Back In The Swing Of Things

MHS, Boyd, North Softball Updates From First Day

Jeremy Greenway’s objective is clear. He must improve the culture of McKinney High’s softball program and raise its low expectations.

Greenway hosted his first official practice as head coach Monday night at McKinney High School. The Lionettes focused on fundamentals during the two-and-a-half-hour practice.

“I want to set the tone with energy and do things right everywhere,” Greenway said. “We have a motto that’s called Excellence is Everywhere. We want to do everything we can well.”

Greenway, a former Keller Central assistant, replaced former coach Beth Kellen last spring. Greenway inherits a team that has won a grand total of five District 9-4A games the past two years combined.

McKinney returns Sam Licata (last year’s Big Stick award winner and Gold Glove recipient), Whitney Molinar, Jordan Calk, Kelly Allen and Molly Sexton from a team that went 3-11 in district. The Lionettes, however, lost two-year starting pitcher Ashliegh McLean, who transferred to McKinney North.

Greenway is well aware of McKinney’s recent history and seems determined to buck the losing trend.   

“Every day they come out, I want them to focus and have their full energy to do what they need to do,” Greenway said. “We got to do something different than what has been done in the past.”

That all starts in practice. Greenway said he’s had most every girl in his off-season athletic period, so he‘s become familiar with his talent. 

“They’ve improved and responded the way we want,” he said.

-- Brent Yarina

North returns nine players from regional-final club

McKinney North softball coach Debbie Evans found herself in an unusual place on Monday; the gym.

Evans’ Lady Bulldogs had no chance of setting foot on their field after a solid week of rain, so they were limited to running and limited throwing on, first, the outdoor auxiliary field and then the gym.

"A lot of our drills can be done in or outdoors," Evans said. "We just had to be creative, we can’t do a lot of hitting. We just try to be flexible."

That flexibility should come in handy as North takes the field for the first time in four years without multi-time all-district pitcher Becky Nye. Luckily for the Lady Bulldogs, Kristen Adkins was waiting in the wings. Adkins, a Division I softball signee with the University of Florida, is poised to finally take control of North’s fortunes.

"I feel like we’re going to look the same, minus Becky," Evans said of the change. "I think Kristen is going to fill that spot very, very well."

Evans is hoping that Adkins, and nine other returning varsity players, can do what no team before has been able to do - make the state tournament. Last year’s squad finished with a program record 23 wins and just eight losses, falling to Justin Northwest in the regional finals. It was the first time in the program’s five-year history that the team had made it past the quarterfinals.

Evans sees further glory in the future.

"The kids are excited and they realize the potential is there," Evans said. "Justin’s not in the picture, and I think the girls recognize that we easily have the potential to be where we were last year."

The road to state got a bit easier with the UIL district realignment as longtime nemesis Northwest is out of the picture after being bumped up to Class 5A. Now, the Lady Bulldogs just have to keep the numbers up. The program has only 23 players right now, 13 for varsity and 10 for junior varsity.

North starts the season with a scrimmage against Garland on Jan. 30. The Lady Bulldogs open the District 9-4A season against The Colony on Feb. 27.

-- Rodney Wiliams

Freshmen dominate Broncos roster

The McKinney Boyd softball team opened practice Monday afternoon with what’s probably the youngest roster in Texas.

That’s because it contains no seniors, no juniors, three sophomores and about 18 freshmen.

“We’re going to be running pretty thin,” Boyd coach Stephanie Freeman said.

Yes, youth reigns supreme, but Freeman was full of energy and optimism Monday as her team gathered for its first official workout.

“This is a perfect situation for building a program,” said Freeman, who spent the past two years as head coach at Richardson Pearce. “It’s wonderful, because we have such young athletes. And by their senior year, we’ll be killer.”

So far, catcher Christie Rogers, second baseman Nicci Neal and left fielder Hannah Yohn are the Broncos’ lone sophomores. A couple of more sophomores should join the program after basketball season ends, but Freeman said she wasn’t anticipating adding any juniors.

“Everybody that I talk to says, `Are you scared?’ And I’m really not scared because they’re so eager to learn,” Freeman said. “I can teach them something and it’s not like they’ve been taught something [that needs changing]. It’s really fun to watch and coach every day. All off-season has just been really fun. Because, I’ve got to really coach and teach.”

Freeman would love to have more experience, but she said she understands that most of the older varsity girls basketball players will stick to off-season hoops – “That’s totally expected,” Freeman said – and won’t be playing.

Boyd’s No. 1 pitcher will be freshman Steffanie Palmisano, whom Freeman calls “a little firecracker” whose pitches move and wiggle.

A freshman on the mound, and freshmen all over the field? Freeman is looking at it as a positive.

“This is my fifth year coaching,” Freeman said. “I’ve never had a team that likes each other as much as this team. They’ve really bonded, I think, because of their age. They are young, but very athletic.”

-- Steve Kirk