Oklahoma high school slowpitch softball storylines, players to watch in 2024

Chance Griffin vividly remembers not having a slowpitch softball program at North Rock Creek.

At the time, the new high school was one of many across the state that did not participate in slowpitch in the spring. That all changed when Griffin was hired and instantly made a push for the Cougars' fastpitch athletes to partake in slowpitch as well.

In hindsight, Griffin remains proud of his decision after winning two consecutive Class 5A slowpitch state titles.

"I talked them into letting me start slowpitch when I got here, and in our first year, we made the state tournament starting seven freshmen," Griffin said. "I knew we had something special brewing after that season. It's been pretty impressive to see them sustain this level of play year after year."

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Fast forward to 2024, Griffin has North Rock Creek eyeing a three-peat.

The Cougars are led by infielder Morgan Campbell and pitcher Haley Hacker, who have been key contributors to North Rock Creek's immense softball success over the past four years. Campbell, a Grand Canyon signee, was also part of The Oklahoman's 2023 Little All-City first team in the fall.

North Rock Creek has begun on a tear, having gone 7-1 and averaging over 15 runs per game. The Cougars remain on a mission to make up for time lost to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I'm looking forward to seeing how our seniors go out and what we'll do to win again for them," Griffin said. "My first year here was some of their first year of fastpitch when we couldn't play in the playoffs. So our ultimate goal is to see the seniors achieve what they deserve once again and what they've earned all these years in the making."

With the 2024 high school slowpitch season underway, here are more storylines as well as five players to watch:

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Will Choctaw finally get over its recent hump?

When Lindsey Mudgett accepted the Yellowjackets' open coaching vacancy in 2014, the former OU catcher envisioned turning around the softball program at Choctaw for good.

Mudgett's vision would soon manifest into a fastpitch state championship in just her first season under the helm. But since then, Choctaw has yet to add another trophy to its collection despite deep state tournament runs in both fastpitch and slowpitch.

It's a history that Mudgett and the Yellowjackets are driven to add to.

"The girls are aware of our history, and they want to leave their own mark at Choctaw," Mudgett said. "Having that in the back of their minds has been a huge spark for them, and they want to set themselves up for a good opportunity to bring the gold back to our city."

Choctaw is off to an 8-0 start, and a lot of that has been thanks to the play of its senior leaders, twins Bre and Brooke Curry, and starting pitcher Missy Henderson. The Yellowjackets have scored an average of 13 runs per game while holding opponents to four runs a game.

Mudgett has goals of leading Choctaw to its third softball state title and its first slowpitch state title since implementing the program in 2018.

"I think the biggest thing that I've learned to develop is not to take winning for granted," Mudgett said. "I preach to the girls that winning and being a champion is hard. It takes sacrifice, consistency and discipline. So, I've tried to ingrain that in them, and they responded well with the work they put in every day."

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Can Mustang repeat?

The Broncos have been a force in the metro area for the past few years.

Behind the sheer dominance of Eden Anderson and Nyli Brown, Mustang has won two of the last three Class 6A state championships. The Broncos remained electric in the fall as they appeared in the state tournament for the first time since 2017.

While a lot is different this time around, Mustang continues to have many of the same winning ways while working through the kinks.

"We've got some new kids in our lineup that didn't have didn't play slowpitch last year, so we're trying to figure some things out at the moment," Broncos head coach Lacy Darity said. "We're 2-2, but with Eden, Nyli and Lexy Kierstead playing the way they always do, we'll be situated and back in a groove in no time."

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Five OKC-area slowpitch softball players to watch

Karsen Griggs, Sr., Dale: Griggs has the 8-1 Pirates dominating Class 4A in their early quest for another state title. The Kansas signee was named to The Oklahoman's 2023 Little All-City high school fastpitch softball first team after leading Dale to a 41-3 record and a state championship.

Haley Hacker, Sr., North Rock Creek: The Grayson signee, who is pitching this spring, is one of the best hitters to start the season, going 20 for 25 last week with 10 home runs, two doubles and 22 RBIs.

Serenity Jacoway, Sr., Tecumseh: The UTEP signee pitched 136 innings for Tecumseh in the fall. She struck out 158 batters and pitched a 1.59 ERA en route to a second-place finish in the district with a 32-6 overall record.

Alexis Kierstead, So., Mustang: Despite a 2-2 record, Kierstead has led the way for the Broncos. Through four games, she has led Mustang with nine hits and four home runs while batting .818.

Lainey King, Sr., Southmoore: King was named a finalist for The Oklahoman's Big All-City high school softball Player of the Year in the fall after leading the SaberCats to their third fastpitch state championship in four years. She now looks to bring Southmoore another title this spring.

Jordan Davis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jordan? He can be reached at jdavis@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @jdavis34_. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Jordan’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma high school slowpitch softball storylines, athletes to watch