Enterprise to host high school softball tournament

By Jeremy Wise

Published: July 24, 2008

Daphne finished as state runner-up, while Dothan forced them to three games in the second round of sub-state.

Rehobeth won a game in the state tournament.

Andalusia fell one round shy of the state tournament, while Enterprise survived a powerful area to make the play-offs.

What do all these teams have in common? They will play in a high school softball tournament this weekend in Enterprise.

The Alabama High School Athletic Association allows teams to have seven days of work in summer.

Enterprise High School head softball coach Ben Thompson decided a tournament would be the best way to use those days.

That is why Daphne, Rehobeth and Andalusia and Dothan will play at the Enterprise Recreational Complex begin-ning at 4 p.m. Friday.

Games begin with pool play Friday night, and a single-elimination bracket follows Saturday.

The teams consist of players from the 2008 squads minus seniors and transfers.

Thompson said these games are usually used for evaluating holes in the team left by departing seniors.

“We look at girls at different positions,” Thompson said.

To better do that, Thompson decided to split his team into a Blue squad and a White squad.

“The split allows them to play a whole game instead of just a couple of innings,” Thompson said.

The Enterprise Lady Wildcats will concentrate on the left side of the infield as catcher Sara Hilton, third baseman Jazmin Santiago, No. 1 starter Kamaron
Strickland and shortstop Hannah Beth Baker have departed the team.

Santiago, Strickland and Hilton all were seniors who signed collegiately. Baker moved out-of-state this summer.

At catcher, junior varsity catcher Erika Mount moved out of the school district, leaving Thompson with more to evaluate.

Despite the losses, Thompson thinks his team could be better this year.

“We may be more of a team. We may manufacture more runs instead of waiting for Jazmin, Sara and Kamaron to hit the three-run homer,” he said.

Thompson said the seven days of work in the summer can be very important, even though playing this summer does not guarantee a spot on the team next
year.

“I think it’s important. Those seven days could be seven weekends. You could play 20 or so games,” he said.

In fact, this weekend will be days three and four for the Lady Wildcats. They have played six games in a tournament in Troy and played Dothan and Central-
Phenix City on another day.

Thompson said he will try to make both the White and Blue squads even.

“I’m trying to make both of them competitive. I’m going by positions. I will evenly split the pitchers,” he said.

Thompson said winning the tournament is not the focus, even though he is splitting the teams evenly.

“We may struggle. The biggest thing is we just get work,” he said.