After the jump Wetumpka’s Bailey Carlisle made to her game, it was a no-brainer she was well deserving of being named a part of the AHSAA North-South Softball All-Star game.
The junior dominated this past season, posting the second-highest batting average with a .493 alongside her 73 hits. She tied for first on the team with eight home runs and added 12 doubles for the Indians this year.
Carlisle was a mainstay for Wetumpka as a sophomore playing a key piece in their state tournament run, but she was more of an impact on the defensive side of things. According to softball coach Daryl Otwell, heading into her junior year with the program she knew she had to work on the offensive side of things.
“Bailey, her sophomore year, played phenomenal on our state tournament team,” Otwell said. “She struggled offensively and didn't have the number she wanted. Played really good defense so going into the offseason, into Bailey's junior year, she put a lot of focus on the offensive side of the game. In this game, not every time you really put the work in and the time you get the results. But Bailey just really worked and grinded it out this off-season. And man, you're talking about a complete overhaul from one year to the next.”
All the hard work she put in paid off. She jumped near the bottom of the lineup to finish behind teammate Lily Davenport in most offensive categories.
The North-South game comes with many benefits, from playing with and against some of the top players in the state to being coached by some of the best softball minds. One of the most glaring will be the exposure to college coaches.
“You really get to showcase your talent, and then you also get to represent your school and your community, which is a big thing,” Otwell said. “I think that will be good for her, just to get that feel. One thing about Bailey is, I think she's a high-level player, and definitely a big-time college-type player. That little extra exposure will help, and hopefully, it'll create an opportunity for maybe the right person to see her, or something along those lines, create opportunity for her.”
Carlisle will head right down the road to Montgomery for All-Star Week, which will take place between July 21-26. However, there is one thing Otwell wants her to make sure of during her off-season work — keep doing what she’s doing.
“She worked hard her sophomore year, worked hard her junior year,” Otwell said. “And, sometimes players try to press and do more, and sometimes it results in less. So really just keep doing what you're doing. I'm very excited, I'm glad we have her another year, especially as she plays defense for us and her leadership skills.”
