Midlands softball teams to watch
Blythewood
COACH: Jordan Atkinson
LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 15-7
KEY PLAYERS LOST: Katie Chappell, Ansley Gilstrap.
KEY RETURNEES: Maggie Herrera, Sydney Burnsed, Ashlee Romanik.
Chapin
COACH: Jason Jolley
KEY PLAYERS LOST: Kaylah Mullins, Nicole Smith, Samantha Kerr.
KEY RETURNEES: Brooke Burns, Lindsey Harris, Hannah Davis, Mak Whitman, Abby Starnes Molly Burns.
Gilbert
COACH: Eddie Corley (Second year)
LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 18-6
KEY PLAYERS LOST: Gibson Westfall, Nikki Hopkins, Kate Lee, Haley Boatright, Skylar Maroney.
RETURNING STARTERS: 6
KEY RETURNEES: Alicia Dorgan, Sara Walters, Daisy Derrenbacher, Meredith Hendrix, Kaylee Price, Rachel Kuntz.
NEWCOMERS TO WATCH: Gracen Chambless, Miranda Hass, Alexys Day, Michaela Derrick.
Lexington
COACH: Russell Spires (Eight years, 134-67)
LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 11-8
KEY PLAYERS LOST: Sydney Garling, Hannah Wilks, Ashley Camp.
RETURNING STARTERS: 5
KEY RETURNEES: Autumn Garling, Courtney White.
NEWCOMERS TO WATCH: Alllie Light, Jaci Fleming, Shipley Yonkers.
Lugoff-Elgin
COACH: James Marlow
LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 19-5
KEY PLAYERS LOST: Erin Blizzard.
RETURNING STARTERS: 9
KEY RETURNEES: Baleigh Lunsford (.370, 5-0, 1.30 ERA), Sophia Holland (.391), Delaney Guerrero (.433), Savannah Grigsby (.375), Kelly Graham (.310).
NEWCOMERS TO WATCH: Bailey Douglas, Kaley Goerlich.
Mid-Carolina
COACH: Jared Jones (Three years, 50-27)
LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 20-8
KEY PLAYERS LOST: Ashlyn Courtney
NUMBER OF STARTERS RETURNING: 9
KEY RETURNEES: Julie Kinard (.620, 13 HR 50 RBI), Alex Fulmer (.487, 8 HR 56 RBI), Tori Caldwell (.465, 3 HR, 12 RBI), Charlsy Taylor (9-5, 2.33 ERA, 91 Ks)
NEWCOMERS TO WATCH: Jena Dewalt
River Bluff
COACH: Terrance Ashe (First year)
LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 12-5
KEY PLAYERS LOST: Natalie Willis and Lindsey Hanks
RETURNING STARTERS: 6
KEY RETURNEES: C Caitlyn Burke, P/CF, Ashley Willis, 3B Kayla Oswell, SS/OFF Nicole Biles
NEWCOMERS TO WATCH: P/2B Leigh Sharpe
Spring Valley
COACH: Maureen McKelvey (Five years, 67-44)
LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 16-9
KEY PLAYERS LOST: Anna Davis, Savannah Dowell, Brittany Evans, Whitney Jenkins.
RETURNING STARTERS: 5
KEY RETURNEES: Jourdan Bostic, Cameron Cooper, Breanna Martinez, Sabrina Martinez.
NEWCOMERS TO WATCH: Hunter Hayes.
White Knoll
COACH: April Farr (Third year, 21-29)
LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 13-9
KEY PLAYERS LOST: Megan Anderson.
RETURNING STARTERS: 7
KEY RETURNEES: Hannah Goodwin (.459, 3 HRs, 22 RBI), Ginna Leaphart (.342, 14 RBI), Brianna Price (.346, 17 RBI), Andrea Lyon (8-1, 69 Ks), Taylor Antley.
This story was originally published March 6, 2016 at 10:02 PM.