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Photo by Kyle Parmley.
Oak Mountain's Emily Hart (34) hits the ball during a Jag Classic game March 6, 2020 at Spain Park High School in Hoover.
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Photo by Kyle Parmley.
Chelsea’s Tyler Erwin (23) pitches during an Auburn Tournament game Feb. 29, 2020 at the Auburn Softball Complex.
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Photo by Kyle Parmley.
Oak Mountain's Lacy Marty (7) pitches during a Jag Classic game March 6, 2020 at Spain Park High School in Hoover.
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Photo by Kyle Parmley.
Chelsea’s Olivia Bergert (00) warms up during a game in the Presidents’ Day Invitational on Feb. 17, 2020 at Veterans Park in Alabaster.
The road to the Class 6A and 7A high school softball state championships may very well run through the Birmingham metro area in 2021 if a few of the schools along the U.S. 280 corridor have anything to say about it.
Spain Park is eager to back up its 21-0 record from last spring, before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the 2020 season far too soon.
Chelsea and Oak Mountain boast new coaches, with Whitney Gillespie Therrell now leading Chelsea and Jordan Burson taking over at Oak Mountain. The Hornets have the ingredients to be a strong 6A team. The Eagles can say the same about their 7A prospects, but they are in a very tough area. Briarwood, under head coach Ashley Segreto, moves up to 6A and is in Area 9 with Chelsea.
JAGS HAVE ‘UNFINISHED BUSINESS’
Spain Park was well on its way to a huge season in 2020.
The Jags started out the spring with a 21-0 record and were clearly one of the top — if not the top — teams in the state of Alabama, regardless of classification.
But when the season came to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that also ended the run of that team. That team’s four seniors — Alexis Anderson, Taylor Harrington, Lindsay Parker and Mackenzie Thompson —were denied the opportunity to finish what they started.
That’s what this year’s Jags team will look to do: finish what it starts.
“We’re really excited about 2021,” Spain Park head coach CJ Urse Hawkins said. “We have a lot of depth back and unfinished business.”
This year’s team has three seniors who provide a wealth of production. Annabelle Widra will serve as the varsity team’s top pitcher for the sixth year, having performed at a high level for Spain Park since she was in seventh grade. Widra has signed with the University of Michigan and will also be a force in the Jags’ lineup.
Lydia Coleman is a Penn State commit who can play several different positions thanks to her versatility and athleticism. Chloe Brittain is a power-hitting first baseman who has come on strong over the last year.
There are a handful of others who contributed greatly last year as well. Ella Reed served as an outstanding second pitcher, posting an 11-0 record. Katie Flannery and Maggie Daniel are among those that will take on even bigger roles this season. Emma Hawkins, Katherine Brown, Kyndal Heaton, Morgan Jolley and Emma Jolley also possess some previous varsity experience. Blakley Watts transferred to Spain Park from Briarwood and will contribute as well.
Spain Park’s road to a great season will not be an easy one, necessarily. The Jags are in Class 7A, Area 6 with 2019 state champion Hewitt-Trussville, an experienced Vestavia Hills and an always talented Oak Mountain squad. Only two of those teams will make it out of the area tournament.
EAGLES NOT INTIMIDATED BY CHALLENGING AREA
Oak Mountain seemingly got the short end of the stick when the Alabama High School Athletic Association moved the Eagles to Area 6 of Class 7A, despite all the school’s other teams being in Area 5 or a region with like teams.
In softball, Area 6 features 2019 state champion Hewitt-Trussville, perennial state contender Spain Park and a talented Vestavia Hills team.
But Jordan Burson is choosing to look at it with a mindset of the glass being half full.
“We’ve got the best area in the state,” the new Eagles coach said. “It’s going to be a ton of fun. We might get overlooked a little bit, but I’m confident we can play with those teams.”
Oak Mountain lost standout senior Abi Brown, who is now at Florida International University, but the majority of the Eagles’ production from last year remains intact. Two of their seniors, pitcher Lacy Marty (Palm Beach Atlantic University) and outfielder Riley Sullivan (University of West Alabama), have signed to continue playing in college.
A few of Oak Mountain’s six seniors were around in 2017, the last time the Eagles made a state tournament run.
“We’re loaded with seniors, loaded with leadership, loaded with kids that have gone far in area and regionals, and even to state,” Burson said. “They’ve been around it, they know what it looks like.”
There’s plenty of returning experience, with catcher Grace Hummel, infielders Elizabeth Zaleski, Emily Hart and Sarah Katona, and outfielders Sullivan, Cat Fortner and Dawn Autry all back. Marty and Sarah Wells return in the circle as well.
Libby Jackman and Anna Fleming are part of a group vying to step up and provide more production this season.
HORNETS BOAST PLENTY OF EXPERIENCE
Whitney Gillespie-Therrell inherited a softball program at Chelsea with plenty of experience, and she is ready to hit the ground running.
“It’s a gold mine,” she said of her new program.
Four years after concluding her standout playing career at Jacksonville State, Gillespie-Therrell has her first coaching job in Alabama. The Hornets graduated a few mainstays from last year’s team, but they return a wealth of experience that has their new coach believing big things are possible this spring.
“They’re eager to learn, and they’re eager to win, especially after having their season cut short,” she said. “They definitely have adjusted to the mindset I want them to.”
Chelsea has seven seniors this year, including pitcher Tyler Erwin, infielders Natalie Romager, Olivia Bergert and Katie Goss, and outfielders Landry Holt, Carly Taylor and Caroline Moore. Others with significant previous experience or high expectations this year include Jadyn Buff, Katherine Bryars, Olivia Trout, Olivia Morgan and Hannah Marler.
Chelsea plays in Class 6A, Area 9, along with Briarwood, Homewood and Mountain Brook.
“This team is going to be really good,” Gillespie-Therrell said. “They’re going to do it the right way. They’re going to be good teammates and be held accountable.”
LIONS ‘EXCITED TO BE BACK’
Ashley Segreto is optimistic about where the Briarwood softball program is headed. The Lions have two teams — a varsity team and junior high team — for the second consecutive year and have four returning players on the varsity team this year.
“The girls are crazy excited to be back,” Segreto said. “Last year was devastating for everybody, so there’s a new level of appreciation for being out there.”
Cameron Fountain, Kate Atkinson, Callie Mann and Meredith Kellum are back for the Lions this spring.
“Those are our four leaders, girls that know what we’re about,” Segreto said. “We’re going to compete and do our best, and we’re going to compete every day.”
Briarwood has no seniors on the roster this year, so in theory, any progress made this year should translate into next spring as well. Segreto believes her team will be strongest in the pitching circle.
“I’d love to be a well-rounded team all the way around, and I want this team to love playing together,” she said.
Briarwood will be competing against Chelsea, Homewood and Mountain Brook in Area 9 after being elevated to Class 6A this year.
