Hatton's Mitchell gets top county honor

Jun. 23—For Hatton's Bradyn Mitchell, the future looks bright, and so is the present.

Having just finished up her sophomore year, Mitchell still has two years left in the softball program. However, she's already a star.

Mitchell has played on the varsity team since her seventh-grade year and has started every year since eighth grade.

This year she turned in a career season, finishing with a .457 batting average and a .537 on base percentage from the team's leadoff spot. Mitchell led the team in home runs with 10 and stolen bases with 24 and, despite hitting leadoff, also led the team in RBIs with 49. She was also the team's ace pitcher, finishing with a 18-9 record with two saves and striking out 119 batters.

Because of this, she was chosen as the 2021 Lawrence County softball player of the year.

"It's unbelievable honestly," Mitchell said. "I've worked really hard and having this accomplishment shows that hard work is paying off."

Softball talent in Lawrence County hasn't been slim pickings in recent years, with numerous elite players having come through. Stars such as Victoria Draper, Anna Kate Segars and Emma Latham have all earned the county player of the year honor.

Now, Mitchell will join them.

"To be able to join the long list of players that's held this honor, that's very exciting," Mitchell said.

2021 held a lot of challenges for the Hatton team. A potential championship team in 2020 was derailed when the season was canceled less than midway through. Many seniors graduated from that team, leaving the Hornets with plenty of youth in 2021.

As a result, Mitchell was tasked with taking a bigger leadership role, despite being just a sophomore. But even though she says she felt the pressure, it didn't stop her from turning in an elite season.

"It was definitely a challenge for me, and I struggled a bit at the beginning," Mitchell said. "But I wanted to be a good leader and set a great example, so I just kept pushing myself."