Mike Ridaught
For the second year in a row, there were no state titles for area softball teams.
However, that didn’t stop another school from setting a program record.
Two years ago, the Dixie County (Cross City) and Fort White softball teams advanced to their first final four in program history.
The Indians defeated the Bears, 7-5, in the Class 1A state semifinals, followed by a 6-5 loss to Jay in the title game.
Last year, Branford advanced to its first state championship game appearance in program history with a 2-1 win against defending state champion Jay in the 1A state semifinals.
Liberty County (Bristol) won its second state title, its first since 2013, with a 7-4 win in the title game on a 3-run home run in the top of the fifth inning.
But the super sophomores on that Bucs team, which finished 25-5, are now juniors.
First team All Area selections Madyson Sikes, Ellie Frierson, and Laila Arnold are back.
Sikes, who batted .330 and a team-best .660 SLG %, led the team with 31 RBI, 16 doubles, and six home runs. The third baseman also finished with a .969 fielding percentage with only five errors all season.
Frierson, an outfielder, led the Bucs with a .432 batting average, a .481 OBP, and she was second on the team with a .621 SLG%.
Arnold was 21-4 in the circle with a 1.65 ERA. She had a 4-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio with 258 Ks and 61 walks in 165.2 innings pitched.
Alex Whitfield, Cloey Criggall, Morgan Brennan, and Maya Brown, plus sophomore Ashlee Combee, also return. A total of eight starters are back from last year’s team that finished in the top 10 of the all-classification regional rankings.
Mallory Blue and Gloria Gilliam join the team this year. They will be beneficial on both defense and offense.
“We have developed and matured as a team,” said 10th year head coach Oscar Saavedra. “Hopefully we will continue to play the game at a high level and once again compete for the state title.”
Branford defeated Columbia in Lake City, 3-2 in 8 innings, on Thursday night to improve to 2-0.
It’s the first of two meetings against the Tigers, who made the 5A state playoffs last year.
“We have broadened our schedule to play higher level competition,” Saavedra said. “We are hopeful that we will learn from these games and increase our abilities.”
Branford has a pair of games next week against Fort White, who shut out the Bucs, 7-0, in last year’s 1A-District 6 championship game.
The Bucs got revenge with a 3-0 win against the Indians (10-10) in last year’s regional semifinals.
It should be a competitive district with Fort White, Lafayette (Mayo), Bell, and Union County (Lake Butler), which has no returning starters and a new coach in Brian Tomlinson, who led the Union County baseball team to a state title in 2012.
Trenton, which also had a young team in 2023 with no seniors, should be improved and ready to challenge for a league title in 1A-District 7 after a 16-9 finish last year.
The Lady Tigers, who are the last area team to win a state title (2021), are off to a 2-0 start after outscoring Chiefland and Williston by a combined score of 24-1.
Dixie County edged Trenton, 4-3 in 9 innings, in last year’s district title game but the Bears lost a lot of talent, plus head coach Greg Wimberley, from that state semifinal team which finished 21-6.
Miles Harris enters his first season as head coach of the Bears, who are currently 1-1 heading into Tuesday’s non-district game at Chiefland.
Despite the loss of five seniors, Williston should still be considered the favorite in 1A-District 8 as six fresh faces join a core group of six that have been together for the past three years.
Last year the Red Devils (26-3) defeated Hawthorne, 11-1, to win the title before losing to Dixie County, 5-3, in a 1A-Region 4 Final. All three losses last year were to the Bears.
“In order for us to have a successful season we will have to gel together as one unit, a family, a force,” said Williston coach Carl Williams, who enters his fourth season. “While we may be young in age, we have everything it takes to be as strong as we were last season. Our expectations this season are to compete in every game, learn something about ourselves and by the time we reach postseason play be ready to make a run to get three steps further than last season.”
St. Francis Catholic Academy (9-10) and Countryside Christian (4-9-1) are hoping to take the next step in 2A-District 4.
“Success will be dependent on Marianna Alvarez and Lexy Bhatia being about to pitch effectively and returning starters being able to shoulder the load offensively,” said St. Francis coach Kris McDaniel, who enters her fourth season. “Catchers D.J. Jourdain and Marianna Alvarez staying healthy, and new starters need to play at an average level.”
Samantha Keith, who excelled in basketball, is one of six returning under new head coach Marisha Neal.
“My expectations are for my girls to grow and gain experience as a young team,” said “Coach Reese.” “It can be challenging taking on so many younger players at this level but keeping the future of the program in mind we have to start somewhere. What will make this a successful season is consistent steps in growth to being a better team.”
Keystone Heights looks to defend its 3A-District 3 title, which the Indians won as the No. 3 seed and qualified for a state playoff berth.
Santa Fe (Alachua) looks to build on last year’s run, which included a 5-4 win against Trinity Catholic (Ocala) to win the 3A-District 5 title, followed by a 1-0 win against Crystal River in a 3A-Region 2 Quarterfinal.
They made the deepest run among area big schools.
The Raiders (16-10), who lost to Hernando (Brooksville) in the regional semifinals, were shutout by Gainesville, 4-0, in the opener, but they bounced back to blank Suwannee, 10-0.
College of Central Florida signee Amy Crosby returns after batting .493 with a team-leading 33 runs and five triples. Her .706 slugging percentage was second on the team and she was third with a .557 OBP.
Tonight, weather permitting, will be a good measuring stick for both the Gainesville (6-14 in 2023) and Buchholz (5-18) softball teams as 1-1 Buchholz visits 2-0 GHS at 7 p.m.
“We are no longer a young team defensively and offensively, but we don’t have a lot of depth at pitching,” said Buchholz coach Will Hooper, who enters his third season with eight returning starters. “Our defense is going to have to take the pressure off our pitchers. Our team chemistry is great and probably the best I’ve seen with a team. They all support each other. This may be one of the fastest teams I’ve ever coached.”
Mainstreet Daily News First Team All Area selection and utility player Juliana Abraham, aka “BEAR,” returns for her junior season. Last year as a sophomore she batted .446 AVG, with a .523 OBP, 33 H, 20 R, and a .635 SLG%.
Freshman pitcher Leanna Bourdage and junior pitcher/utility McKenna O’Sullivan (a transfer from Columbia) are key additions for the Hurricanes, who are in a tough 5A-District 2 with Columbia, Middleburg, and defending district champion Ridgeview (Orange Park), which advanced the 5A-Region 1 Final last year.
Bourdage threw a complete game two-hitter in her debut this past Tuesday against Santa Fe with only one walk and 15 strikeouts. She had only one walk and 11 strikeouts in Wednesday’s 13-2 win against Williston.
O’Sullivan went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored against the Raiders. She was 3-for-5 with three RBI, including a double and also pitched an inning of relief with two strikeouts against the Red Devils.
“Looking forward to a winning season,” said GHS coach Chris Chronister. “Bourdage will be a difference maker in the circle and as a hitter. O’Sullivan will add pitching depth and will be a major contributor to the offense. Returners Braylin Cook and Elise Knopf should make contributions offensively as well.”