Baseball coach continues winning tradition for Powell softball

The ongoing storyline for the 2017 Powell High School softball team was about the rebirth of a program and a coach.

The needle on coach Jeff Inman’s gas tank was stuck on empty for Powell High School baseball after the 2012 season. After seven successful years at Powell, Inman decided it was time to get out of coaching.

“It started out as something I really loved doing, but when I left baseball I almost felt burned out,” he said.

“When I resigned as baseball coach, I thought I was getting out of coaching altogether.”

Coincidentally, longtime Powell softball coach David McGill also resigned after the 2012 season.

McGill took the Lady Panthers to multiple state tournaments during two stints as Powell’s coach, but the proud program had fallen on hard times.

Quality softball coaching candidates weren’t exactly flooding the school with resumes.

“They asked me to take it over for a year, as a favor,” said Inman. After much deliberation, he accepted.

He recalled a conversation he had with longtime area coach Mike Cox about the difference in coaching softball and baseball – two games that are similar on the surface, yet very different.

“Mike always told me how great it (softball) was,” offered Inman.

“Softball has rejuvenated me. I kick myself for not going the softball route earlier.”

After going 20-21 during his first season as Powell softball coach in 2013, Inman and the Lady Panthers continued to up the ante.

Season records of 38-16, 29-16 and 28-9 followed.

Finally, everything fell into place this season for Powell, which finished 37-8-1 and lost to Gibbs in May in the state Class AAA state championship game in Murfreesboro.

“These girls were just awesome kids – both on and off the field,” said Inman.

Here’s a look at some of the key contributors this season for the Lady Panthers:

• Senior center fielder Madison Tidmore (Chattanooga State signee) hit .500 with 64 runs and 61 stolen bases from her lead-off position. “She was the part of the puzzle we were missing when she moved here from Alabama for her junior year,” said Inman.

• Brittney Franse (Tusculum) was a four-year starter at shortstop. “They don’t come any better than Brittney Franse, on or off the field,” said Inman. Franse batted .455 this season with 42 RBIs, 51 runs and 28 stolen bases.

• Third baseman Kiley Longmire (.430 average, seven home runs, 46 RBIs) was another four-year starter who battled back after missing three weeks of the season with an arm injury.

• Freshman Lilly Holston (ETSU commit) emerged as a star with her .480 batting average and 59 RBIs.

• Junior Kennedy Cowden (Kentucky commit) sat out the regular season after undergoing surgery, but was a big spark for Powell in the postseason. She hit .477 with 19 RBIs in just 19 games.

• Ashley Wheeler hit .300 and provided what Inman termed “probably the best senior leadership I’ve had.”

• Sophomore Allison Farr reaffirmed her status as one of the area’s top pitchers, going 27-5 with 233 strikeouts in 193 innings and a 1.34 ERA. “I wouldn’t take anybody over her if I had one game to win,” said Inman.

• Inman called sophomore Mackenzie Lamb “one of the top defensive catchers in the state.”

With several key players returning next year, Inman said he’s already looking forward to getting back to work for the 2018 season.

“I don’t expect a drop-off,” he said. “We expect to be back in Murfreesboro next year.”