They're lovin' it
Rusk Lady Eagles softball team has great expectations
BY LELAND ACKER

The Rusk Lady Eagles "ham it up" for photographers during a recent media day. Rusk returns 10 lettermen from last year's 23-13-2 team which finished in the regional quarterfinals. The Lady Eagles will have to overcome Huntington and Carthage before making a playoff run this season.

The Lady Eagles' new head coach Ashley McElroy is excited about her first job of coaching one of the area's top softball teams.

"It's been really good," she said. "They've practiced in 30-degree weather. It's been really tough, but there's been no complaining.

"We have high hopes and high expectations."

Those expectations come as the Lady Eagles return all but one player from last year's 23- 13-2 regional quarterfinalist team. Rusk had entered the playoffs as the third-place team from District 20-3A with a 9-5 district record.

Four of those district losses were to Huntington and Carthage, the top two teams in the district. Rusk suffered an upset loss to the Central Lady Bulldogs at the end of the regular season.

Huntington, the district champion, went on to beat Rusk in the regional quarterfinals.

"Huntington and Carthage will be our toughest opponents," Coach McElroy said. "I think we'll be able to put a lot of pressure on them. We're doing some new stuff and executing well. We'll be in the mix of them."

Rusk went undefeated in preseason scrimmage action this year, defeating Hallsville, White Oak and Brownsboro. Coach McElroy said pitchers Callie Collins and Cami Curtis performed well, not allowing any runs.

"They're doing great," she said. "They are hitting their spots. They're really on fire."

The Lady Eagles' season opener against Garrison was cancelled due to rain Feb. 12. They opened the season in the Hudson tournament over the weekend.

Their first home game will be against their nemesis, the Huntington Devillettes March 11.

Coach McElroy is beginning her first season as the Rusk softball coach. She graduated and played softball at UT-Tyler, McLennan Community College and Elkhart High School.