The Lady Bears Softball Team enter the 2024 season anxious to carry over the momentum of last year, winning four of their last six games. But in order to make another run, Lady Bear head coach Shea Johnson and his staff are tasked with replacing several key contributors, especially in the pitching circle.
 
"We're very talented in the circle," he said. "We have some freshmen that we will lean on early that have the ability and I think that those freshmen in the middle will have to grow into it but coming off of a great fall I really expect great things. I think that this team is a playoff caliber team that can make it to the regional playoffs."
 
The pitching staff is led by three talented freshmen in Lauren Mounce, Abbey Pevey and Karleigh Daze, all of whom bring their own traits to the table. Johnson adds that other girls are capable of helping in the rotation as well.
 
As far as the offense, key returners that will help lead the charge are Anlyssa Richardson, Anne Claire Sistrunk, Londyn Robertson, Shaylee Ingram and Morgan Gras. Sistrunk, Gras and Ingram finished among the top hitters last season for the Lady Bears. Another experienced player is Presley Dease who is no stranger to the MACCC as she is a transfer from Hinds. Johnson has praised his sophomore leadership, speaking highly of Robertson and Gras who have stood out thus far.
 
Even though the roster is made up of mostly freshmen, Johnson remains confident in his team finding success due to the high level of talent.
 
"I feel like on paper, talent-wise, our may be better than we were last year, but there are growing pains, they are still young," Johnson said, speaking of his newcomers. "Liberty Gillihan has definitely shown potential at shortstop and has the chance by the time she leaves Southwest to be an All-State kid. I really believe that. The parts are there, if we can crank the engine get it tuned up and put it in the right direction.  
 
In addition to pitcher, catcher is another position that will consist of new faces including Alyssa Leggett, Brooke Tillman, Sasha King and Olivia Rhodes. Both King and Rhodes have also shown the ability to shine in the infield as well.
 
The Lady Bears also have the benefit of having MaryClaire Johnson, Gabby Carr, Maggie Wilks and Erin Acey helping to fill much-needed depth in the outfield.
 
Johnson wanted to put heavy emphasis on play in the fall not only exposing his young team – which two-thirds of is made up of freshmen – to the rigors of playing on the JUCO level but also putting them up against strong competition from different levels. One of the teams the Lady Bears faced was Baylor University, part of a two-day, four-game stretch in Waco, TX.
 
Afterward, Johnson said that it was a tremendous experience for both he and his girls.
 
"Who do you fear when you face No. 11 in the nation in Division I softball in a Power 5 (Conference)," he said. "We played with them and it is a great complement when a DI Power 5 team and their coach (SMCC Alum Glenn Moore) said not only were you competitive, but you played with everybody here and you did really well. That says a lot for our kids. It prepares you and we are going to go play Parkland and they are ranked 8^th in Div. I. We played Mclennan who was a national runner up and we were right there with them the whole time. Last October, the kids played some of the best. That trip did more for our softball team than anything. It brought the girls together and when you play that level of competition, you have to play as a team."
 
Joining Johnson on the coaching staff is new lead assistant Larry Lippert who brings years of experience in coaching on the diamond whether it be baseball or softball. He also won a state championship as a coach at Russell Christian Academy in Meridian.
 
Callie Venable is returning for her second season with the program while Tony Mounce joins the staff. Mounce has years of experience coaching softball and was a Major League Baseball player for 10 years.
 
The Lady Bears kick off the 2024 campaign Thursday at the Mardi Gras Classic in Youngsville, Louisiana, facing Angelina College. They open their home slate on Feb. 7 with a double-header against Baton Rouge CC.