Inside Henderson County's magical run to the state softball and baseball final four
HENDERSON, Ky. — There must be magic in the air surrounding Henderson County High School.
The Colonels' baseball and softball teams are enjoying an unprecedented KHSAA state tournament run as both programs have reached the Final Four — something they haven't done together in school history. The baseball team hasn't made the semifinals since 2013 while the softball team's last appearance came in 2006, back when it was a double-elimination tournament.
Both won a pair of games last weekend in Lexington to clinch a return trip to the University of Kentucky for Friday's semifinals. Softball is up first against East Jessamine (29-5) at 4 p.m. CDT before baseball plays Whitley County (37-4) at 5:30 p.m.
They're certainly relishing in each other's successes with everyone's state championship dreams still alive.
"Being able to get that communal support for both softball and baseball kind of shows how dominant Henderson can be," Lady Colonels softball senior JaMaya Byrum said. "It's just another reason for us to push both teams even harder. No one wants to be the first to lose, so we're both going to try and go as far as we can."
And there's been no shortage of fun throughout their final week of practice. The softball team had a Hawaiian-themed day. Passersby have honked their horns driving past the baseball players training on the field. Plus, they've shared meals together and bonded by staying at the same hotel, including hours-long spike ball competitions.
It's been quite the spring on the diamond.
"There are so many teams fighting at state; it's crazy," softball junior Taylor Troutman said. "I think our sports are going strong right now."
Not many expected the baseball team to make a deep run considering the Colonels (20-17) were below .500 at the end of the regular season. Then they took down the top three teams in the Second Region tournament to claim their first title since 2013. The momentum continued last weekend in the first round and quarterfinals against Pulaski County and four-time state champion Harrison County, respectively.
The Colonels have been hot with senior Brennan Cates and junior Alec Satterfield each riding multi-game hitting streaks while Cates and Dru Meadows have also been efficient on the mound.
"We always have a lot of fight to us," Satterfield said. "We're always very competitive. So it means a lot. I'm just glad that we continue to fight through every game no matter what."
One moment that sticks out came in the bottom of the fifth of their 7-4 quarterfinal win. They were trailing 4-1 and Harrison Co. had runners in scoring position. But Cates' final strikeout ended the inning and then the offense came alive.
"I knew that it was probably my last pitch because my pitch count was running up," Cates said. "I knew that I can't let another run score. I had to execute a strikeout and get an out here, and it happened."
Coach Adam Hines added: "That game was about toughness and coming back. And that's one thing we have done. We've got down on some teams early, and we've had some fortitude. The kids have never quit."
Meanwhile, the Lady Colonels (32-5) have also displayed a no-quit mentality on the softball diamond. They're aiming for their first state championship appearance as they stifle opposing hitters.
They won 6-2 and 7-0 against Great Crossing and Central Hardin, respectively, last weekend thanks to sophomore Anna Kemp's 19 strikeouts and a dominant offense. Taylor Troutman homered in the quarterfinals while JaMaya Byrum, Anna Willett and Mackenzie Burczyk all came through with clutch hits.
"We had a lot of fun up there (and) spent a lot of time together," Kemp said. "We relaxed and really focused and prepared. I think it helped us all to play really well together those last couple of games."
While the pitching and offense garner a lot of attention, Henderson County coach Shannon Troutman believes their defense should receive more credit for the infielders turning double plays and outfielders robbing extra-base hits.
"Not only have we not made any errors, but we have also made some outstanding plays in the field," Troutman said. "We've made plays that we shouldn't make, not to mention all the plays that we should be making. I'm extremely proud of my team's defense."
McCracken County was the most recent school in Kentucky to have both its baseball and softball team reach the Final Four last June. Still, this level of success is new for Henderson County.
Many of the Colonels consider this spring sports season one of the best in school history.
"I think all of our sports this year have really been on top," Meadows said. "This is probably the most athletic group of classes that we've had in a really long time. Our records in each sport are just proving that."
Courier & Press sports reporter Treasure Washington can be reached via her email, treasure.washington@courierpress.com, and on Twitter @Twashington490.
KHSAA Final Four weekend schedule
Where: University of Kentucky in Lexington. Baseball at Kentucky Proud Park; softball at John Cropp Stadium.
How to watch: Streaming is available via the NFHS Network.
Softball
Friday: Henderson County (32-5) vs. East Jessamine (29-5), 4 p.m. CDT
Saturday: State championship, 2 p.m. CDT
Baseball
Friday: Henderson County (20-17) vs. Whitley County (37-4), 5:30 p.m. CDT
Saturday: State championship, 6 p.m. CDT
This article originally appeared on Henderson Gleaner: Henderson County baseball and softball reach Kentucky state semifinals
