Around the horn: baseball/softball season underway

Rusk’s Alison Bowling tags out a runner during tournament action in Longview this past weekend. The Rusk Lady Eagles are currently 16-1 and opened district play last night against Diboll. PHOTO: LYNN LITTLEJOHN Despite rain and snow in the last few weeks, it has been absolutely no trouble for area baseball and softball teams to get to it on the diamond during the lazy days of spring. Area baseball and softball teams started their march to Austin, and hope springs eternal, just as it does every spring from inning to inning.

With two state-ranked softball teams and one team looking to bounce back from last year’s finish, Cherokee County may get to see several teams marching toward Austin, including the two usual suspects.

Lady Eagles ‘expect to win’

Last year, the Rusk Lady Eagles softball team enjoyed several records. They had the best record in school history at 33-6. They were ranked in the Texas Girls Coaches Association (TGCA) softball polls for the first time in school history. They defeated Huntington in March 2009, snapping the Devilettes’ 34-game winning streak, 57-game district win streak and their nine-game (at least) winning streak over Rusk.

Unfortunately, their season ended much earlier than they would have liked, as they fell to Spring Hill in the regional quarterfinals.

This year, the Lady Eagles have improved on last year’s scintillating record, rocketing up to number one in the 3A TGCA polls. The ranking isn’t enough for head coach Ashley McElroy-Christian and her team, a group looking to attain another first this season: a state championship.

“Last year was a confidence booster – a season where we set and broke records,” Coach McElroy-Christian said. “We only want to go up from there. We took a huge leap last year and we plan on taking another one this year.”

The Lady Eagles are currently 16-1 on the year. Their only loss came this past weekend at a tournament in Longview when Rusk fell to North Little Rock, the defending state champion in Arkansas’ largest classification, Class 7A.

“We didn’t execute and score runs like we wanted in that game,” Coach McElroy- Christian said. “We may have lost, but we got better playing that game. Those are the types of teams that we need to be playing.”

The Lady Eagles also own wins over Bridge City, ranked third in 3A at the time and currently 15th, as well as Class 4A Henderson and other 4A and 5A schools in the hopes of maintaining their hold as one of the top softball teams in the state.

“We have the confidence that we can play with anyone,” Coach McElroy-Christian said.

The Lady Eagles will also have to advance through a murderers’ row of district teams, including Huntington, currently ranked fourth in the state as well as Carthage and Hudson.

“District this year is going to be just as tough, if not tougher, than last year,” Coach McElroy Christian said. “Every team has gotten better. We love the competition. Every time we win, it really means something. I’m excited about it.”

The Lady Eagles go into the start of district play with an expectation of success as well as a commitment to excellence, one they hope will have them in Austin hoisting a championship trophy.

“The main thing this season is that we expect to win,” Coach McElroy-Christian said. “We have a winning mentality and a lot of confidence. We will play to win.”

Lady Jackets looking for

return trip to Austin

Fans of 1A softball have grown accustomed to seeing the Alto Lady Jackets in the playoffs year in and year out. The Lady Jackets have four state playoff appearances, winning it all in 1999.

Alto returned to the state championship game last season but fell to Forsan, 2-1. Despite the loss, the Lady Jackets finished in the top two in the state and started this season ranked in the top 10 in the TGCA softball polls, currently ranked fifth in 1A.

This year, Alto (13-3) has jumped out to a fast start, winning a tournament in Hudson, finishing third at the Center tournament and going 3-1 in Longview before rains ended that tournament.

“I’ve been so pleased with our tournament play,” said Lady Jacket head coach Sharon Reid. “In the past, we haven’t been ready this time of the year.

“Everything’s going too well and that kind of scares me,” she added with a laugh.

The Lady Jackets adhere to the simplest of principles in softball: putting the ball in play.

“Our hitting has been great so far this year,” Coach Reid said. “We haven’t been making that many errors in games, either. We’re really looking good right now.”

The Lady Jackets have looked good for over a decade with 11 consecutive district titles. The team knows that to get there, they’ll have to go through a tough district one more time.

“Mount Enterprise will be strong,” Coach Reid said. “Martinsville always gives us a good game and so does Douglass. Hopefully, we can make a clean sweep.

“We’re going to try to continue that tradition, that’s for sure.”

As it has for the past decade, the road to the 1A softball state title will run down U.S. Highway 69 and through Alto.

“The team’s been strong this year,” Coach Reid said. “It’s been pleasingly pleasant this year. We’ve got to make it continue and hold out being this strong.”

Eagles jump out to fast start

The Rusk Eagle baseball team went winless in district play last season, but a few runs here and there could have changed their fortunes. The Eagles lost six games decided by two runs or fewer in their district slate.

This year, Rusk is 6-2 on the year. The Eagles opened their district slate last night against Diboll.

“We have looked like a playoff team at times and I feel like all the tools are there for us to be competitive in this district,” said Eagle head coach James Dillard. “We have a group of guys that have experience playing varsity baseball and I think that will be a big factor for us.”

Thus far, the Eagles have a team batting average of .300 and average five stolen bases per game. The team scores eight runs per game.

“We are going to be a very aggressive team on the bases and, I believe, a fun team to watch,” Coach Dillard said. “This group of guys hustles on and off the field and plays the game the right way.”

Coach Dillard says that he feels like he has a strong hitting lineup, especially in the third, fourth and fifth spot with John David Beard, Colton Campbell and Matt Gillioun.

Handling pitching duties for the Eagles will be Gillioun and Blake Fletcher.

“Both have thrown the ball well early this season and we feel good with those guys on the mound,” Coach Dillard said.

The Eagles picked up two wins last weekend at the Fairfield Tournament, which will give them confidence in a district that includes playoff teams Hudson, Jasper and defending 3A state champion Carthage.

“We can’t have an off game once district starts,” Coach Dillard said. “We believe we can surprise a few teams and be in the mix on April 30 (end of the season). We feel this could be an exciting season for Rusk baseball.”