Recognizing our area baseball and softball seniors
This is the week that area high school baseball and softball teams have circled on the calendars every year. It is playoff week!
Round one of the baseball playoffs was last weekend with the second round starting up this weekend. Softball area tournaments are scheduled to begin on Friday.
Unfortunately, all of those events have been canceled by the spread of the coronavirus. The AHSAA canceled the remainder of the spring sports season on March 27 following Governor Kay Ivey’s mandate for all schools to remained closed the rest of the school year.
What this meant for area teams is that their goals of playing for a state championship had come to an end for this year.
It also meant that seniors in the area had their high school careers ended long before they ever could have envisioned.
With that in mind, the Enquirer would like to take time to recognize our seniors.
The following are responses from area baseball and softball coaches in the Enquirer’s coverage area. Not all coaches responded.
Hartselle Baseball
Clay Burns, 3rd Base & Pitcher
Burns will attend Calhoun Community College to start a degree in secondary education. He plans to become a teacher and a coach.
Connor Ord, Catcher
Ord will attend Bevill State Community College on a baseball scholarship. He will major in logistics.
Andrew Rittman, Pitcher & Outfielder
Rittman will attend Calhoun Community College to study industrial maintenance.
Hunter Little, Pitcher & Outfielder
Little will attend Calhoun Community College to study industrial maintenance.
DJ Leathers, 2nd Base
Will attend college to play baseball and will major in business management.
Addison Parker, Pitcher & Outfielder
Parker will attend the University of Tennessee at Martin on a baseball scholarship. He will major in Agribusiness.
Payton Key, Pitcher & Outfielder
Key will attend Calhoun Community College to study Marketing Operations.
Bryce Balch, Manager
Balch will attend the University of Alabama and major in Communications.
Hartselle Softball
Kelsey Crow, 2nd Base
Crow will attend Wallace State Community College and will major in Human Development & Family Studies. She then plans to transfer to the University of Alabama to study to be a Child Life Specialist.
Chaney Dutton, 3rd Base
Dutton will attend Martin Methodist College on a softball scholarship. She will major in Elementary Education and plans to become a teacher and coach.
Caroline Hill, Outfielder
Hill will attend Calhoun Community College on a softball scholarship. She will major in Computer Software Engineering.
Victoria McClure, Outfielder
McClure will attend Calhoun Community College and major in Physical Therapy. Her goal is to become a Physical Therapy Assistant.
Maggie McKissack, Outfielder
McKissack will attend UAB and will major in Kinesiology with a focus on Exercise Science prior to attending Physical Therapy school at UAB. Maggie is ranked 4th in her senior class.
Ashlyn Ward, 1st Base
Ward will attend the University of Alabama on a Collegiate Scholarship. She plans to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and later obtain her Doctor of Nursing Practice to become a Nurse Practitioner.
Meg Wilbanks
Wilbanks will attend the University of North Alabama on an Academic & leadership Scholarship. She plans to double major in Math & Secondary Education. After college, her plans are to participate in Teach for America.
Brewer Softball
Caitlyn Bryson, Outfielder
Bryson will attend Calhoun Community College on a softball scholarship. She will major in elementary education. She will graduate tenth in her senior class.
Hannah Buchanan, Catcher & Outfielder
Buchanan will attend Columbia State Community College (TN) on a softball scholarship. She will major in radiology.
Dallas Linderman, 3rd Base
Linderman will attend Calhoun Community College to major in nursing.
Leisha Steger, Outfielder
Steger will attend the University of Montevallo on a basketball scholarship. She will major in nursing. She will graduate eighth in her senior class.
Amanda Knighten, Outfielder
Knighten will attend Wallace State Community College and major in dental hygiene.
Anneliese Kruger, Pitcher
Kruger will attend the University of Alabama at Huntsville and major in Biomedical Engineering. She will graduate fourth in her senior class.
Danville Softball
Emma Broadfoot, Catcher & 3rd Base
Broadfoot will attend the University of North Alabama to play softball and major in secondary education. She hopes to return to Danville as a teacher and a coach.
Laney Coker, Pitcher
Coker will attend the University of North Alabama and major in nursing. She was awarded the Bryant- Jordan Foundation Award and is Valedictorian of her senior class.
Hannah Heath, 2nd Base
Heath will attend Calhoun Community College before transferring to Jacksonville State University to complete a degree in Social Work.
Madalyn Holladay, Shortstop
Holladay will attend Wallace State Community.
Savanna Pelfrey, 1st Base & Pitcher
Pelfrey will attend Calhoun Community College and then the University of West Alabama. She hopes to become an athletic trainer for a rodeo association.
Falkville Baseball
Braden Burnett, Pitcher & Utility Player
Burnett will attend Calhoun Community College and then complete a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Technology.
Cullen Donahoo, Outfielder
Donahoo will attend Calhoun Community College.
Priceville Softball
Taylor Dean, 1st Base
Dean will attend Troy University and major in nursing.
This story was originally published in the April 22nd print edition.