In less than 96 hours, the Lady Red Raiders’ softball team can stop waiting on the season to get here.
Sunday, Aug. 1, marks the official start of practice for high school fall sports and the Lady Red Raiders are looking for another strong season after last year’s winning season when the ladies went 27-4, picked up the region title and went as far as the Sweet Sixteen in the playoffs.
This week, Madison County had voluntary practice as well as one final camp before the season gets underway. The Lady Red Raiders are set to kick off their season Aug. 11, with the Leadoff Classic.
Madison County faces Morgan County at 4:30 p.m. followed by Elbert County at 8 p.m. on the first day of the classic. Games will be at the recreation department fields.
With eight returning seniors, head coach Doug Kesler feels that the Lady Red Raiders should have a good season ahead.
The loss of the team’s all-state catcher, Katie Bolin, and all-state pitcher, Erin Gibson, left some openings for the team, but the Lady Red Raiders have stepped up and spent the summer filling the gaps.
The Lady Red Raiders will look to Sarah Smith and Cortney Boggs on the mound. Both senior girls will be on point for the varsity pitching, according to Kesler.
“We feel like we have a chance to do pretty well, depending on how our pitching does,” Kesler said. “We have [Boggs and Smith] who have been working hard.”
Madison County jumped on the summer training early, before the current heat wave set in.
The ladies spent the end of May through June weight training and working on skills, including hitting and fielding. Combined with the summer league play at Diamond Hill and an appearance at the Greenbrier slugfest, the Lady Red Raiders’ early summer work has allowed the team to ease into the final weeks before the season without undue pressure.
Voluntary practice started this past Monday, and the team headed to its final summer camp on Tuesday.
All the preparation and work is so the ladies can be that much closer to their goal of a return trip into the post-season.
“Our goal is to win the region again and get a little deeper into the state playoffs,” said Kesler.
Starting play on Aug. 11 – 14 in the Athens Orthopedic Clinic Leadoff Classic, then the Lady Red Raiders are scheduled to take on Ringgold Aug. 17.
The fight for dominance in the sub-region begins in earnest that same week as Madison County faces Loganville on the road.
