The Bainbridge High School Lady Cats softball team has been hard at work this summer and is looking forward to another amazing season of swinging to the finish line.

Head coach Christopher Bryant promises another year of excitement.

“We’ve got a few good girls coming back and a few young girls who have really stepped up and will contribute to our success,” Bryant said.

One of the returners is the number one pitcher, Lexie Delbrey.

Bryant said the team has really rallied around Delbrey and understands their role as a teammate; they know when she’s pitching the game will generally be tight and a low-run game, so every at bat can be the difference in a ballgame.

Bryant said because of this they have really focused on situations and all aspects of the game. He’s explained that sometimes sacrifices will have to be made, and bunts will have to be laid down in order to get on base, and the girls have really bought into that.

They put their skills to the test early on in the summer at the Thomasville tournament and went 1-1-1, but since then Bryant said they don’t even look like the same team.

Anna Beth Bibby and Alaina Cox have been leading the team, and Bryant said he couldn’t ask for better leadership from those two. He also said that other players such as Keyleigh Brinson, Carson Brown and Halle Cannon have really stepped it up and may see some time on the pitcher’s mound. Bryant is interested to begin region play this year, as there are two new coaches in the circle. Harris County and Veterans have a new coach.

“I know from experience when a new coach comes in it takes a little while for the girls to buy into the program, and that may be something we can use to our favor,” he said.

However, Bryant has nothing but respect for the two new coaches and said they are “jam up.” He doesn’t want the girls to not see them as competition, because they have the potential to be powerful.

With last year’s success in mind, Bryant intends to play the same way he did last year and just take it game by game. He wants the girls’ focus to just be on Crisp County for now.

“That’s how we got to Columbus last year, just taking it one at the time,” he assured.

Bryant is also excited for the middle school and JV teams, who have been working hard this summer.

“Those two teams are going to be competitive this year, we’ve all been practicing together and they are just as fired up as these varsity players,” he said.

Bryant knows he has something to look forward to.

“The next three or four years, we ought to be competitive,” he promised.

Bryant invites everyone to the JV game and varsity game in Crisp County on August 5. JV begins at 4, with varsity beginning at 5:30.  He is ready to make it another season for the books.