Final SB Poll: Ladycats finish year No.8
field this year as she helped the squad to finish the year ranked No.8 in
the state in the final Texas Girls Coaches Association Softball Poll. (Photo
by John Krueger)
A team full of youth and a first-year coach at the school, the Beckville Ladycats improved from day one and soared to new heights during the 2011 softball season. They finished the year just one win short of advancing to the state tournament in Austin and was ranked No.8 this week in the final Texas Girls Coaches Association Softball Poll.
The Ladycats graduate just two seniors off of their 29-7 season, which included a District 21-1A Co-Championship and seven straight wins to open the playoffs and nine of their first 10 before falling to Grapeland twice to just miss advancing to state.
The Sandiettes, a state-ranked team all season, moved on the Austin and topped Albany, 8-3, in the semifinal and then lost to Shiner (32-4) in the Class 1A State Championship game, 1-0, to finish the year 27-10.
Shiner finishes the year ranked No.1, with Grapeland No.2 and Albany and Lindsay tied for the No.3 spot in the 1A rankings.
Beckville first-year head coach Wendell Welch talked all year about the youth on his team and his players continued to overcome the inexperience and odds time and time again to explode all the way to the Region III final.
"We just didn't make the routine plays (against Grapeland) and they did," Welch said of the loss to the Sandiettes. But I told the girls to keep their heads up and I'm proud of each and every one of them."
Beckville will lose only two starter off the 2011 squad - shortstop Erica Graham and catcher Megan Jones. But they'll be two big losses.
"Erica Graham has been here forever," Welch explained. "For the last four years she's been this team and been Beckville High School. I heard about her even before I came here. She's a great player and a great leader. Northeast Texas Community College [where she signed her letter-of-intent] is getting a great player.
"Megan Jones is the best move-in that I've ever had in my life," Welch said of the transfer from Wyle, Texas. "You hear when a player moves in that they're 'all-world'. Well, this one was. I tip my hat to her because when I saw her the very first day in practice I knew she was a great player."
But with a junior pitcher that was impressive all season long, to a large group of underclassmen that have gained valuable experience, there's no doubt the Ladycats will be a favorite to return to the regional final and possibly make it to Austin in 2012.
"We have seven starters back and some players on the bench that gained some valuable experience this year," Welch stated. "We were very young, but we had freshmen and sophomores that played really hard and we have a heck of a junior pitcher [Kari Courtney] that will be even better than they were this year.
"These kids worked their tails off this year and I'm expecting even better things from them next year."
Petrolia finished the year ranked No.5 in Class 1A, with Itasca sixth, Mart seventh, Sam Rayburn ninth and Center Point at No.10.
In the other classifications, Central Heights finished No.2 in Class 2A, Huntington tied for No.3 in Class 3A and Henderson wrapped up 2011 at No.10.
This story will appear in the Panola Watchman.
Texas Girls Coaches Association
State Softball Poll
June 6, 2011
Class 1A
1. Shiner
2. Grapeland
3t. Albany
3t. Lindsay
5. Petrolia
6. Itasca
7. Mart
8. Beckville
9. Sam Rayburn
10. Center Point
Class 2A
1. Danbury
2. Central Heights
3t. Wall
3t. Callisburg
5. Santa Getrudis Academy
6. Wichita Falls City View
7. Alpine
8. Mineola
9. Poth
10t. Crawford
10t. Brock
10t. Refugio
10t. George West
Class 3A
1. Celina
2. West
3t. Sweeny
3t. Huntington
5. Columbia
6. Robinson
7. Lucas Lovejoy
8. Burkburnet
9. Paris North Lamar
10. Henderson
Class 4A
1. Santa Fe
2. Forney
3t. Dripping Springs
3t. Waco Midway
5. Burleson
6. Frisco Centennial
7. New Braunfels Canyon
8. Montgomery
9. Corpus Christi Moody
10t. Frisco Wakeland
10t. Elgin
Class 5A
1. The Woodlands
2. San Antonio O'Connor
3t. Pearland
3t. Plano
5. Tomball
6. Keller
7. San Benito
8. Dobie
9. Houston Bellaire
10t. El Paso Americas
10t. Belton
10t. Edinburg