Photo by Kyle Parmley.
Hoover vs. Vestavia Hills Softball
Vestavia Hills’ Mary Claire Wilson (10) hits the ball during a game between Vestavia Hills and Hoover on Feb. 25 at Jim Brown Field in Hoover.
Youth is no longer an excuse for the Vestavia Hills High School softball team.
Over the past couple years, underclassmen have contributed heavily to the Rebels’ cause. Players like Charity Bibbs, Gwynnie Hornibrook, Annie Kate Parks and Nikki Hammond have all had fairly significant roles.
They’re all juniors now and are set to take on even bigger roles this season. Seniors Mary Claire Wilson, Maddie Crane and Arden Plugge have also been longtime varsity contributors, giving the Rebels a roster with plenty of experience.
Wilson has been a starter since her freshman days, so she’s one of the most experienced players in the area.
“It’s finally here,” she said of her senior season.
Head coach Lissa Walker has long recognized that the team has the requisite talent to compete at a high level.
“It depends on how well we develop in certain positions,” Walker said. “We have the potential to do really well.”
But potential only goes so far. Last season, the Rebels showed flashes of great play, as evidenced by wins over top teams Thompson and Spain Park in March, but they finished with a 28-19 mark. Many of those losses came from an inability to seal the deal late in games.
“That’s where it gets complicated, because you hope they can close doors in games [this year],” Walker said.
For the Rebels, it’s about putting those strong performances they are capable of on display more often.
“We were really inconsistent last year,” Wilson said. “The consistency needs to be really good this year.”
At least early on, Walker feels like the strength of Vestavia Hills will be on the defensive side of the ball. The starting infield returns several players, including Hornibrook at catcher, Crane at second base and Wilson on the left side of the infield. Bibbs and Plugge both play first base and pitch. They will anchor a pitching staff that should also be a strength.
“We have very strong pitching, we just need to be there [mentally] every game,” Crane said.
Wilson will see time at either shortstop or third base, with freshman Kayla Franklin’s strong preseason making her a candidate to start on the left side of the infield as well. Along with Bibbs and Plugge, who returns to the softball team after a successful basketball season, Hammond and eighth-grader Tait Davidson should log innings in the circle. Libby Pippin also factors in at first base.
Parks started in center field last season, and the Rebels will look to Hammond and Sydney Harris to hold down the corner outfield positions.
Part of Vestavia’s issue last spring was the fact the Rebels play in an area with perennial power Spain Park and defending state champion Hewitt-Trussville. Vestavia went a combined 1-6 against those two squads in 2019.
“I think we’re going to have a really good year, but our area is so tough,” Walker said. “That’s just what it is. We’re in there with two of the better teams [in the state], and whoever comes out swinging beats each other. I think the three of us can win at any time.”
Wilson has signed to play at Liberty University, Plugge has signed to play at UAB, and Crane will attend Troy. Walker said all three are different. Crane leads by example, Wilson is a vocal leader and Plugge is “just solid.”
