BY WIL CREWS
SPORTSCREWS@
OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
BEULAH —
The varsity Beulah softball team has clinched the regular season area title and is playing some of its best ball ahead of the fast-approaching postseason.
The Bobcats, 21-6 overall (4-0 in the area), will host the AHSAA 3A Area 7 postseason tournament May 1 and 2, welcoming in Randolph County and Dadeville. Head coach Stan Pepper said he knows his team can always improve, but is satisfied with where they are to this point.
“We are about where I expected us to be at this time,” he said. “We have been here before, so they know what is important now. They are starting to get a little more serious about things.”
The past two years, Beulah softball advanced all the way to the 3A State Tournament Final Four. For this year’s team, Pepper identified defense as an area where the Bobcats need to continue to improve in order to push past the levels of success reached in previous years.
“We are getting better,” he said. “Before spring break we had a little rough patch. But we are starting to get better, especially our pitching. Defensively we are getting better as well, but we have some things to clean up from a defensive standpoint. We are making too many errors.”
On the flip side, Pepper said the back end of Beulah’s lineup has increased its production recently, but the entire squad could use some refining in situational play.
“The back end of our lineup is starting to hit the ball better,” he said. “But we have to do a better job of putting the ball in play when it’s time to play some small ball — got to do a better job at bunting.”
With great success comes great expectations. Pepper and the Bobcats are no stranger to this point. The head coach relishes it, in fact.
“You get to the point where those are the expectations you want to have for your program,” Pepper said. “We still haven’t accomplished our ultimate goal — to win a state championship. Until you reach it, you are not meeting your expectations. We haven’t really done anything yet in the last three years.”
Ultimately, Pepper said the leadership of his three seniors — Brandy Phillips, Savannah Clements and Amiya Dunn — give him hope for the things this Beulah squad can achieve.
“They have done an outstanding job being leaders on and off the field,” Pepper said. “I appreciate all they have done and accomplished for this program. It’s not going to be a shortened season; I’m hoping we go all the way until the end of May.”