How Bartow softball has returned to mentality of its golden era during state title defense

When Red Oxley began dominating as a pitcher during her freshman season, it seemed like it was only a matter of time before the Bartow softball team returned to the final four and won more state titles. It takes more than pitching, however, to win a title.

Last season, that time arrived. Clutch hits and clutch fielding were added to the elite pitching and, not only did it lead to the Yellow Jackets’ ninth state title, it changed the mindset of the team. They returned to the mentality of, no matter who they were facing in a scoreless pitching duel, it would be Bartow finding a way to win.

Now, nearly every player who won the state championship last year for Bartow will have the chance to become the first Yellow Jackets to win multiple state titles since the 1997-2006 era, when Bartow won seven titles in 10 seasons.

Bartow opens its Class 6A title defense with a rematch against Doral Academy at 2 p.m. Thursday in the FHSAA state semifinals at Legends Way Ball Fields in Clermont.

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It is an experienced group that Bartow bring to the sequel of last year’s state semifinal game, which Bartow rallied to win 3-2. The Yellow Jackets feature 10 seniors, including seven who start.

After his team finally broke through and won last year, Bartow coach Glenn Rutenbar saw a mindset that harkened back to the Lindsay Littlejohn era. Back then, it was always expected to happen. Until they won last year, it was a little different.

“A little bit, especially when, as it happened, you were like, 'You know we got to make the key plays and we got to get the key hits,' where as those years with Lindsay, you just thought it was gonna happen,” Rutenbar said. “We had to get through that and last year was big for us to get through it. Our defense is getting better this year. Our team is better this year.”

This group is more experienced and, more importantly, more confident as a result of last season’s title run.

“It just showed us that we can actually do it,” left fielder Kyndal Sowell said. “It just showed us that we can pull through no matter what the adversity.”

All the starters are back this season, although some in different roles, and with the addition of third baseman Kyndal Cornelius, the Yellow Jackets are even stronger. They boast the most potent lineup they’ve had in years.

Center fielder Shay Narcisse is batting a team-high .479, up more than 200 points from last season.

Cornelius is batting .444 with 26 RBIs a team-high 13 extra-base hits. Catcher McKenzie Gibson is at .442; Julia Heter, who has moved from shortstop to second to first in her three years on varsity, is hitting .375 with 25 RBIs. Oxley is batting .353 with a team-high 32 RBIs. Destiny Driskell is batting .338 and showed against Melbourne she remains dangerous in the clutch. Sophomore shortstop Kynley Quartermaine has raised her batting average 52 points from .258 to .310.

Bartow’s team batting average is up from .324 to .342. The improvement has led to a more confident team.

So there’s no doubt that the Yellow Jackets are more than just the pitching of Oxley, who is 19-1 with a 0.11 ERA.

Oxley is most appreciative of her teammates.

“I don't think that spotlight was on me,” she said. “I think it's on us as a team, as an organization and just Bartow softball in general that has been created over the years. I think that we've come from nothing from 555 (Softball Complex) and built up ourselves. And I think that not a lot of schools have done that. So I think that every single one of us here has done something this year that has been a heroic moment, and I think that the spotlight rotates because (Rutenbar) does not put a spotlight on any single one player out here. And every single one of us is special in different ways. I couldn't have won state without Alyssa Hillman. I couldn’t have won state without Kyndal Sowell. I couldn’t have won state without anybody on this team.”

The Yellow Jackets entered the season with more confidence and it showed from the start as they won 19 straight, including a 1-0 win over Doral Academy, and their only loss was 1-0 to Melbourne in early April.

“We have a better mindset, better energy on the field,” Driskell said.

The last time Bartow defended its state title was in 2006 when it won the last of five in a row to end the seven titles in 10 years run. It was a little different that year as Candice Howell replaced Littlejohn as the starting pitcher after Littlejohn became the only pitcher in Florida to win four straight state title. It was a mixed group of returning players and first-time starters.

This year nearly all the starters are looking for their second ring. For Cornelius, however, she’s hoping for her first state title but doesn’t feel any added pressure.

“I felt more pressure when I first transferred here, to actually get in with the girls and connect with the coach,” she said. “And now it's really just about doing it. It's not really anything other than the group of people here. It's the best group of people that have been around in a really long time. So I want to share that moment, but I don't feel any more pressure than I did from game one.”

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: FHSAA 6A softball: Bartow tries to defend title, win 9th state crown