If a basketball player makes more than 47 percent of their shots, that’s generally a very good offensive season. But if a softball player can connect for a hit at the same rate, that’s bordering on absurdity.

That’s exactly what Kelsey Lockridge did for Warren Central this season. She finished with a .478 batting average and an even more absurd on-base percentage of .556, meaning she was more likely to get on base than make an out. It’s why she’s the 2018 Vicksburg Post softball Player of the Year.

It’s the eighth time in 10 seasons that a Warren Central player has won the award.

Her bat was key for the Lady Vikes all season, as they reached the second round of the MHSAA Class 6A playoffs, but that came with plenty of effort and extra work.

“It was a lot of work, off the field and on it,” Lockridge said. “I always stayed late hitting stuff, and I know that I wanted to help my team this year and that was the only way I could.”

Lockridge’s coach, Dana McGivney, had plenty of praise for her player and stressed how important she was to the team.

“Her hitting was great this year,” McGivney said. “She hit almost .500, that’s pretty hard to do. In my opinion, if you can hit .478 in fast pitch, you’re doing a pretty good job. Definitely, she was a catalyst for our offense and we wouldn’t have been as successful without her.”

Lockridge thought she had a chance at hitting .500 during the season, but was still very happy with her performance.

“At the beginning of the year I was really confident and was hitting balls out and I was just feeling it, and then I got in this little slump and it brought it down to .478, but that’s still pretty good for fast-pitch,” Lockridge said.

There were a few factors that contributed to Lockridge’s monster year in her second season with Warren Central after transferring from Vicksburg High.

“This year we hit a lot more, and that kind of helped me, and I was more mentally stable,” Lockridge said. “I didn’t feel as stressed out as I did last year coming onto a new team and feeling like I had to be a better player, so I felt more relaxed this year and got to know the girls better.”

Though it’s her bat that garners all of the attention, Lockridge also took a step forward defensively.

“Last year I had a lot of errors. This year I settled down and I made pretty good plays,” Lockridge said.

One of the things Lockridge was proudest of was how her team battled through adversity. The Lady Vikes battled back to win their first-round playoff series against Southaven after dropping Game 1, and still reached the second round despite finishing just 11-15.

“Overall I’m really happy about what we did this year, slow-pitch and fast-pitch. It was good to just be a team and play as a team,” Lockridge said.

Vicksburg Post Players of the Year
2018 – Kelsey Lockridge, Warren Central
2017 – Hannah Embry, Porters Chapel
2016 – Brooke Patterson, Warren Central
2015 – Darby Gain, Warren Central
2014 – Brooke Patterson, Warren Central
2013 – Megan McCullough, Warren Central
2012 – Krista Cortezie, Warren Central
2011 – Mallory McGuffee, St. Aloysius
2010 – Chasity Hearn, Warren Central
2009 – Mandy Fuller, Warren Central
2008 – Sarah Franco, St. Aloysius
2007 – Sarah Kerut, St. Aloysius
2006 – Sarah Kerut, St. Aloysius
2005 – Lauren Anderson, Warren Central
2004 – Lauren Johnson, Porters Chapel
2003 – Laura Beth Lyons, St. Aloysius
2002 – Katie Barnett, Warren Central
2001 – Katie Barnett, Warren Central
2000 – Emily Mathes, Vicksburg