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Padgett optimistic Eagles will improve on last year's 5-14 campaign
Nine years ago, a five-win season would have been phenomenal for the Liberty Eagles softball team.
In fact, Liberty’s six wins during the 2001 season were a then-school record.
But Eagles’ coach Charlie Padgett has built high expectations since that 2001 season, his first as coach. Liberty won at least 11 games per season between 2002 and 2007, winning more than 15 games four times in that stretch and making the region tournament four times out of the Northwestern District. So the 5-14 mark Liberty slumped to in 2008 was disappointing.
Padgett expects a recovery despite losing six seniors. “I think we’ll do better than last year, that’s for sure,” Padgett said. “I think we’ll be somewhere in the middle of the district.”
Last season was Liberty’s first in the rugged Group AAA Cedar Run District, and the same adversity remains.
“There are some good pitchers in the district, and the rise ball would eat us up,” Padgett said. “We’d be getting behind and pressing too much, thinking about it too much.”
The Eagles move back down into the AA Evergreen District in 2010, but Padgett first hopes an improved offense and versatile defense in 2009.
“This year they’re making contact better than they had in past, at least in practice,” Padgett said. “Let’s hope that will carry over.”
Senior Brittany Aubrey, senior Bethany Cooper, junior Erica Davis and sophomore Kendall Aubrey are returning starters and will anchor the Liberty lineup, while Elizabeth Wood, a freshman, and sophomores Ashlyn Lindsay and Cassidy Flinn add some pop.
The LHS batting order isn’t full of heavy hitters from the glory days, like sluggers Ryan Washington, Rachael Clark or Lisa Cantrell, past Eagles who blasted balls over fences in bunches. These Eagles will manufacture runs, instead.
“We’re not going to have big home run hitters like years in the past,” Padgett said. “Speed, don’t know if we’ll have a whole lot either – average all the way around…But we’re hitting the ball pretty good – making contact and having long at bats.”
Defensively, Padgett has players he can plug into multiple positions. Aubrey and Flinn will cover the outfield, in left and center, respectively, while newcomers Wood and Brandie Cantrell (junior) battle for time in right field...
See the Wednesday print edition of the Fauquier Times-Democrat for the complete story.
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