The Jones College Softball team has started the season off strong with a 37-8 overall record and 16-4 in conference. The team is also currently ranked in the top 10 of the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) rankings. With the Bobcats past the halfway point in the season, Head Coach Tori Dew hopes to continue their success as they approach conference play and the postseason.
“We have played well at times during this season,” Dew said. “I feel like we have been really good at times, and then other times we have trouble putting things together. As we progress forward, we look to be playing our best ball in April and May.”
Success does not come from just one player. Production has come from top to bottom of the lineup and throughout the whole roster. Whether it’s a big moment or behind the scenes in practice, everything is a team effort.
“The biggest reason for the success of our team has been our entire team,” Dew said. “This has not been a one-woman show. Each player has contributed a great amount, whether that has been in practice or games.”
At the plate, the numbers reflect the team’s success, with five players with batting averages above .350. This season, production has been coming from top to bottom of the lineup, and any player can step up on a given day. One of the biggest contributors so far has been outfielder Claire Anderson. In her second year with Jones, Anderson has played in 44games and has the second-highest batting average on the team with a .393 average. The team also has two standout freshmen infielders, Mary Kimble Price and Mabry Eason. The two have a combined batting average of .400and a combined on-base percentage of 1.341. Having a batting lineup that can hit from top to bottom has been a big part of the team’s success.
“We have a mixture of players that can hit for power but also those that provide the speed for us,” Dew said. “Us having the ability to be dimensional allows for many possibilities to score runs.”
On the mound, pitcher Madison Sawyer has really been a standout. Starting in just 17 games, she has won 16, all while maintaining a .191 ERA (earned-run average). Despite being a freshman, Sawyer sets the tone for the pitching staff. Averaging six innings in every game. Her ability to pitch multiple innings greatly benefits the team, especially with there being only seven innings in a whole game.
“Madison has been tremendous this season,” Dew said. “She has been a constant for us from the start. We have relied heavily on her in the circle and look to continue to do that as she gains more experience in this league.”
With conference play just getting started, it is vital that the Bobcats maintain their high level of play. This part of the season is so crucial because the team’s records against opponents in conference will decide who the team will face in the postseason. The important thing is to take every game, one game at a time. At this point in the season, the team has to play its best. The team must rely on the fundamentals to continue to put out its best softball.
“We have to stay committed to the process,” Dew said. “You have to trend to be playing your best ball in April, and that is what we have to be doing. We have to be clicking in every realm of our game, which is pitching, defense, hitting, baserunning, but most importantly, chemistry.”
So far this season, it has been about the intensity and who will set the tone in the game. Teams do not win by just one player; however, a single player can get the team going. It only takes one person to get hot, then the rest of the team can get hot when having good chemistry. Winning is all about setting the tone, whether that is for a game or even just a practice. It is the mindset of being able to break down the game and take everything one by one that allows the Bobcats to win.
“Mabry Eason, Annaston Tate, and Madison Sawyer have been tone-setters so far,” Dew said. “They have all done a great job.”
Getting ready for the postseason, the competition only gets tougher. The Bobcats will have to get more consistent in everything they do if the team wants to get through this part of the season and prepare for the postseason. Going into the postseason, every team is a formidable opponent. At this point in the season, it’s no longer how good Jones can play, but it is how often they can maintain playing at that level. The Bobcats have had moments of being one of the top teams, but turning those moments into a consistent performance every game is what matters now.
“We have to get more consistent,” Dew said. “At times we compete in each area of the game, and other times we are not. We cannot take steps back in anything that we do. This team has the capability to win every game they play. We just have to continue grinding it out in conference play and get to a consistent level of play.”
For Jones College softball, it is not about the final score. Winning is about taking it one game at a time. Each game starts with going inning by inning, pitch by pitch, and hit by hit. Breaking a game down requires being able to focus on the fundamentals. The Bobcats rely on their strengths of knowing the basics and knowing how the game works to succeed. Whether the Bobcats are batting the plate or pitching from the mound, the key to success is staying consistent if they want to make a deep run in the postseason.
by Jackson Vella
