CLARKSDALE- Coahoma Softball is making strides toward becoming a winning program in the MACJC Conference. Head Coach Erin Smith knows how tough the conference is but believes that Coahoma has the skills to outplay any team. The Lady Tigers are looking to improve in 2019 with a great deal of experience and promising future talent.
The season, so far, has been more challenging off of the field than on the field. Coahoma had to reschedule many of its games due to inclement weather. The weather conditions caused the season opener to be pushed back to Feb. 26, 2019 against Jackson State Community College in Jackson, Tennessee. The Lady Tigers played three doubleheaders in three days.
The outcome of the game helped Coahoma realize that many adjustments needed to be made to their routine. Coach Smith is hoping that her team will begin to understand that things have to be done at the right moment in softball.
"It's really tough getting our timing down with our offense and defense," said Smith. "We have to get those quirks out and play consistent the whole game."
Seven very experienced sophomores are returning to the Lady Tigers' team wanting to raise Coahoma to a new level. Freshman Mekayla Hubbard is a strong pitcher improving offensively. Kelsia Rodgers and Kanisha Hodges bring high speed to the base pads. Faith Harrington, Brooke Saez, De De Mathis, and Ana Velaquez bring power on offense. The four players are also very consistent on defense.
Coahoma brought in some new additions to give a big spark to the squad. Shaniya Johnson, Brittany Burchfield, Sydni Moore, and Maia Crain all have tremendous speed and are solid on defense. Skyler Sistrunk, Jimmy Whatley, and Alexis Holland plan to use their good arms to collect wins this season. They will be a huge help to the pitching staff.
The Lady Tigers are off to a tough 0-6 start. The players are hitting the ball well but need to score more for a better shot at victory. Coach Smith looks forward to all things coming together to experience the sought-after success. Hubbard and Whatley are leading the offense for Coahoma. Hubbard has an impressive .625 (5 for 8) batting average, with a home run and two RBIs. Whatley has a .750 (6 for 8) batting average.
For Coahoma, the need to step up their game now lies before them. They will open the MACJC Conference play against East Central on Thursday, March 7, 2019 at The Eddie Smith Sportsplex on the CCC main campus. The first pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m.
"We tried to get on the field as much as we could. We had an unusual amount of rain in this region," said Smith. "We have to make the adjustments so we can keep working hard and pushing forward. We're not the only team that suffered through this weather. We have to make the most of it and keep playing."
