IR softball readies for the season

Indian River softball coach Chris Megee will have his hands full this season as he looks to fill the cleats left empty last year by the graduation of shortstop Lindsay McCabe. As the season quickly approaches, young talent and new faces are filling out the lineup for the Lady Indians, in hopes of bringing conference and state titles to the program.

“Lindsay McCabe was really the heart and soul of our team last year,” said Megee. “A lot of people followed her examples, and, fortunately, we have some players that want to fill these roles in. We have a lot of great girls coming back, so we don’t have a lot of excuses this year. Everyone else is talented, as well.”

Last year saw several first-year juniors come out for the team and, with a season under their belts, Megee is hoping they’re ready to bring even more.

“A lot of these girls were first-team players,” said Megee. “It was their first time around last year, and we need them to bring the same intensity this year. We need to step up our game as far as our program goes.”

From an offensive perspective, a lot will be weighing on the girls as they make their way to the plate. For Megee, the sport isn’t about powering a ball to the fence as much as it is about playing smart ball when needed.

“I’d like the girls to get comfortable with slap hitting, push bunting and hitting to right field, not only hit the gaps but play small ball,” he said, “because the gaps will come and go, and I want these girls to have a game plan when they go up to the plate.”

As for defense, much of the Lady Indians’ potential this season is coming from the versatility on the mound.

“We have three pitchers that bring great stuff to the game,” noted Megee. “Caitlin Null is mentally tough. You know she’s going to keep her team in the game. Sam Walker has probably got more movement on the ball than anyone. No one can hit her, whether it’s at practice or in games. She pitches great, no matter the situation. And you have Lara Carey, who can throw one of the best fastballs on our team. She’s really learning to become a pitcher instead of a thrower.

“We need all three of these types of pitchers to move past some of the teams we’ll face this year. If we can keep opponents off-balance, we’ll get the game.”

As for the crucial shortstop position left vacant by McCabe, Megee already has a few options.

“We are definitely looking for a talented shortstop this year,” he said, “and we have a strong one in Jodie Powell, a freshman stepping up. We expect great things out of her, but she’s young and may get overmatched. She’s played a lot of travel ball for great teams, but you still have to get the butterflies out. Fortunately, we also have Lizzy Handy and Taylor Wharton – both seniors. We will have a lot of talent around the infield. All we really have to do is worry about our nine hitters.”

To help assist his coaching staff, Megee has also welcomed back some of the softball alumni. Haley Brennan and Michelle Clark are both lending a hand at practices to help prepare the team for the season.

“Last year, we were fortunate enough to have a couple colleges to come down and do some things for us,” said Megee, “and I thought it’d be a good thing for these girls to come around and offer what they know. They can teach the younger kids how to do it, how to perform mentally.

“It’s always good to give back,” Megee said, “and these athletes are going to be more inclined to listen to girls closer to their age. I wanted to get faces here that had something to do with building program that’s in place. It’s good to have these females around, and it also helps them figure out if they want to coach some day.”

“We’re trying to emphasize hustle, hard work and dedication,” said Clark, who played right field and third base for the Indians during her time at the school. “[Former softball coach] Mark Browne was always about teamwork and hustling every second, whether on the field or in practice.”

Brennan held down home plate as catcher.

“Coach Browne always told us, ‘The harder you work, the luckier you get,’” said Brennan. “We want to instill that to these girls.”

After finishing last year 14-6, which included their post-season loss to Caravel in the second round of the state tournament, the Lady Indians are hoping to fix their mistakes and come strong each game.

“If you don’t show up and play ball, you can’t compete with anybody,” Megee said. “We definitely respect teams like Milford, the state champions. Early this season, we have Laurel, and we have a lot of respect for them, too. You see a lot of those girls out at the Pyle Center each year playing for a world championship,” he noted of the Senior League Softball World Series.

“I’d like to get to them before they get on a roll with their new coach,” he added. “We’re looking forward to Caesar Rodney this year, and then there’s Smyrna. They have one of the best pitchers in the state, whom they brought in as a freshman last year. They feel that we stole that game from them last year, and they’ll be looking for payback. In the end, though, you just have to handle games one at a time.”

The Lady Indians will get their first opportunity in the regular season when they travel to Dover on Tuesday, March 23.