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Lisa Brophy will return to the mound for the Saline softball team as they pursue a Southeastern Conference title.
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Look out.
The Saline varsity softball team this year is gunning for a Southeastern Conference title.
"We'll be right there in the hunt," predicted head coach Dawn Whitford, "contending for an SEC championship."
She has good cause to be confident.
The Hornets return both of last year's starting pitchers, the sister tandem of Lisa and Kayla Brophy, who combined last season for a team ERA of 1.98, nine shutouts and 255 strikeouts.
Also returning are the senior bats of Alissa Robison, Katy Black and Katie Chapman.
Robison batted .446 last year, leading the team with 39 RBI and four homeruns. Black hit .318, driving in 23 runs and scoring 15. Chapman led the team with 18 walks, cranking two homeruns and hitting .237.
Black will fill the shoes of departed senior catcher Meghan Townsend. She has caught the Brophy girls for several years on travel teams and knows their tendencies, said Whitford.
"Katy knows how to read batters and how to call her own game," Whitford said. "She knows how to get the most out of her pitchers."
Senior Amanda Laurent and sophomore Emily Ouellette also return. As lead-off hitter, Ouellette led the team with a .489 batting average, 31 stolen bases and 47 runs.
In addition to the returning players, the Hornets will showcase eight players brought up from last year's very successful JV squad, which went 35-2.
Juniors Lindsey Fairchild, Amara Karapas, Haley Stevens, Lindsy Robison, Shana Campbell and Joanna Walker, along with sophomores Kristy Chapman and Kaitlin Ward, round out the 15-member squad.
"We're very deep this year," Whitford said. "I don't think we have any holes, one through 15."
Having experienced winning at the JV level, the new players will be looking to make an immediate impact, which Whitford said should help push the entire team to excel.
"There won't be any room for complacency," she said. "I've got a backup player in every position. Every one will have to earn their spot."
The Hornets boast speed, refined bunting, and power and should be able to move runners well, Whitford said.
"This is the most talented team I've ever had to coach," she said.
Saline's season kicks off April 8 at home against Monroe Jefferson.
Staff Writer Brian Cox can be reached at 429-7380 or bcox@heritage.com.
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