As the weather warms, trees are beginning to bloom, and the sounds of bats and gloves can be heard on the softball diamond. The DeKalb County High School Tigerettes softball team has been getting in shape for their upcoming season, a season that some say could be theirs to lose.

Assistant Coach Ethan Duke, has been stepping into head coaching duties for the time being after Head Coach Dani Horton recently gave birth and has taken some time off. When asked how the team is looking for the 2023 season, Coach Duke had some good things to say.

“We’re looking pretty good,” said Duke. “We’re knocking off some of the rust here early. I feel like we’ve got some of the best pitching in the district. We’re bringing back five seniors and some very important positions.”

“Coach Horton should be back in a couple of weeks, and we’ve started doing inner squad stuff and like I said, shaking the rust off. Hopefully we’re going to be prepared and ready to rock and roll come next Saturday.”

The team will be hosting a play day on March 4, where the team will take on Watertown and Gordonsville in some preseason action.

Coach Duke said that the Tigerettes have some good leadership, with some veteran players returning to the field. “Our seniors, in the outfield is Emma Martin in leftfield, Morgan Walker in center, and Aniston Farler in right. We have Ally Griffith at third base and Madison Martin at first.”

“As for pitching, we’ve got a one-two punch that a lot of other teams in the district don’t have,” Duke explained. “We’ve got Bri Murphy and Kora Kilgore as our top two pitchers. Kora is a sophomore and Bri is a junior. They definitely can bring it. They’ve got a lot of speed, as well as some off-speed stuff. Not only do they supply pitching, but they are also very good hitters. All around that’s the best combination that we can get.”

“Also in the circle will be Bryna Pelham, she’s a sophomore,” Duke continued. “She’ll be starting at short, and Elaina Turner is looking good at second base. We also have Chloe Lawson, a junior, who is also pretty good at second.”

The Tigerettes will also have talent behind the plate with several players able to take the reins. “Raylie Cowan is a sophomore and will be our primary catcher, but we also have Sydney Polk, and also Aniston can catch as well. So, depending on the situation that we are presented from day to day, we’ll see where we can put people that gives us the best chance to win the ballgame,” Coach Duke said.

Coach Duke said that the Tigerettes are showing a lot of promise this year, and they should vie for a top spot in the district. “A lot of people feel like that if we want to win the district, this is the year to do it. I feel like there are some teams that are a little bit down after losing some key players from last season. As long as we can keep the mental side of our game strong, I feel like the physical side will always come around.”

“Upperman and White County are always going to be competitors, just because of the rivalries there. Of course Stone Memorial and Cumberland County are good programs, but they’re kind of on the downside of losing some players. Livingston Academy, that rivalry has been around for years. They always bring a good fight every time we play.”

Coach Duke said that the upcoming play day will show what the Tigerettes are all about with some quality teams coming to play. “We’ll be prepared come March 4 for our play day. We’ll have at least Watertown at this play day, which will be some good competition. We’ll scrimmage Gordonsville right after. That will tell us what we’ve got. They are always pretty stout with their coaching and ability to develop players.”

Following the play day, the Tigerettes will start district play with a game against Stone Memorial.