Lady Rams look to build on last year
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By PAUL HINES
phines@morningsentinel.com
MT. VERNON — The Lady Rams softball team has numerous returning players to build around coming into a new year.
Mt. Vernon finished with 16 wins last season. Nine of its 11 losses were by two runs or less. A pair of all-state selections highlight the roster.
“We’re a year older and have a lot more experience and time underneath our belts,” Mt. Vernon coach Chris Dalton said. “I return Danicah and Taylor as far as my all-state pitchers go. Arwyn Wilkey is back. I love that she’s only a junior. We’re looking really solid, had some freshmen that came in from eighth grade last year come from the team and are real solid additions to the team.”
Eastern Illinois signee Danicah Tobin is back as a senior. Last year Tobin was an ICA second team all-state pick. She finished with a 1.45 earned run average over 101 and two thirds innings. Tobin struck out 154 batters and walked 27. At the plate she batted .427 and drove in 24 RBI.
Teammate Taylor DeSmith was picked third team ICA all-state and ended with a 1.39 earned run average. She tossed 70 and a third innings while striking out 95 and walking 25. DeSmith batted .325 at the plate with 24 RBI.
The pitching duo finished with a combined 1.42 ERA.
Another top hitter for the Lady Rams was Arwyn Wilkey. The incoming junior batted .442 at the plate and finished with 10 RBI. Wilkey finished the season with one error from her catcher position on more than 200 total chances.
“Arwyn, I don’t think there’s many girls in the state of Illinois that are more talented than Arwyn Wilkey,” Dalton said. “She led in just about every category that wasn’t pitching last year. She’s an incredible athlete.”
Dalton said his program features more depth this season and will include a junior varsity team for the first time in several seasons.
“Last year it was a lot easier to pick the starting nine and put them out there and let them go to work, but this year that’s not the case,” Dalton said. “It’s a lot harder. We have more talent that’s there, and the young ladies have improved and making it a lot tougher on who’s going to be in the lineup and who’s batting where and who’s going to be where. It’s a good problem to have.”
Dalton said one of the focuses of the offseason has been defense. A season ago the Lady Rams committed 62 errors leading to 33 unearned runs over the course of the season.
“The little things are something we’ll be a lot better at this year,” Dalton said.
The South Seven Conference will provide challenges for the Lady Rams. Centralia (18th) and Marion (19th) are both ranked in the ICA preseason 3A top 20. The Annies are coming off a run to the super sectional.
“The schedule looks good. We’ve got those four games circled,” Dalton said. “We’re excited to see them.”
The Lady Rams were scheduled to start the season at Murphysboro on Monday followed by a home game against Hamilton County on Wednesday.
