After nearly 10 years away from the program, Sam Murray has returned as the head coach of the Branchville softball team.
“What brought me back was a love for the game,” Murray said after his team’s 28-0 win over Scott’s Branch Tuesday. “I’m fortunate to have a lot of young talent on this year’s team. They have great athletic ability, but it’s up to (our staff) to fine tune that mental part.”
The Lady Yellow Jacket roster features zero seniors and just one junior. The majority is made up of eighth, ninth and tenth graders. As a first-year coach, Murray said he and his staff are still trying to gain the respect of the team.
“It’s not respect like yes sir and no sir but rather learning that we have a respect for the game,” Murray said. “The more we play, the better they can see that we know what we’re doing and know what we’re talking about.”
Entering the year, Murray’s goal was to have his team ready for the postseason. He’s attempted to schedule teams from higher classifications that he feels will prepare his team for what they will see later in the year.
“When we play (more talented) teams, it helps us get better,” Murray said. “We’re playing Colleton County, Barnwell, Woodland…etc. Next year, I hope to schedule even tougher teams.”
Leading the Lady Jackets is junior Anna Win Berry who led the team with a .304 batting average last season. She also added 18 RBIs. Cadence McAlhaney also returns after having 19 hits and 29 runs scored last season along with Kayden LaPiene who had 18 hits and 22 RBIs.
“Our leadership roles continue to evolve,” Murray said. “Right now, we’re trying to promote a little more vocal leadership when we’re on the field.”
