Sequoyah adds new looks to familiar team

Sequoyah softball is picking up where they left off.

On paper, the Lady Chiefs house a roster latent with talent and familiar faces. But there are a few things new.

The team has a mix of bats and several pitchers who could throw off the balance.

But Sequoyah enters the season without something they had last March: the District 5-3A championship. Focus and expectations remain to recapture the crown, but the league has only gotten tougher from a year ago.

“Our expectations are the same. We want to compete at the top of the district and have a real shot at doing that,” Sequoyah coach Allen Roberts said. “Our experience level is still … We have five returning seniors and played a lot of kids last season, so we feel good about that. We want to try to win a district championship.”

The team looks like a classic Sequoyah team — one that can have pop-on-the-bat power in the circle. That speaks to the depth after graduating Angelina Ervin — who pitched 94.1 innings — and Brooke Freeman — who powered seven home runs and batted .470.

“We have always hit the ball fairly well. We have to continue to do that. That has been one of our MOs over the years,” Roberts, who is entering his 10th season, said. “Defensively, the last few years we have been solid on the defensive side of the ball. To do what we want to do, we have to continue that.”

Sequoyah won 12 games last season, allowing an average 4.3 runs per game.

“We talked to the girls about how much we value the defense and we have to continue to do that,” Roberts added. “A big thing coming into this year is how is our pitching going to pan out.”

More to use

Ervin pitched 75.3% of Sequoyah’s innings last season. Sequoyah is looking at a minimum of five arms to step into the circle now.

The number adds depth but also could switch up speeds and looks for opposing batters.

“Replacing her and seeing which of the younger girls step up and take that role,” Roberts said. “We have good depth there. We have good depth there, so it is about seeing how it shakes out.”

A trio of pitchers return. Kaleigh Atchley tossed 17.1 innings last year as a freshman. She struck out 25% of the batters faced while allowing only 14 earned runs.

Mysterie Shubert pitched 10 innings last season, facing 52 batters as a sophomore. Junior TeAysa Cozart faced 38 batters through six innings.

Two new faces can factor in. Bella Hall joins as a junior along with freshman Kaisen Cansler.

Familiar face

Behind the catcher’s mask will be a familiar face. Alicia Kimble caught 123 innings last season. The senior’s presence and demeanor will be needed to settle in five pitchers.

“She comes in with a lot of experience. But the biggest thing is the energy she always brings to our team,” Roberts said.

An All-County selection last season — as well as a volleyball All-County selection in the fall — Kimble brings positivity and a focus to the team.

“That will be good for us early on. I have been fortunate enough to be entering year No. 7. She is really honest with me, with what the pitchers are doing and I trust what she is telling me,” Roberts said. “That experience and what she brings to the team will be very big for our pitching staff.”

Swinging it

Sequoyah finished 2023 with a .351 batting average, a .411 on-base percentage and a .508 slugging percentage. The Lady Chiefs hope to keep that trend moving.

“I am really excited about it,” Roberts said. “I don’t want to overly plug names, but I do feel like we are going to be able to still have that punch.”

Kimble’s positivity continues at the plate as well as behind it. She batted .389 with 28 hits, seven home runs and 17 RBIs. Roberts expects her to lead the way.

“Our number of games was not overly big last year, so (Kimble’s) numbers were really good. I look for her and Tynleigh … Lilly Griffitts has been hitting the ball really well,” Roberts said.

Atchley adds a year of experience to her bat. She finished with a .371 average through 38 plate appearances and tallied 13 hits. She moved into the leadoff spot by the end of 2023.

Hannah Kirkland finished with a .420 average and 21 hits through 50 at-bats.

Roberts also looks at Shae Ahlstrom, BriAysa Bowman and Shubert to factor in. Bowman finished with a .304 on-base percentage through 56 plate appearances.

“They can be real contributors also. They are girls who have a lot of power. Mysterie has the kind of power that Brooke had,” Roberts said. “She did a really good job for us pinch-hitting and in JV. We are excited for how those girls are going to pan out. We are just going to look at them and let it fall into place as we go.”

Sequoyah could build a lineup with four to five left-handed batters.

“That is something that I will have to learn to balance, but I think we can be a matchup problem for pitchers. That is something we could use in our favor,” Roberts added.

Fielding it

Sequoyah brings back two All-County infielders in Megan Ladd and Tynleigh Ray as well as Cleveland State commit Lilly Griffitts.

“That entire infield is pretty intact even if we might be moving them around at some times. Third base is the one slot we have to fill,” Roberts said. “We will be looking at different kids there.”

Ray was a part of four double-plays and finished with zero errors and 55 total catches. Griffitts notched 129 putouts and Ladd finished with three double-plays and a .980 fielding percentage.

Roles in the field will depend on who is in the circle. Ahlstrom and Bowman, who started in left field last season, are options in the infield along with Shubert.

Chloe Summey’s graduation leaves centerfield open. Bowman is an option, along with Kirkland and Lily Frasue. Atchley finished with 23 putouts last season.

Ray could leave the middle infield for the outfield for the betterment of the team. Hall adds to the choices.

“We are looking at different options with girls there also,” Roberts said.

As Sequoyah chases down a district that adds Heritage and Loudon, the new additions could take the Lady Chiefs over the hump. Perhaps past the region semifinal hurdle that hampered the team in the past two seasons.

“I think we will be a different-looking team in ways. I think it will come down to how our pitching shakes down. Defensively, I think we have a chance to be really, really good,” Roberts added. “Offensively, we have a chance to be really good. A lot is going to depend on how our pitchers step up. We are really looking forward to the year and this group of girls — lots of talent.”