By Thomas Sellers Jr.
The 2010s were good to the Tipton-Rosemark Academy Lady Rebels.
In that decade, the Lady Rebels brought home two Division II-A State titles, had various players make the All-State Team, and reach Murfreesboro for the State Tournament multiple times with a runner-up finish in 2018.
TRA’s reputation is known across state. And last year Friendship Academy made the trip to Rosemark for the Sub-State series taking it to the Lady Rebels.
With loaded rosters, Lady Rebels Head Coach Johnie Sanfratello knows the last two seasons ended prematurely and without the golden plaque.
“I bring it up all the team,” he acknowledged. “We do the National Anthem before basketball and those pictures are right under the flag. They’ve been there and they know what it takes. Abby and Lexie have been in the program for five years now and the rest of the seniors for four years.
‘They’re our leaders,” he continued. “The expectations from me are really high. I have to get them to have high expectations not only for themselves but for their teammates too. To make them understand we should be there every year. It shouldn’t be every four years but we should be at State every year.”
The senior class for TRA are led by a pair of players who joined varsity in eighth grade, Abby West and Lexie Williams. The other 12th grader leaders for the Lady Rebels will be Addey Beasley and Meredith “Mo” Owen.
Sanfratello said their guidance on and off the field will be a key. Another important factor for success in 2020 will be staying on the field.
“One thing we have to make sure is that we’re healthy,” he said. “Right now Charli Rice is hurting. She has a back injury. That’s obvious that everything starts in the circle. We have to be sure our pitchers are healthy once we start the season.”
Rice, a junior, is entering her fourth season of varsity action. She is a top level arm. But Sanfratello learned last season, he has to develop a couple of more big game pitchers to throw multiple looks at the oppositions.
As 2020 begins, a class trip to Europe will coincide with the Lady Rebels heading to Gulf Shores.
“It’s going to be a slow start,” he said. “So have to make sure we’re steady. Friendship they were young. We at some point had 6 freshmen playing at some point in every game. We had 6 freshmen out of 9 spots. I don’t know if I could expect a lot more out of last year. Those girls have grown up. They had to grow up quickly with last season.
“If we can stay healthy, have good pitching and I think we’re going to score a lot of runs,” he continued. “We’ve put in a lot of work with the new indoor facility. The kids have been able to come down with open gym to get in some work.”
TRA’s indoor facility has given the players a chance to get in cuts and drills. Sanfratello noted advantages like that are old habit in other parts of Tennessee.
“It all starts there,” he said. “When you get to the middle part of the state, softball here in the West part is not as strong. It’s getting there. We’re definitely third in the state and anything we achieve outside of our Region Tournament is really good. There’s really good players across the state.”
Sanfratello said he has some good players with sophomore Addie Glass and Ryleigh Bowers being a year better and more experienced.
“Both will pitch a lot in week one because of that trip,” he said. “They’re going to grow up real quick. It’s going to be good and those guys are going to have to throw a lot.”
When it comes to the offense, Sanfratello will put the emphasizes on his upperclassmen like Williams.
“Lexie been in the top of the order… nearly batting .400,” he noted. “She has a solid on base percentage and near to breaking Taylor Beasley’s stolen base record.”
Another table-setter for TRA will be Owen. Coach said she can shift the “mo”mentum at any spot in the lineup with her speed.
Players expected to drive them in will be West, Rice, Bowers and Beasley.
“The last time I said this was in 2017, I thought we had a lot of potential and we broke every offensive record at the school,” Sanfratello concluded. “I think this team has the potential to do a lot of good things offensively.”
