EMCC Lions to begin 2025 softball slate by hosting Shelton State

SCOOBA – East Mississippi Community College is set to get the 2025 softball season underway with a Wednesday (Feb. 5) home doubleheader against Shelton State Community College. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at the EMCC Softball Field on the Scooba campus.

On the heels of this week's softball season opener, EMCC will mostly spend its remaining pre-conference slate away from home. The Lions are slated to begin play on the road with a Feb. 8 doubleheader at Coastal Alabama-North in Monroeville. Following a brief return to the Scooba campus for a Feb. 18 home twin bill versus Moberly Area Community College from Missouri, EMCC's non-conference slate will be capped with two days of competition in Hinds Community College's JUCO Classic to be played at Sports Force Parks in Vicksburg. The Lions are scheduled to take on Southeast Arkansas College and Metropolitan Community College (MO) on Friday, Feb. 21, before meeting Parkland College (IL) and Coastal Alabama-North the following day (Feb. 22).

The Lions' MACCC regular-season schedule is set to get started with road conference doubleheaders at Holmes (March 8) and East Central (March 11). EMCC will also travel to Hinds (March 22), Coahoma (March 25), Copiah-Lincoln (April 5), Northwest Mississippi (April 16), and Pearl River (April 18).

In home conference action, EMCC will play host to MACCC foes Mississippi Gulf Coast (March 15), Northeast Mississippi (March 19), Jones (March 29), Itawamba (April 8), Meridian (April 12), Mississippi Delta (April 23), and Southwest Mississippi (April 26).  

Under third-year head softball coach Mackenzie Byrd, EMCC's softball program has much to look forward to this coming season with the return of five .300 hitters plus the arrival of a pitching coach and the much-needed addition of a fieldhouse.

Byrd is counting on these factors to hopefully contribute in maintaining the program's steady progress. Her 2023 team posted the Lions' winningest season in five years by recording the program's most overall wins and most conference victories since 2018. EMCC's notable rebuilding process continued last season when the Lions made a five-win improvement from the previous year. The team's 16 victories a season ago included three conference doubleheader sweeps.

Along with returning five starters from last season, including their entire outfield, the Lions welcome former Northwest Shoals Community College standout pitcher Taylor Cameron to the coaching staff. In addition, EMCC's rising softball program has been rewarded with the addition of an amenities-laden fieldhouse complex that houses a locker room, dressing room, recreation area and meeting space.

EMCC's softball optimism for the coming year is highlighted by the return of the Lions' starting outfield. Featuring the team's most consistent hitter from a year ago in second-team All-MACCC centerfielder Karen Wisher (Irvington, AL/Alma Bryant HS), EMCC's outfield figures to again have Brianna Byrd (Petal HS) and Victoria Irby (West Lauderdale HS) flanking Wisher on defense. Wisher topped last year's EMCC team in multiple offensive categories, including batting average (.338), home runs (7), extra-base hits (20), and runs scored (39). Byrd aims to again contribute some pop in EMCC's lineup after batting .300 with 11 extra-base hits last season, while the speedy Irby will play an instrumental role in getting on base after hitting .310 with 19 stolen bases as a freshman.

Gail Wisher will again be a primary contributor in the Lions' lineup and defensively on the field as a valuable utility player after batting .307 with 11 extra-base hits and 22 RBIs as a freshman. She also hails as EMCC's lone returner with pitching experience from a year ago.

Figuring to be equally valuable this coming season for the Lions will be returning catcher Rachel Rommel, who looks to provide stability and leadership for a youthful EMCC pitching staff. The Poplar Bluff, Missouri product batted a solid .311 as a 36-game starter behind the plate as a freshman.

With the exception of Gail Wisher having made six appearances in the circle for EMCC a year ago and Mississippi Delta transfer Sara Frances Ramsay (Oak Hill Academy) having received 15 pitching starts last season for the Trojans, the Lions' pitching staff will be relatively inexperienced heading into this season. Other incoming players bidding to see some action in the circle and possibly elsewhere defensively as freshmen include Allee Bennett (St. Patrick Catholic HS), Savannah Frelix (Haleyville [AL] HS), and Madison Newburn (Wayne County HS).

EMCC's newcomer group also features incoming freshman position players Raylea Atkinson (Leake Academy), Marleigh Cockrell (Hatley HS), AJ Johnson (Louisville HS), Southwest Mississippi CC transfer Sasha King (Brookhaven Academy), Emmajane Lepard (Leake Academy), Annagrace Stewart (Sebastopol HS), and Kendel Thompson (Starkville HS).