Columbus East has several softball players who can play multiple positions, and coach Rusty Brummett sees that as an advantage in more ways than one.
After spring sports were shut down last year, fall and winter sports have been played. However, some teams have had to go without players for up to two weeks because of COVID-19 or contact tracing.
“With COVID affecting people and having to quarantine, the programs that have the ability to move their players around are going to be in a good place,” Brummett said. “If you only have one shortstop or one pitcher, you could get bitten by that quarantine or contact tracing. We’re certainly doing everything we can to prevent that — wearing masks, social distancing, things like that — but we have depth at a lot of positions.”
The Olympians were poised to have a big year in 2020 with four seniors who had been three-year starters, but COVID-19 wiped that out.
“Our program was in a good spot,” Brummett said. “We had a solid varsity team. We had a real good group of seniors. We had some pitching that had some experience, and we had a couple of young ladies that were going to be freshmen that had some experience pitching.
“It was kind of frustrating, particularly for those four seniors who didn’t get to play. From the program’s perspective, we had that feeder system from our junior varsity, and just in one year it kind of blows it all up.”
East has only one senior on this year’s team, and that is Brummett’s daughter, Kaitlin. Kaitlin Brummett, who started at shortstop as a freshman and sophomore, likely will do most of the catching this season.
Junior Kerigan Greathouse returns in right field and junior Julia Sitterding, who played mostly left field in 2019, likely will be at third base and could back up sophomore Kenzie Foster at shortstop.
Sophomore Saige Stahl will take over at first base, with junior Kenzie Sigman and sophomores Bailey Todd and Kaylee Cole all battling for second base. The two sophomores that don’t end up there will likely play left and center field.
Sophomores Megan Kennedy and Kaylee Smith will do most of the pitching.
“We have a good core,” Rusty Brummett said. “Then, we have some other freshman, and they’re learning.”
One of those freshmen, Addyson Ross, could play third, first or catcher. Junior Jessica Johnston could see time at catcher or in the infield.
“We have good speed and good arms,” Rusty Brummett said. “This is certainly the quickest team we’ve had since I’ve been here. We have the potential of having seven left-handed slap hitters. That certainly puts more pressure on the defense, rather than just hitting away.”
While East had to practice inside early this week because of wet fields, the Olympians were able to practice outside last week.
“I told the girls just the other day that I’m as pleased with where we are as I have been in a long time in the program,” Rusty Brummett said. “We’re pretty far advanced in both our hitting and our defense. It’s unfortunate these girls did not get to have some junior varsity and varsity experience last year.”
East will open the season against a new opponent in Hauser. The Olympians and Jets were scheduled to meet last year at East before the season was canceled.
As it did in 2019, the Hoosier Hills Conference will play a round-robin schedule, with no HHC tournament. East will play in the sectional at Shelbyville.
“We have a very good softball conference,” Brummett said. “Floyd Central is always good. Jennings County is always a very solid program. Coach (Jerry) Burton does a good job of keeping Seymour competitive all the time. We want to finish in the top half of our conference and have our girls playing our best softball at the end of the season. We want to walk away with a sectional championship. That’s certainly at the top of our goals.”
