Coach's comment: "I believe a big key to this season is going to be team chemistry. I believe we have the talent to be a pretty good ball club. We have been nagged with a few injuries this preseason and have had a few girls who decided not to play this year. Once we get everyone healthy, we have seven players who started the majority of last season back. Plus I feel that we have a pretty good freshman class and an eighth grader who will contribute quite a bit for us this year."
Schedule
March
24 - at Southwestern, 6 p.m.; 26 - SOMERSET, 6 p.m.; 27 - CASEY COUNTY, 5:30 p.m.; 28 - WEST JESSAMINE, noon; 30 - RUSSELL COUNTY, 6 p.m.; 31 - MERCER COUNTY, 5:30 p.m.
April
2 - LINCOLN COUNTY, 5;30 p.m.; 6-9 - at Fort Walton Beach (Fla.) Bash; 13 - SOUTH LAUREL, 5:30 p.m.; 14 - at Danville, 5 p.m.; 16 - at Lincoln County, 5;30 p.m.; 18 - at Somerset Showcase; 20 - at Mercer County, 5:30 p.m.; 21 - at Garrard County, 5:30 p.m.; 23 - DANVILLE, 5 p.m.; 24 - MARION COUNTY, 5:30 p.m.; 27 - at Pulaski County, 6 p.m.; 29 - at Paul Dunbar, 5:30 p.m.
May
1 - at Casey County, 5:30 p.m.; 4 - at Russell County, 5 p.m.; 5 - GARRARD COUNTY, 5;30 p.m.; 6 - at Madison Southern, 5:30 p.m.; 8-9 - BOYLE COUNTY INVITATIONAL; 11 - PULASKI COUNTY, 6 p.m.; 12 - SOMERSET, 6 p.m.; 14 - at Marion County, 5;30 p.m.
BURGIN
Coach: Matt Grimes
2008 record: 8-18
Top returnees: Shelby Lilly, Sr. Util.; Paisley Carey, Jr. P-2B; Elizabeth Harlow, Jr. CF; Abbey Worley, So. P-1B; Halee Jackson, So. SS; Hunter Marcinek, Fr. 3B; Shelby Carey, Fr. C.
Outlook: The Bulldogs have just one senior in Lilly and two juniors with Paisley Carey and Elizabeth Harlow. So Grimes will throw a bunch of young players to the fire and see how they do. One of the main question marks is the battery, with some unproven pitchers and a new catcher in freshman Shelby Carey.
Sophomores Worley and Jackson and freshman Marcinek are also being counted on to produce.
On the bright side, Grimes does think he has a solid defensive squad and hopes to get runs on the board using the short game.
Coach's comment: "We are looking at attaining some realistic goals this season. I have been impressed early on with our work ethic, but we need each and every girl to continue to strive to be the best they can be each day in practice. We are an extremely young team this year compared to most years with only one senior and two juniors. I feel as though our older girls have done an excellent job preparing defensively. I wish we had about two more weeks to prepare for the beginning of the season as the weather has kept us confined to the gym more than we would like, but we are ready to take our first test and see where we are at this point in time.
Schedule
March
26 - PARIS, 6 p.m.; 28 - vs. Danville at 12th Region All "A" Classic; 31 - LOUISVILLE HOLY CROSS, 4 p.m.
April
2 - LEXINGTON CHRISTIAN, 5;30 p.m.; 9 - at Lexington Christian, 5;30 p.m.; 10 - CASEY COUNTY, 5 p.m.; 14 - BEREA, 6 p.m.; 16 - EAST JESSAMINE, 6 p.m.; 18 - at Portland Christian, 1 p.m.; 20 - SAYRE, 6 p.m.; 21 - at Mercer County, 5;30 p.m.; 23 - at West Jessamine, 5;30 p.m.; 25 - Bluegrass Conference Tournament, team TBA, 2 p.m.; 27 - at Garrard County, 5:30 p.m.; 28 - at Bethlehem, 6 p.m.; 30 - LINCOLN COUNTY, 5;30 p.m.
May
4 - at Paris, 6 p.m.; 6 BETHLEHEM, 6 p.m.; 7 - WASHINGTON COUNTY, 5:30 p.m.; 8 - at Collegiate, 5 p.m.; 11 - at Sayre, 6 p.m.; 12 - at Danville, 5:30 p.m.; 14 - at Berea, 6 p.m.; 15 - at Marion County, 5;30 p.m.; 16 - WILLIAMSBURG, 10 a.m.; DANVILLE, 4 p.m.; and OWEN COUNTY, 6 p.m.
CASEY COUNTY
Coach: Kevin Long
2008 record: 3-22
Top returnees: Kayla McFarland, Sr. C-P-IF; Cassie Wethington, Sr. 2B; Lauren Hatter, Sr. SS.
Outlook: The Rebels are still young, having lost several returning girls to graduation and attrition since last year. But they do return most of their players who have a year of experience under their belt. McFarland, who hit .310 with 15 stolen bases and threw out 60 percent of base runners, leads the way for Casey. Wethington hit .280 last season and Hatter hit .285 and is one of the top fielders for the Rebels.
