The Walnut Ridge Bobcats finished 19-14 last season and fell in the first round of the state tournament to eventual state champion Harding Academy . With senior leadership and a lot of returning experience , Coach Jason Belcher and company are looking to take things further into the playoffs . Arkansas State commit Nolan Belcher leads the way for the Bobcats . The senior catcher hit . 489 with 40 RBIs and four home runs . Belcher is a line drive hitter with power that will hit in the heart of the lineup . He is an elite defensive catcher and leader behind the plate . Another division one commit will be a key piece on the mound and at the plate . University of Central Arkansas commit Rex Tedder struck out 52 batters in 35 innings last year with an upper 80s fastball and a sharp breaking ball . Tedder can play anywhere in the infield and hit . 408 last year with 30 RBI and 14 stolen bases . Senior Bo Kersey returns to the top of the lineup looking to generate runs . The centerfielder produced 14 stolen bases and scored 23 runs sparking the offense for Walnut Ridge . Kersey will also be a big part of the Bobcat pitching rotation with four years of high school pitching experience . He struck out 64 batters in 44.1 innings last season recording a 3.79 ERA . Another senior two way player is Robbie Tate . The third baseman showcased great plate discipline with a . 450 on base percentage and 10 stolen bases . On the mound , Tate has a bulldog mentality as he stays aggressive in the strike zone with a mid-80s fastball . Sophomore TJ Owens pitched 17 innings last year , but Coach Belcher is looking for more growth and a possible expanded role this season . Owens whiffed 16 batters in those 17 innings with a 3.71 ERA . He possesses a strikeout breaking ball that he can throw anytime in the count . Fellow sophomores Jaxton Brady and Jersie Cunnigham will be counted on at the top of the batting order . Brady is a first baseman that is a left handed bat with a line drive swing . He had . 654 OPS with 14 RBI last year and adds depth on the mound . Cunningham has a lot of speed and athleticism and will be looked at to get on base to spark the Walnut Ridge offense . A trio of freshmen could make an impact this season . Jace Blake is an outfielder who is athletic with good speed that could get on base and cause some havoc . Blake will also provide more pitching depth when needed . Classmate Trevor Augustine is a strong middle of the order hitter with raw power . Augustine could see time at first base or designated hitter . Pitcher and utility player Riley Richey is an athletic defensive specialist with good instincts who could play any position and eat up some innings for the Bobcats . Coach Belcher loves his team ' s pitching depth and solid defense , and hopes to see some growth at the plate especially with some of the newcomers . A lot of the Bobcats have postseason experience , so look for Walnut Ridge to battle once again for a conference title and return to the postseason as a real threat to go far .
Coach Sarah Moore takes the helm for the Lady Bobcats and the Walnut Ridge softball program . The Lady Bobcats finished 13-9 last season , but with a new coach , a lineup full of returning starters , and a young but talented pitcher , Walnut Ridge hopes to improve their record and earn a spot in the postseason . A group of seniors leads Walnut Ridge and make up the core of this team . Maddie Burris is one of those senior leaders that will be at third base . Burris is very smart at the plate and puts the ball in play , only striking out six times last season . Fellow senior Taylor Forrester offers a lot of power at the plate . Forrester will catch and provide leadership for their young pitcher . Classmate Avery Anderson is effective getting on base and uses her quickness to create scoring opportunities . The centerfielder also comes up with big plays in the outfield . Alli Bramlett is another senior that gets on base and uses her speed on the base paths . As the nine hole hitter , she creates runs for the top of the lineup . Junior Karlee Broadway will likely leadoff for the Lady Cats . Broadway is a slap hitter who hit . 435 and led the team in stolen bases . Fellow junior Lillie Bell is a solid hitter in the heart of the lineup . The first baseman can drive the ball in the gaps and has pitched when it is necessary . Sophomore Ruthie Bell is a slapper that hits in the two hole . The left fielder tied for best on base percentage and led the team in slugging at . 576 . Freshman Ashtyn Bradley will take over in the circle in her first year at the high school level . Bradley can throw in the upper 50s with good control and location . She has several pitches in her arsenal and will make a huge impact this season . Jessica Easton is another freshman that will step up for Coach Moore . Easton can pitch as well with great velocity . She will be a utility player when not in the circle and her bat should be a great addition to the lineup . Coach Moore has focused on improving the Walnut Ridge offense this offseason . “ The key to our team succeeding this season is to do the little things right , minimize the errors and focus on solid base hits instead of launch angles and home runs ,” she said . “ Last year we didn ' t hit the way we needed to , so that has been a primary focus of ours since we started practicing in November . Our strength last year was our defense , and that hasn ' t changed , but with the addition of some strong pitchers , we are going to see our defensive game only improve . As long as we can do the little things right , and put runs on the board , our defense and pitching will win us games . We had no seniors on the team last year , so our current seniors have been in this leadership role for two years - and I ' m very excited to see what we can accomplish when we put it all together .” NEA Sports predicts that the Walnut Ridge Lady Bobcats will make some noise in the tough 3A-2 conference and be a threat to make it into the regional tournament .