HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL: Preseason Red River Diamond Dozen and TRN Top 10 rankings
There’s been a changing of the guard.
Graduation hit the Wichita Falls area softball ranks hard last May, and there are big questions facing the teams who have stood out as the area’s best for the past four seasons.
That makes putting together a preseason TRN Top 10 difficult. But we’re giving it our best shot.
More: TRN SPORTS SCOREBOARD: Wichita Falls area basketball, soccer, swimming results (Feb. 5-10)
The TRN Top 10 is subjective and represents a team’s relevance in its district and regional playoffs. However, unlike the football version, head-to-head matchups may be weighted more since it’s not uncommon for teams in lower classifications to beat those in higher. But if a team in a higher classification doesn’t project as well in its district or region, then an opponent it may have a win against could be ranked higher. Last season’s record is in parenthesis.
SOFTBALL TRN TOP 10
1. Graham – On paper, there’s not a lot separating the top two teams on this list. Graham and Burkburnett played twice last season with the Lady Blues going 1-0-1 in those games. Both teams have reliable pitching depth, but it’s the lineup that gives Graham the edge. The Lady Blues have arguably the best lineup in the area.
2. Burkburnett – The Lady Dogs picked up invaluable playoff experience last season, coming a win shy of advancing to the state tournament. Natalee Gray is the most powerful pitcher in the area, and she’s backed up by Kennedy Smith. The loss of last year’s Red River Diamond Dozen Offensive Player of the Year, Brooke Boyd, as the catalyst in the lineup is the early difference between the Lady Dogs being first and second on these early rankings.
3. Henrietta – Some read the statement about Gray being the area’s most power pitcher and immediately thought of Henrietta’s Kirstyn Barnard. We haven’t forgotten about her. And she’s going to be counted on even more heavily to lead the Lady Cats this season.
4. Iowa Park – No team was hit harder by graduation. Players like Madi Fulfer, Bella Dickens, Paige Gallegos and Abby Dowell who took the Lady Hawks to two state tournaments have moved on. But there are still some core pieces around, and the Lady Hawks have varsity experience in the circle with sophomore Callista Berrett.
5. Holliday – As good as all those players mentioned with Iowa Park were, there may not be a more notable loss for a team than Addison Lindemann at Holliday. Lindemann is off to a great start in her college career, pitching for Midwestern State, but replacing her arm and bat can’t be done by one player. The Lady Eagles need an influx of youth along with a few returning starters to pick up the load.
6. Jacksboro – The Tigerettes lineup is loaded, but they graduated pitching depth. Shelby Seaberry is more than capable of handling a heavier load in the circle, and it shouldn’t be surprising if Jacksboro moves several spots up this list as we may be underrating them with this ranking.
7. Electra – The Lady Tigers had the best season in program history last year. They’ll try for one better at the Class A level. Pitcher Remi Buchanan is one of the state’s best pitchers in the lower classification and would benefit any team in the TRN Sports coverage area.
8. Windthorst – We have more questions than answers about the Trojanettes. Graduation hit hard, and there is now adjustment to a new head coach. But it’s odd to think about these rankings without Windthorst in the mix. There’s a softball tradition there.
9. Archer City – It’s been a tough couple seasons for the Lady Cats, but this is a program back on the rise. They will be young, but we’ve been hearing about the talent of some of their players for a couple years now.
10. Nocona – The Lady Indians can put runs on the board. They got involved in numerous slugfests last season. Nocona needs some of those hitting displays to be more one-sided in 2024. Their varsity experience and powerful lineup gets an edge for the final spot in these rankings ahead of Montague County rival Bowie, which also has a youth invasion coming.
SOFTBALL PRESEASON DIAMOND DOZEN
Here are 12 players firmly on the TRN’s watch list entering the 2024 season. Players are listed in alphabetical order.
Kirstyn Barnard, Jr., Henrietta – Barnard should see a massive uptick in innings pitched this season. She was third in the area with 215 strikeouts, averaging 12.6 per seven innings. Barnard also led the Lady Cats with 39 RBIs.
Callista Berrett, So., Iowa Park – Berrett was thrust into the limelight as a freshman after Iowa Park lost star pitcher Abby Dowell for the season. Berrett was up to the task with a 1.96 ERA and 178 strikeouts in 100 innings.
Meagan Brooks, Sr., Graham – Brooks is an early favorite for at least Diamond Dozen Offensive Player of the Year. She belted nine home runs last season, the most of any player returning for the 2024 season. It’s not a reach to call her the most feared hitter in the area.
Remi Buchanan, Jr., Electra – Buchanan swings a heavy stick in her own right, but it’s her arm that earned RRDD acclaim last season. She had a 3.01 ERA with 225 strikeouts in 114.1 innings. She led the area with 13.8 strikeouts per seven innings.
Reese Calhoun, Sr., Graham – Calhoun forms a solid one-two punch in the circle for Graham, teaming with Zoey Harrell (2.09 ERA). Neither player registers a lot of strikeouts, but they limit hard contact. Calhoun was fourth in the area with a 1.83 ERA in 130.1 innings.
Natalee Gray, Sr., Burkburnett – Gray is the early favorite for RRDD Pitcher of the Year, although Barnard and Buchanan want to make their own run at that award. Gray led the area with 275 strikeouts (11.7 per seven innings) in an area-high 164 innings. She had a 1.96 ERA and is a solid hitter, finishing second in the area with 19 doubles.
Rylee Mathis, Sr., Jacksboro – Mathis is entering her fourth season as the Tigerettes starting shortstop. She’s always been a strong contact hitter, but showed some pop last season with five home runs and seven triples. She was second in the area with 54 RBIs.
Kinley Marek, Sr., Holliday – With the Holliday girls basketball team winning a state title last season, it was Marek who carried the Holliday offense early in the absence of stalwart batters Addison Lindemann and Sydney Linn. She’ll be asked to do it for a full season as a senior. She batted .512 as a junior.
Mackenzie Mowat, Sr., Burkburnett – If anyone can replace the offensive production lost from Brooke Boyd’s graduation it’s Mowat. She was second on the team with 63 hits, 59 runs scored and 40 RBIs.
Addy Peters, So., Archer City – Peters had a breakout freshman season, and while we do question the validity of her .620 batting average (Archer City didn’t report many errors), there’s no denying her talent with the bat, and we do trust other stats that back up her production. She led the area with 56 RBIs, and we’re hearing good things about a strong freshman class joining Peters in Archer City.
Kylie Tullous, Sr., Jacksboro – It feels like Tullous has been granted extra years of eligibility. She’s been a prominent name in the area’s softball talent pool since she was a freshman. She’s always been one of the toughest outs in the area and had a team-best .530 batting average last season.
Rylee Wolf, Sr., Windthorst – Wolf is a legit candidate to make all three girls sports – volleyball, basketball and softball – Red River all-star teams this season. The only person to achieve that previously was Iowa Park’s Bella Dickens. Wolf led the area in doubles (20) last season.
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Wichita Falls area high school softball preseason preview
