Jags ‘determined to go out on top’

How hungry is this year’s Spain Park High School softball team?

“Very,” exclaimed senior first baseman Caroline Wooley.

Wooley didn’t quite understand the question, her mind jumping to her team’s love of snacks. But no matter. The answer fits.

After coming close multiple times to capturing a Class 7A state title over the course of their careers at Spain Park, the Jags’ five seniors are determined to go out on top.

“For the past three or four years, we’ve been so close and we can taste it, but we haven’t actually gotten there yet,” pitcher Kate Campbell said.

Maddie Majors, Caroline Kendrick and Bailey Bowers join Wooley and Campbell as the team’s seniors. All have been on the varsity team since at least eighth grade, and they’ve advanced to the state tournament four of the last five years.

During the week leading up to the season, four of the five seniors returned to the high school following a quick trip to a local eatery — Wooley may have been onto something — to discuss the team’s mindset heading into the 2019 campaign.

“There’s more urgency than ever,” said Kendrick, an outfielder and pitcher.

Bowers was the only senior absent that day, as she was still starting as the Spain Park girls basketball team’s shooting guard. The Lady Jags won the state title in 2018 but were upended by Hewitt-Trussville in the Northwest Regional final on Feb. 19. 

Sure, the disappointment was evident on Bowers’ face that morning, but she sent a tweet to fellow basketball and softball teammate Caroline Keith in the aftermath of the game that read, in part, “We can only be sad a couple days.”

Majors has already signed to play at Auburn, and Kendrick will head to Hofstra University in New York to continue her playing days. But Wooley’s softball future is still up in the air, while Campbell and Bowers know this is their last year of playing organized ball. That adds a little more emphasis for Campbell.

“It means a lot because I’ve been playing softball for 10 or 11 years now, so it’s going to be kind of sad if we can’t get the job done. Even if we do, it’s still going to be sad, because softball’s been such a big part of my life,” she said. “But I’m really excited to go out with a bang, hopefully.”

Even though Majors and Kendrick will still play the game beyond this spring, Kendrick is relishing the time she has left with teammates she considers some of her best friends. For Majors, there’s no more “next year.”

“Even in years before, after we didn’t do what we wanted to do, we were like, ‘Oh, we have another year,’” Majors said.

The Jags have won at least 40 games each of the last three seasons, and the goal is certainly nothing shy of that once again this season. They are in a tough area, with Vestavia Hills and Hewitt-Trussville also proving to be state tournament contenders. But only two can advance.

“As long as we work together, we’re going to be able to accomplish what we have before,” Wooley said.

And they hope a little more.