Trinity softball coach expects Hillers to be a ‘powerhouse’
Courtesy of Trinity Athletics
Trinity practices on its brand new turf field.
Trinity's new softball field.
After making the WPIAL playoffs for four straight years, the Trinity High School softball team took a step back last season.
Well, maybe a few steps back.
Just two years removed from a 20-6 record and a PIAA championship game appearance, the Hillers went 5-10 and failed to make the WPIAL playoffs for the first time since 2012.
Head coach Shawn Gray doesn’t expect last season to become the norm for his program. Actually, he expects the team to regain all those steps it lost and add to it.
“We’ve had some recent success except last season we took a step back in the worst way,” he said. “The season before, we had a lot of seniors leaving at key positions. Last year became a rebuilding transition period to where this year we are absolutely a powerhouse.”
Gray said he believes this year’s team will be more talented than the 2015 team that finished second in the PIAA tournament.
“(The coaches and I) sat down the other night and compared what we had talent-wise when we went to states compared to what we have now. We’re actually an all-around better, solid team, hitting, running, fielding than we were when we had our state run and were state runners-up two years ago,” he said. “We’re going to turn a lot of heads this year.”
Last season, the Hillers had several players out of position, filling spots they weren’t used to playing. This season, Gray, who is in his fourth season as head coach, said a nine-player freshman class, all of whom will contribute either as starters, pitchers or role players, filled every gap the team had.
“What we walked into this year is the freshmen who came aboard filled every spot that we needed to make us a solid team,” he said. “We will have a complete turnaround as a result.”
Headlining the freshman class are Emma Morgan, Kylie Poland and Reagan Perry. The three freshmen, Gray said, will be the team’s pitchers as the Hillers sport a “pitching by committee” approach.
“They’ve (pitched well) for their club teams,” Gray said. “I’m very excited for that position, and the talent we have there is very exciting as well.”
Gray said Morgan, Poland and Perry all bring a different skillset to the circle.
“We have a program set up where we’re not going to rely on one specific player,” Gray said. “We’re going to give each of them their opportunities. All of them bring a unique perspective to a batter, whether it be an offspeed pitch or the speed itself.”
The three freshman pitchers won’t just pitch; they will contribute on offense. Gray said he expects Morgan and Poland to hit near the top of the order and Perry will get some at-bats.
For the rest of the lineup, Gray said the Hillers don’t have a weak link.
“We are solid one through nine. We’re excited about the lineup,” Gray said. “We should be putting up some serious runs on teams.”
With only two seniors on the squad, Gray said Payton Barr will be one of the team’s leaders as a senior catcher.
“She came off a great season last year,” Gray said. “I expect her to continue what she did last year.”
Gray named two other Hillers who he expects to be in the everyday lineup: outfielders Bailey Bell and Bayleigh McCullough.
“(Bell) is just a power contact hitter. She’s a great player, and she knows the game really well. She’ll be hitting up there for average,” Gray said. “(McCullough) can slap and she can bunt. She’s going to bring every aspect of the game from the left side of the plate.”
While Gray said the Hillers have speed and bat control, he wants his offense to be a power-hitting team.
“We always encourage our girls to swing for the fences,” he said.
Trinity started its season at the Ripken Experience in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., last weekend. The Hillers went 2-0, defeating St. John Villa Academy, N.Y., 15-0 and Fairbanks, Ohio, 7-4.
The team’s home opener is today against Connellsville, and the Hillers will be playing their first official game on their new turf field. Gray said his team is excited to play on the field’s unique blue turf.
“I want to personally thank Trinity School District for the investment they made in our program,” Gray said. “The community is excited to see it, and obviously the team is excited to see it. … The money spent was well deserved for this program. I think there’s a lot coming down the chute for this program.”