The softball team was eliminated in the first round of playoffs Friday at Independence after dropping the first two games (4-3, 7-5) in a best of three series against Lone Star Thursday and Friday.
Although the Redhawks’ season is now over, they have been steadily improving for the last several years. It shows in the team’s annual records – they went from being winless in district play in 2021 to now making their second postseason appearance in three years and being one loss away from becoming district champions.
“I am very proud of these amazing young ladies,” head coach Tiffany Thayer said. “Throughout the season they defied the odds and did things that no one expected them to do, exceeding expectations and working hard on and off the field. We may not have gotten the result we wanted, but we went farther than many people expected us to.”
Perhaps something else of note about this year’s team is that they achieved an overall record of 14-9, including four consecutive shutouts, with a smaller-than-average lineup. While in the past the team has had as many as seventeen players on their roster, this year the Redhawks only fielded eleven. A number that low has only been seen once before in school history, during the 2019-2020 school year, when the team went winless both overall and in district play.
The reduced number of players has impacted team culture both on and off the field, according to junior Anna Reeves.
“The biggest thing for me throughout the season was the vibe,” Reeves said. “The energy during warmups and how unified we felt as a team really stuck with us through the season. We were relaxed, connected, and confident—that’s when we’re at our best. We kept creating that atmosphere, game after game, and that’s how we got success.”
With the season over and another playoff appearance in the history books, the team’s five seniors will head off to college in the fall, with at least three – Madison Terry, Adeline Glatch, and Ainslee Palmer – playing collegiately, the former two at Clark Atlanta University and the latter at Weatherford College, respectively. For the remaining six players, though, preparation for next season is already underway.
“We’re going to really hit the weight room, do some drills, and watch film from the year to make sure we improve what was good from this season and fix what wasn’t so good,” junior Amrutha Kondreddy said.
Thayer has some specific goals for both the offseason and next season to ensure the continued success of the softball program.
“I want to see us get back to the playoffs again next season and go farther than the first round,” Thayer said. “I know and the girls know that we’re capable of that, but we need to make sure that we start connecting more consistently technique-wise in order for it to happen.”
