Lady Patriots have eyes on return trip to state tournament

On paper, the Henry County High School Lady Patriots should be one of the state’s top Class 4A teams in 2024.

But, championships are not won on paper. So Coach Renae Lassiter and her team are ready to keep laser-focused on repeating — and hopefully bettering — their success from 2023.

The Lady Patriots made it to the state tournament in Murfreesboro last year, and have almost the entire roster back this year. That includes two players, seniors Celia Lamkin and Noe Wilkerson, who have already committed to play Division 1 college softball next year.

“Our schedule is extremely tough,” Lassiter said. “I wanted to challenge our girls with quality teams and talented pitchers. Obviously, we want to win as many games as possible, but when it comes down to it, you need to be prepared for tournament time. This schedule will prepare us for postseason.”

She said Martin Westview, Bruceton, Lexington, Waverly, Clarksville, Huntingdon and McCracken County (Ky.) are all state tournament contenders who are on the Lady Pats’ schedule.

“Dickson County has new coaches, who are all former players. I expect them to be very talented and competing to win the district. Northwest has a new coach as well, but they advanced to the region tournament last year,” Lassiter said.

“Our girls were young last year but have experienced what it’s like to make it to the state tournament. We saw what we needed to work on and how hard the other teams competed. 

“I hope we are hungry to get there this year. We are experienced and have depth at every position. We can’t take the field expecting to win based on our prior success. Each game will be tough and we will have to be prepared to compete everyday.”

The one senior lost from last year’s team was Emma Thompson.

“Emma was a four-year starter and our team leader.  She wasn’t a verbal or rah-rah leader but led by example. She took care of everybody. Someone will need to step up to take on that role,” Lassiter said.

The players on the 2024 roster are detailed here, with comments from the coach:

SENIORS

Celia Lamkin — Returning District 14-4A Player of the Year. Has signed to play at Southeastern Louisiana University to pitch. She will head the pitching staff.  Has a variety of pitches that she can throw for strikes.  Has good control and velocity. She led the team in batting average last season. She is a good contact hitter with some power. Will play some first base and outfield when not pitching. She will be looked upon to lead this team from the circle.

Noe Wilkerson — Returning all-district player. Will play center field. Extremely athletic and quick. Can hit for power and handle the bat. Good arm from the outfield. Will play some third base, too. Has signed to play at Tennessee State University.

Jocelyn Lee — Third base and first base. She has a good glove and powerful bat. She struggled some at the plate last year but we expect her to bounce back this year as a mainstay in the lineup. She is a tremendous teammate who could fill Emma’s shoes as our team leader.

Mia Arnold — Left fielder. Extremely quick and has a fantastic glove. Made several game-saving catches last season. She handles the bat well and we look for her to improve her batting average this season and solidify her spot in the lineup.

Alley French — Second base, but can play anywhere on the diamond. Has a very high softball IQ. Has a good eye at the plate and works the count. Doesn’t mind hitting behind runners. Good glove and arm.  Returning all-district player. 

JUNIORS

Audrey Hill — Can flat out fly. Her speed is tremendous. She doesn’t mind putting her body on the line to make plays on the bases or in the outfield.  Good arm. Gets great jumps on balls from right field.  Hits for average, can handle the bat and steal bases.  Returning all-district player.

Layne Latimer — Will anchor the middle of the lineup.  Can play OF or the corner infield spots. Hits for power and average. Returning all-district tournament player.  Was hurt for several games last season. We look for her to be healthy and put up some good numbers this season.

Andie Barrett — Returning all-district player. Most powerful bat on the team but can hit for average as well. Along with Layne, she will anchor the middle of our lineup. She is a solid catcher with good framing skills and a strong arm. Will also DP (designated player) and play some third base.

Serenity Crosser — Tremendous power. Led the JV team in home runs. Will see time at DP, and at third and first base.

Natalia Norman — Transferred to us from Florida.  Good softball knowledge. Contact hitter who can play multiple positions.

SOPHOMORES

Lilly Steele — We are excited about Lilly making the step forward to varsity pitching this year. She has crazy spin on the ball and thinks her way through the opposing team’s at-bats. She will be a key member of our pitching staff. Has very good bat-to-ball skills and will hit for average. Good baserunner. Will also play shortstop and second base.

Maddie Moroni — Will push to be in the starting lineup. She was our main pinch -unner and courtesy runner last year. Very fast and intelligent baserunner.  Can play any of the outfield spots. Gets good jumps on balls and has a good arm. She can handle the bat and will hit for average. Hard-nosed player who doesn’t mind getting dirty and doing the little things.

Breely Peirpoint — Returning all-district player. Can play any position and pitches. She was our starting shortstop as a freshman last season. Very competitive and hard-nosed. She hits for power and average and has a good glove. Very strong arm and knows the game. Looking for her to be a leader. 

FRESHMEN

Irelynn Beecham — Coming to us as the all-time wins and strikeouts leader for the Henry County middle school program. She has the ability to contribute on the mound this season. She will push for varsity playing time at pitcher, shortstop, second base and third base. Has a good bat and is very knowledgeable about the game. Competes at a high level in practice and games.

Reed Jackson — Will push for varsity playing time at third base and will catch some. She has a powerful bat, strong arm and good glove. Hits for average and can put the ball out of the park. Competitor.

Abigail Long — Another hard-nosed player who continues to impress. She has a good glove, runs the bases well and can play multiple positions. Will catch and play all over the field.  

TEAM GOALS

“Win the next game is the main goal,” Lassiter said. “If you do that consistently, then the big goals of district championships, region championships and ultimately making it to Murfreesboro will take care of themselves. Our ultimate goal is to help mold them into successful young ladies on and off the field.”

The team’s assistant coaches include Paul Putman, who has a wealth of experience and knowledge.

“The girls have really meshed with him,” Lassiter said. 

Jacey Flanagan is a former player who can relate to the girls, and Paige Roberts joins the staff this year and is also a former player.

“She was a pitcher on our state tournament teams and will work with our pitching staff. I love our coaching staff and the way they make it fun for the players while teaching them more than softball,” Lassiter said.