Red Hawk softball enters spring with high expectations

Red Hawk softball enters spring with high expectations

HICKORY, N.C. — The Catawba Valley Community College softball team officially starts its 2025 season next week with optimism for not only this spring, but future seasons to come.

Four players return to the Red Hawk softball roster from last year's team, including outfielder Miranda Valerio, first baseman Kameron Bolick, pitcher Tristan Smalling and catcher Annalyse Myers.

Second-year head coach Mickey Bolick believes all four returnees will be pivotal to his team's success this spring.

"We really have high expectations for Miranda," coach Bolick said. "We think she has the possibility of being an All-American if she can do what we know she can do, and Kameron is about the same. Tristan brings consistency to the mound. Annalyse has really improved behind the plate. She's starting to become a quiet leader. In all of my years of coaching, she might be the best teammate I've ever seen. She's just all about the girls on the team. She works her tail off. We're really looking forward to her having a good year, too."

Several new players have also caught coach Bolick's eye, including third baseman Courtney Dean, infielder Gionna Merhtens and outfielder Ava Parkerson.

"Courtney has stepped into a leadership role," coach Bolick said. "Gionna is from California, and we're expecting big things from her, too. She'll be solid for us. We just found out she can pitch, too. That was a big plus. Offensively, Courtney and Gianna are both going to be good for us. Ava brings some speed to us in the outfield and another left-handed bat."

Also aiding the Red Hawks will be five pitchers on their staff, including Smalling, Merhtens, Kailee Smith, Alix Cutter and Addison Culberson.

The five arms are the most the program has had since its inception in 2019.

"The good thing is our pitchers are all different speeds so that's going to help us," coach Bolick said. "The biggest thing for them right now is they have to learn location is the biggest part of pitching. Where do I throw and where do I miss? You can't miss too much on the plate. They're working really hard at getting better at that. Location is the key. You don't have to throw it 70 (miles per hour) to be effective. You just have to know where to throw it."

Bolick thinks that his team's pitching will be one of its biggest x-factors this spring.

"Offensively, we are going to be fine," he said. "Defensively, we should be sound. If we pitch well, we'll play well. I tell our team all the time if we hit, it doesn't matter what else is going on. We can win. Hitting cures everything. So far in practice and scrimmaging I would say we do that well. We're going to pitch well, play defense enough and score enough runs where we should be alright."

Helping aid that pitching and also the Red Hawks' outfield is Bolick's newest assistant coach — former Fred T. Foard and Belmont Abbey standout Adison Yoder.

"With this being Adison's first year, she's learning a few things as we are going," Bolick said. "I have all the confidence in the world that she'll turn all of our pitchers into good ones."

The Red Hawks will play a smaller schedule this spring mostly aimed at competing at a higher level in Region 10 competition.

"We have to play 32 conference games this year, and we want our players to be healthy for them," Bolick said. "Last year, we finished the season with nine players and still finished second in our region. That was two years in a row that we finished second. You need to have time to rest when you have 11 players."

One intangible that Bolick believes will help his players this season is their tight bond.

"This team is as close as any team I've seen here," he said. "They have fun together. They are going to have fun playing together. For me, (assistant coach) Kendall (Settlemyre) and Adison, that is all we can ask as coaches. Just bring the best you've got that day, and let's play. Whatever happens, happens."

The future is bright for the Red Hawk softball program with a new on-campus field being built on Startown Road, which is scheduled to open by the 2026 spring season.

"Our new field gives all of us motivation," Bolick said. "In one week, we had eight student athletes commit. I've never heard of that. It's helped our recruiting tremendously. It's put a new atmosphere here. When it gets here, it is going to be special."

As for his prediction for this year's Red Hawk softball team, Bolick is confident that his players will come through when they need to.

"They are going to play as hard as they can every time they play," he said. "If they do that, as a coach that's all you can ask for. Give me 100 percent every time, and something good will come our way. Last year, we were in a place where we hadn't been before as a program, and we got up to 17th in the country. At one point, we won 16 games in a row. As coaches, we've been here. We've just got to get the players to believe in themselves. Anything is possible. We've proved that. We plan on proving that again."