2023 Baseball Magazine Preview | Page 98

The Rector Lady Cougars finished last season with an 18-6 record , 11-1 in conference , with a share of the conference title to eventual state runner-up East Poinsett County . The Lady Cougars would be district tournament champions , earning trips to the regional and state tournaments . Coach David Hendrix ’ s group lost several key players from a year ago and will have a lot of spots up for grabs . However , what they lack in experience , the Lady Cougars can make up with talent . All-State Tournament catcher Maddison Wolfenbarger returns behind the plate and near the top of the lineup for Rector . As one of the leaders on the team , she will be the general on the defensive side while looking to jumpstart an inexperienced lineup . Pitcher Kaley Isom will be in the circle for the majority of the games this season . As another returning starter , Isom can keep offenses at bay and look to generate runs in the middle of the lineup . Audrey Schimming returns to the lineup as well and looks to step up her role in a big way . Shimming saw time last year , and hopes to be a big part of the Lady Cougar offensive attack . Some fresh faces will need to step in and fill gaps left by key pieces of last year ’ s team . Isabella Mosley , Bethany McNeely , Libby Green , Chloe Baugh , and Katelynn Louiver will be expected to step up into much larger roles . Coach Hendrix will use early season practices to put these ladies where they will excel best in the field and at the plate . It may be a learning process early , but these talented newcomers can surely catch on quick in time to make a late season run . Look for the Rector Lady Cougars to piece the puzzle together in time to make a late season run and contend for a regional berth and possibly more .

The Rector Cougars battled their way through a very good 2A-3 conference , into a third place Region 3 North finish , and all the way to the state quarterfinals last year . The Cougars would finish 18-8 and 9-3 in conference play . With several returning starters back , Coach Robbie Dorman ’ s bunch looks to match last season ’ s success and go deeper into the postseason . Several starters return to the lineup providing plenty of experience this upcoming season led by All-State pitcher Cooper Rabjohn . The Best Under the Sun selection will be one of the best pitchers and hitters in a conference full of good players . The Cougars will be tough to beat when Rabjohn is on the mound . His battery mate Drew Hendeerson is considered by many the top catcher in the league . Henderson bats left-handed and has tremendous plate vision . Brett Fair and Kameron Jones are likely to bat in the heart of the Rector lineup , and big things are expected of them this season . Fair will play first base , while Jones will be at second and on the mound some . Daniel Romero will play third base and play a key part in the pitching rotation . Romero has good velocity , and if he remains consistent , could step up in a big way . Center fielder and pitcher Evan Holmes will be another key piece in the rotation as will Landon Haywood , who adds depth to the pitching staff and plays some infield . Rabjohn , Romero , Holmes , Henderson , Haywood , and Jones create a formidable pitching rotation that could be hard for opponents to handle . They can also produce a lot of pop at the plate as can designated hitter Sam Shipley and left fielder Jackson Hill . The 2A-3 looks to be a gauntlet once again , but with plenty of experience , a strong pitching staff , and an explosive lineup , the Rector Cougars looked poised to make a run at the conference title and possibly even more .