15-1, with a blue map in hand.

Now, the mission is to do it again. But every team in the state starts with the same blank slate. No bonus points are awarded for what was achieved the season prior.

“We can’t go in there with the same mindset that we’re state champions,” senior center fielder Abigail Dorsett said. “We have to act like it didn’t happen. We want that feeling again, but we have to work for it.”

The fact that the Huskies’ two seniors, Dorsett and pitcher KK Hughes, began disseminating that message in August was music to Burt’s ears.

“I didn’t even really have to say that, and that was impressive,” Burt said.

For most teams, losing five seniors who were as productive as the ones Hewitt-Trussville had last year would be reason for consternation. Catcher Hannah Borden, one of the most feared hitters in the state over the past few years, is now at Southern Miss. Two-way player Molly Cobb is excelling at Auburn-Montgomery. Outfielders Kailey Walters (Samford) and Maddie Katona (Dartmouth) are also on college rosters. Pitcher Hayden Neugent was one of the Huskies’ top pitchers for multiple seasons.

But the Huskies are “not rebuilding, we’re reloading,” Burt said.

“We really have the capabilities of doing that,” she said. “We have a very competitive and large junior class, and some of them did not get to experience [playing at state] last year. They’re hungry, and it’s given them a drive and kicked them into an extra gear.”

In the circle, Hughes is the only pitcher back with significant experience. Hughes signed with South Alabama in November after a breakout season in 2019. After Cobb went down with an injury late in the season, Hughes teamed with Neugent to give the Huskies a dynamic 1-2 punch.

Sophomore Sarah Hindman and junior Tori Hyde will support Hughes on the pitching staff. “A lot of people are going to be surprised with the combination of me, Tori and Sarah,” Hughes said.

Burt said by far the biggest challenge this season will be fitting all the puzzle pieces together. The roster boasts depth and players that can play multiple positions.

“I wouldn’t even say there’s anything close to second place in there,” she said. “That is by far the most difficult thing that we will do. Every one of these kids works their tails off, and I really feel that every kid in this program has worked hard enough to deserve to be on that field.”

At the end of last season, the Huskies had Riley Tyree, Hannah Dorsett, Anyce Harvey and Kenleigh Cahalan playing in the infield from first to third. Crystal Maze, the MVP of the state tournament, spent all of last season as a designated player. Now that she’s fully healthy, she will likely see plenty of time at first base as well.

The catcher’s role vacated by Borden will likely be filled by some combination of Tyree, Jenna Lord and Katelyn Murphy. Lord moved to Trussville from Tampa in the fall. The junior is a University of Alabama commitment and will be an instant-impact player behind the plate or in the infield.

“She has fit in incredibly well,” Burt said. “That is just as much a testament to our girls as it is to her. Our girls have been accepting and opened their arms to a kid that is extremely talented and is going to take some time from somebody out here.”

Abigail Dorsett is back in center field, with the Huskies looking to find the right pieces to fit into the corner outfield positions.

The road back to postseason glory won’t be an easy one for the Huskies, as they compete in an area with Spain Park, Vestavia Hills and Mountain Brook. Spain Park won the area last year and beat Hewitt-Trussville four times (the Huskies won the fifth meeting at state). Vestavia Hills stands to be much improved in 2020 as well.