Bailey Carlisle is a stand-out softball player on a stand-out team at Wetumpka. She played in the North-South All Star game at Lagoon Park on Wednesday, representing her school and her city as the only Wetumpka player on the diamond that day.
Carlisle has started on the varsity squad since her sophomore year, but last season as a junior she made a huge impact in both the batters’ box and in the infield as a shortstop.
Ana Sofia Meyer / TPI Wetumpka's Bailey Carlisle high-fives her teammate at the 2025 North-South All Star game.
“This was a huge accomplishment for Bailey to get to participate in (North-South All Stars) this year,” coach Daryl Otwell said. “Coming into her junior year, she wanted to work on the offensive side of the game, and just to see the success she had last year, she led the team in a lot of offensive categories. Seeing her put that work in and get rewarded was fun to watch.”
Overall athleticism is an underrated advantage in softball, and Carlisle is evidence of that. She is quick on her feet with a killer arm and has an eye for the ball as it meets her bat. Even going up against the best softball players in Alabama, she showed that.
“The first thing people notice about Bailey is just how athletic she moves,” Otwell said. “She’s very fast, very strong. When she plays shortstop, she makes above average plays look very easy, and that’s just one thing she does, so definitely her overall athletic ability (stands out).”
Last season Carlisle put up a whopping .493 batting average, with 73 hits and 8 home runs. She also managed a .905 fielding percentage, meaning she successfully fielded over 90 percent of the balls hit in her vicinity.
Carlisle’s on the field performance isn’t even the best thing about her, according to Otwell – it is her attitude in the locker room and how good of a teammate she is.
“Bailey is the type of player with a contagious smile,” Otwell said. “When she comes to practice, she’s got one gear and that’s wide open. I think her teammates know that day-in and day-out, Bailey’s going to play her best, give it her all. She’s kind of like the big sister on our team. She’s always there to support everybody and you can just tell her presence in our locker room when she walks out on the field.”
Carlisle is also in the process of recruiting for college softball, she will more than likely continue her career and play at the next level. Before then, she has one more season as an Indian and she is sure to shine.
