The Jefferson softball team, 13-19 a season ago, spent much of last fall getting used to coach Melissa Mullis, who returned as head coach after a four-year hiatus.
Now, it’s as if the players can read her mind
(click here for preseason softball photos).
“They know what I’m thinking,” said Mullis, who owns an 83-47 mark as Jefferson’s coach.
Mullis explains that she rarely has to give directions — whether it’s getting practice set-up or something as simple as picking up trash on an away trip.
“That kind of stuff, I know it has nothing to do with softball sometimes, but it has everything to do with how you work together as a team and how effective you work together as a team under pressure,” Mullis said.
Jefferson hopes that rapport and accountability equates to on-field success given the talent that’s returning.
Offensive threats like Lindsey Miles, Savannah Snapp and Raegan Sandy return to a lineup that Mullis said is loaded with “good consistent contact hitters.”
“I feel really great about our hitting lineup,” Mullis said. “I don’t feel like we have any holes.”
Speed could be this team’s X factor, however.
“We’ve got tremendous speed this year,” Mullis said. “I would say at Jefferson, it’s probably one of our best years.”
Jefferson’s pitching should be another strength as Morgan McKinney — a hard thrower who moves the ball around well — returns from a knee injury that forced her to miss much of last year. She’ll join Snapp, who shouldered much of the pitching load last year. Mullis calls Snapp “a warrior.”
Emily Holman, a crafty sophomore, will be the team’s third pitching option.
“Pitching-wise, I think we’re going to be in a good place,” Mullis said.
The defensive lineup, at least early on, is somewhat of a puzzle.
Ashley Boyd returns behind the plate; Jordan Phillips is at first; Meagan Faulkner returns at third; Cason Anderson will play rightfield and Miles is in centerfield.
Other spots are still being considered though. Snapp and freshman Erin Jackson are working at shortstop. Emily Dufty will play second base or right field. Sandy could play in the outfield or in the middle infield. Holman could also see time in the infield at first or second.
Figuring out the middle infield will one of the keys to the season, Mullis said.
Still optimism abounds.
“I think the sky is the limit,” Mullis said. “I think we can accomplish what we want to accomplish, which is of course, going through postseason successfully.”
Jefferson will compete against a Region 8-AA that was vastly-altered after realignment. The new-look region includes Rabun County, Union County, Greene County, Washington-Wilkes, Social Circle and Oglethorpe County. Union County and Rabun County are in Jefferson’s three-team subregion. Mullis expects the Dragons and Union County — which went 28-9 last year — to be the top teams on that side of the region.
“I think everyone is a threat if you don’t play up to your potential,” Mullis said.
Mullis feels her team is in good hands with the leadership on this squad, especially the senior class of Anderson, McKinney and Miles.
“They can definitely take hold and run with it,” Mullis said. “I’ve given them a lot of leeway to mold their team … If I’m not here, they would run practice.”
It’s all made for a more smoothly running team. Even the coach feels a bit more at ease with this year’s group.
“I would say even myself that I’m a little bit more relaxed than I was last year just simply because I’m learning to trust them more,” Mullis said. “It’s going a lot smoother, and they’re trusting me more.”
