When Ronnie Sockey was hired five years ago as head coach of the Lady Bulldogs, he was expected to breathe new life into the GHS girls fast-pitch softball program, and he hasn't disappointed.
After winning the Class 6A state title in 2015, and reaching the state semi-finals in 2016, the Lady Bulldogs are poised to make another run at a championship this spring. And they do so with a largely reconstructed roster that is both deep and talented, if somewhat lacking in big game experience.
"We graduated five seniors last year, and they were all starters," said Coach Sockey in an interview last week. "We lost the entire infield except for one position. We'll have a new pitcher on the mound this year [too]." All-state hurler Victoria Taylor graduated.
"Whenever she gets done with basketball, Kaila Cartwright will be our #1 [pitcher]," said the coach. Cartwright is a starting forward for Coach Clay Reeves and the Lady Bulldogs basketball team that's headed to the state playoffs next week.
"She pitched some big games for us last year and showed that she's ready for the role," said Sockey. "We'll try to keep her rested as much as we can for the playoffs. She's been going to pitching lessons and getting her time in, so she'll be ready to go.
According to her coach, Cartwright has a nice repertoire of pitches. Besides the standard fastball, her best pitch is the changeup, and she's even working on a screwball.
"She's big and athletic and she knows the game really well," he added. "But we've got to have someone step up and keep her rested. We're going to rely on a few others.
"Senior Madison Lawler will see some time on the mound early. [Junior] Kimmie Colyer will [also] carry the load the first two weeks. Hopefully they will show that we can rely on them to give Kaila some rest and not have to pitch her every game."
The Lady Bulldogs have Sydney Parker returning behind the plate, while senior Darian Wilson is the lone returning infielder at second base. Both should provide needed experience and stability.
"Parker's a senior this year," said the coach. "She's been a four-year starter for us. She's kind of a quiet leader. Darian has [also] played a lot of innings. We've got nine total seniors. They will definitely play a big role this year. This is the biggest senior class I've had in my five years here.
"We're still trying to [fill] first base and shortstop right now," said Sockey. "That's our two biggest concerns. Miriah Hamilton, who was a freshman last year, and led us in just about every offensive category, will be back. She'll move from outfield to third base for us.
"But we're still looking to fill two spots, and they may not be filled until about playoff time. It's still wide open. We've got three or four [girls] at each spot pushing for playing time," said the coach.
In the outfield, the Lady Bulldogs are pretty well set with three upperclassmen expected to start. "[Senior] Hannah Booker will be returning in centerfield," said Sockey. "Then we've got [junior] Ericka Calleron in left field and [senior] Karter Langston in right field. We've got a couple of girls that can really hit who will [also] be pushing for an outfield spot.
"The one thing we do have that's different from the last two years is that we've got a lot of depth," explained the coach. "Every game we'll probably play 12 to 15 girls. I'll have a lineup that will put our best offense, and then I've got some girls that can play good defense and run a little bit that will see a lot of playing time. We'll go really deep this season.
"We're definitely going to mix-and-match in the first month to find out who's going to step up and give us the best offensive and defensive combinations," said the coach. "There's going to be a lot of girls play a lot of innings for us."
The team also has a quartet of newcomers who are expected to contribute significantly, especially on offense. "We've got four incoming freshman who can really hit the ball," he said. "By the end of the season they'll be a big factor for us."
Rheding Wagoner, Josie Chapple, Paxtyn Hayes, and Harley Terry are the four ninth graders in question, though Terry is playing varsity basketball. "I think they're ready," said Sockey. "They play a lot of travel ball and a lot of games in the summer."
Asked about the offensive makeup of his team, the coach said, "We've definitely got a lot more power in the order, and we're going to go pretty deep. If someone is not getting it done, we've got somebody ready to go off the bench to get big hits for us."
The experienced coach also knows the value of consistently putting the ball in play. "I think overall we will [make more contact]. Our speed is better than it's been the last two years. We're going to rely on getting bunts down, moving runners, and coming up with that one big hit to get one or two runs an inning."
As for the schedule and the path to the state title, Sockey believes it's a mixed bag. Like the other girls sports, the softball team will compete in the 6A/5A West before moving on to the 6A West conference tournament and a possible berth in the state playoffs.
"Looking at basketball and volleyball, those [6A/5A] games aren't really going to mean a whole lot. Those three games in the conference tournament are going to be the determining factor of where you're going to be seeded in the state [tournament].
"We're looking to get a good seed," said the coach, but he knows it won't be easy. "The last 10 to 12 state champions have all been from that [6A] conference. It's going to be a tough conference tournament to get a good seed.
"We're going to be in two tournaments where Benton and Sheridan are both [playing], so we can compete with them and see where we stand against those two [teams]," he added.
"We're still playing some 7A schools, but I didn't make the schedule as tough at the start of the season, not having our #1 pitcher out there.
"The first two weeks is not as tough as it's been in the past. Later we've got Bentonville, Fayetteville and some other big 7A schools. Early in the season we're playing Southside and [Springdale] Harber. Later on we've got Rogers and [Rogers] Heritage, and we've still got Van Buren on the schedule.
As for the team's chances to win it all, Sockey is hopeful but realistic. "We should be one of the top four teams and have a shot," he said. "If we get hot at the end of the season, we've got a chance to beat anybody.
"Sheridan is definitely the top team. They graduated one girl off that state championship team and they've got some really good young ones coming in. It's going to be tough to beat them, but the good thing is the state tournament is not going to be at their place this year. Every year is a new year.
"These girls are hungry," said Sockey. "This is a whole new team that's never played in the state finals. Sydney Parker is the only one. Two or three others have played in some state tournament games.
"This is pretty much a whole new nine out there this season, and they ought to be exciting to watch. It's definitely going to be a good season for us."
The 2017 slate opens next Tuesday at home against Fort Smith Southside. "We've got a busy week to start with," said the coach. "Hopefully the [good] weather will stick around. We've had a great January and February. We've been out on the field almost every day."