Photo by Kyle Parmley.
Hannah Borden is a Southern Miss signee who returns behind the plate. The catcher slugged 18 home runs last year and drove in 75 runs.
The bar has been set for the Hewitt-Trussville High School softball program, and it’s a high one.
In Taylor Burt’s first year as head coach of the Huskies, they hauled in 46 wins and advanced to the state tournament for the first time since 2015. Seniors Tate Moseley (now playing at Auburn), Kaitlyn McDaniel, Abi Inman, Ashley Dorn and Jade Thomas had a great deal to do with that.
“They set us on the right path of success and laid the foundation for the program for years to come,” Burt said.
The Huskies have five seniors again this year, and Burt is hopeful that handful of key players will be able to replicate and even build upon the success of last year’s group.
“We have big shoes to fill with the loss of those girls, but I have full faith we have the girls that are ready to step in and fulfill those roles,” she said.
Two of those seniors are arms that Hewitt-Trussville will rely on to shoulder the load. Molly Cobb, an Auburn-Montgomery signee, and Hayden Neugent pitched the brunt of the innings last spring and are expected to do so again. Both started 21 games last season and combined to post 33 wins to just eight losses, while both going over 100 innings on the year.
They will be throwing primarily to fellow senior Hannah Borden, one of the state’s top catchers who has signed with Southern Miss. Borden slugged a team-high 18 home runs and drove in 75 runs in the middle of the Huskies’ batting order in 2018.
Outfielder Kailey Walters is another of those seniors who has provided consistent production over the last few seasons and will play college ball at Samford. Maddie Katona is a middle infielder and Dartmouth commit who transferred from Oak Mountain.
Burt lauded the leadership capabilities of those seniors and said they will be at the forefront of a “player-led” team.
“They have taken on a lot of responsibility this year and are really leading by example,” she said. “We want to take our success from last year and build on that to finish what we started.”
If there is one thing that Hewitt-Trussville would like to be different than last season, the Huskies would certainly like to end on a better note. Last spring, they qualified for the state tournament but scored just two runs in two games when they got there.
“The theme this year is in the leadership our seniors bring, along with the drive that our girls have to finish the job this year,” Burt said. “They do an incredible job of holding themselves accountable and working hard, even when no one is watching.”
Also back for the Huskies are a few more familiar faces, as well as some newer ones. Abigail Dorsett is a speedy outfielder committed to Samford, and KK Hughes is a left-handed pitcher who got 50 innings in the circle last spring. They represent the team’s only two juniors.
Sophomore Crystal Maze is a corner infielder who swings a big stick. Last spring, she hit for a .483 average with 10 homers and 67 RBIs. She is expected to miss some time at the beginning of this season, however, as she recovers from an injury. Anyce Harvey is another sophomore that will likely get chances at shortstop and in the outfield.
Katelyn Murphy is a catcher and utility player who allows the Huskies to get her bat in the lineup and allows Borden to play some first base as well. Cobb’s bat is also key to the lineup and she will log innings at first. Cobb hit .518 last year with 11 homers and 69 RBIs.
Freshman Riley Tyree and eighth-graders Hannah Dorsett and Kenleigh Cahalan are young but talented enough to get on the field and make a difference this spring.
NEW COACHES ON BOARD
Clay-Chalkville and Pinson Valley will both be breaking in new coaches this spring, as the Class 6A, Area 12 competitors look for strong seasons. Clay-Chalkville alum and former Auburn player Kyndall White took over the reins of the Cougars program, while Matt Hicks is now the Indians coach after coming over from Oxford.
