Lincoln softball will open its season on Monday, as the Bulldogs look to climb the mountain and advance to the state tournament for the first time in 2024.

The Bulldogs will open the season with two home games, hosting Verdigris on Monday and Morris on Tuesday, with both contests starting at 5 p.m.

After a 12-17 season in 2023, head coach Lacy Ragland is confident her upperclassmen are ready to lead the way to an improved mark this fall.

"We lost three valuable players from our 2023 team," she said. "However, we've had players step into leadership roles that were extremely necessary. Our upperclassmen will bring consistency, communication, power, and softball IQ."

That will start with seniors Addison Whitmire and Campbell Ryan, both of which will be key cornerstones for Lincoln defensively. 

"Addison leads defensively from the left side of our infield," Ragland said. "She has the potential to play both 3rd and short. Campbell Ryan is solid behind the plate to maintain great consistency for our defense."

They will look to back up junior pitcher Maddi Stewart and sophomore Haylee Delozier, both of which should be able to keep opposing lineups off balance.

"Maddi is really strong. She brings a lot of heat and then can just make it drop off the table," Ragland said. "Haylee is right behind her with a little less speed, but a lot of junk. I expect that with the fairly extreme difference in speeds and the ability to move the ball, it should give us lots of fly balls and strikeouts."

Junior Kabry Kiger is back after a solid sophomore season and will man the corners for Lincoln's infield in 2024.

"She is a multifaceted player," Ragland said. "She will play our corners efficiently and effectively in both positions for us."

Ragland is excited to welcome Bryleigh Milligan into the fold, as the talented freshman is expected to make an impact all over the field.

"She is a wild card player for us," Ragland said. "She can play anywhere, and she will completely change the dynamics of our defensive game."

Along with her versatility in her first varsity season, Ragland also praised Milligan for her effort with her glove and ability to make things happen offensively.

"She will be diving all over the field and making plays defensively. Offensively she will be seen on both sides of the plate. She's quick and smart on the bases. She will be so much fun to watch," Ragland said.

Being able to get on base and provide pitchers different looks is how Ragland's group will attack things at the plate this fall, which is exactly how she would have it.

"I love a great bunt game," she said. "I look forward to keeping our opponent guessing and with players who can do a little bit of everything, it's going to be fun to watch."

Ragland will be able to play with the lineup some, as a variety of skills will allow Lincoln to play small ball and hit for power.

"We have power hitters, bunters, slappers, intelligence, and speed," Ragland said. "We have power from our 1-7 hitters and our 8-9 hitters have speed that can make it a guessing game for the defense."

That will be key as the season gets going, as Ragland touched on the importance of starting out hot offensively to give her defense and pitching some comfort.

"We need runs across the plate," she said. "That will bring confidence to our pitchers and suppress timidity in our defense. This momentum can carry us along with consistency to our disciplines both on and off the field."

The Bulldogs started prep for the beginning of the fast pitch season long ago, as Ragland's crew took part in summer workouts, developing mentally, physically and spiritually.

"We approach the summers as a time to develop and prepare mentally, physically, and spiritually," she said. "Summer pride is extremely difficult. This is obviously a focus on physical growth, but it is next level for our girls to train mentally. We expect them to push through their own mental boundaries of what they are capable of and really lean into what they don't know they can do."

Ragland hopes the summer prep has prepared her team for when adversity strikes, at some point during the tough schedule. 

"There is a quote by Pastor Willie George in our field house that says, 'You don't rise to the occasion, but you fall to the level of your preparation,'" she said. "This is the place we want to train our athletes to thrive because adversity will come."

Part of that is coming together as a team and connecting with God, which the program has done throughout the years by getting away on a summer retreat.

"We take time out of our summer and our practice time to get away with the girls on a retreat. The goal is to get away from the game and everyday life and allow God to open up our eyes and our hearts for what He wants from us for this season," she said. "This is a time when I roll out the vision for this season and how we will develop with this in mind on and off the field."

That is one piece of the program Ragland, who is entering her sixth year as head coach, has developed, along with many others that she hopes can continue to build her program.

"We have found growth in different ways from season to season," she said. "We have grown in wins and losses. We've set goals to host playoff games and reached it, but we haven't broken through the wall of a state tournament appearance."

But it's not all about winning and losing.

"As important as winning and getting to those big games is to me, it's about so much more," she said. "I've been blessed with a great staff as well as incredible girls. I don't claim to be an expert at the game of softball, but I'm pretty good at loving kids and showing them Jesus."

And that's what will continue to be a focus of the softball program year-in, year-out, as the players and coaches have built a culture to be proud of.

"My heart's desire is to develop strong women of God who are prepared to take their next steps in life with confidence as a student, a business owner, a wife, and eventually even a mom," she said. "Softball just happens to bring wins, losses, emotions, adversity, success, and failure. I view this as the tool God has given me to help them navigate and point them back to Him."

So as Ragland and her bunch get going next week in the hot sun, stirring up dirt and hustling around the diamond in hopes to stack wins, the head coach hopes people will see her team's vision for 2024 in Titus 1:8.

"As we wear the Lincoln jersey it is my belief that we are already marked as leaders," she said. "We are called to be hospitable, to love what is good, to use self-control, to live upright, and be disciplined.  This year we will grow to be women of God living a life above reproach on and off the field."