The Westside Warriors finished last season at 13-15 and fell in the first round of the regional tournament. Coach Andy Parker is hoping to build on that in 2025 and make a deeper run in the postseason. To do so, the Warriors will rely on a trio of returners in Will Ferguson, Landon Webb, and Clark Womble. Ferguson has started almost every game for Westside over the last two seasons at catcher or third base. The junior will handle a bulk of the catching duties this season and be a rock in the middle of the lineup after hitting. 349 as a sophomore. Fellow junior, Webb, was a big contributor both on the mound and at the plate last season. The shortstop hit. 294 with a homerun and should be a mainstay near the top of the lineup for Coach Parker. Webb will be featured on the mound as the number one starter, and solidify the defense at shortstop when he is not pitching. Last season, Webb was 3-1 with 45 strikeouts featuring a fastball in the mid-80s with a good slider. Senior Clark Womble looks to contribute in all three phases as well. Womble has started in the outfield each of the last two seasons for Westside and hit. 258 last season with 23 stolen bases. His speed is utilized in centerfield, and he could help in relief on the mound. Fellow senior Gavin Dodson pitched 18 innings last season with a good fastball reaching 80 and a nasty curveball. Coach Parker is looking for Dodson to eat up more innings this season and be a major factor in the rotation. Wyatt Carter moved in and looks to be a major contributor for the Warriors. Carter could rotate between shortstop and second base, while adding depth to the bullpen. Coach Parker has a clear understanding of what it will take for his guys to be successful this season.“ In order for us to be successful, we are going to have to throw strikes at a high rate, play solid defensively, and be opportunistic on offense,” Coach Parker said.“ We won ' t have a lot of guys that hit the ball out of the park, so we are going to have to do a good job of being aggressive on the bases and putting the ball in play. An area of concern for us in 2025 is a lack of experience at the varsity level. We have some seniors that are going to be counted on to fill big roles for the first time in their careers. If they can step up and play well, we will be right where we want to be.” The 4A-3 conference will be thin this season with only six teams, so Westside will have several non-conference games to build that experience. The Warriors should be right in the mix at the end of the season to earn a return trip to the regional tournament in May.
The Westside Lady Warriors finished 11-7 last season and as co-conference champions. Coach Bert Greenwell’ s squad were district tournament runner-up before their season ended in the first round of the regional tournament. With seven starters returning, the Lady Warriors are looking to improve on last season’ s finish and make some noise in the state tournament. All-State center fielder Vada Watkins returns to the leadoff spot where she hit. 411 with a. 520 on-base percentage. The slapper can also square around and show good power at the plate. Watkins helped pitch some with a 3.20 ERA and 53 strikeouts. McKyna Craig also earned All-State honors in the circle and at the plate. Craig has good movement with great control posting a 2.37 ERA while striking out 130 batters last season. At the plate, Craig hit. 290 with three homeruns. Outfielder Ava Jones slapped her way to a. 285 average and a. 377 on-base percentage where she stole three bases. Jones can be found anywhere up and down the lineup. Catcher and third baseman Mattyx Cureton hit. 280 with a homerun for Westside, while first baseman Emma Pruett hit. 270 with good power. Up the middle, Brylee Timms could be at shortstop or second base and showcases good contact and a solid glove. Outfielders Black Black and Aubrey Tidwell should be strong contributors as well. Black hit. 280 for the Warriors, while Tidwell posted a. 270 average. Kimber Wynn and Emma Byrd are new additions who are great athletes and could see playing time having strong arms and the ability to produce runs. Coach Greenwell is looking to a list of strengths to accomplish what he believes his team can accomplish.“ Our strengths are that we are returning seven starters from last year with five that have started since they were freshman,” he said.“ Our depth at pitching is also a strength. We are coming off of a Co-Conference Championship with a district tournament runner-up. Our run production has to improve from last year.” The Westside Lady Warriors should be major players in the 4A-3 once again, with a good chance to advance to the regional and state tournaments. With so much experience and depth, look for the Lady Warriors to make a late run in May.