Chesterfield – The Chesterfield High softball program is under new leadership in 2024 but the championship goals remain the same.
Chesterfield won the Class AA state championship last spring, beating Mid-Carolina in a best of three series. The coach of that team, Christian Stokes, stepped down after last season and she starts her own family. Named as her replacement is Graham Harpe, a member of the coaching staff as the head junior varsity coach for the last two seasons.
In addition to the coaching change, the Rams lost six players from last year’s team. Harpe, however, sees a solid core group of younger players feeding into the program and says the goal is to remain at or near the top of Class AA.
“Certainly we are going to miss the girls who graduated but I see a lot of very talented young players ready to step in for us this spring,” Harpe said. “The girls in the seventh, eighth and ninth-grade classes are pretty talented and that group has a chance to be really good. Some will play key roles this season but the future looks very good.
“We will be a competitive team this year. I am optimistic about our chances. We had six girls get out late due to basketball so we are putting things together. I believe this team can be successful.”
The biggest losses from last year are at pitcher and catcher, two pivotal positions. Harpe has his eyes on a pair of eighth-graders and a pair of seventh-graders as future pitchers. Junior Ariana Vanderpool will get a look inside the circle with eighth-graders Reagan Rivers and Trinity Trexler getting innings as well.
Junior Jamison Miles will start this season behind the plate.
Chesterfield’s top returning player is all-state shortstop Kaylee Eubanks, a senior Syracuse commit. Eubanks will be a key offensive leader while anchoring the infield defense.
Junior Kendall Brock is slated for duties at first base while freshman Bryce Harpe, who played as an eighth-grader, will be at second base. Junior Kai Pace rounds out the infield defense at third base.
Senior Kierra Diggs anchors the outfield as a star defender in center. Michaela Lisenby begins the season in left and junior Marah Brock starting in right.
Harpe feels the Rams will be solid defensively and will look to execute offensively to manufacture runs.
“We have to be able to steal some bases, move runners over, be good base runners,” Harpe said. “Kaylee will be a key run producer if we can get on base around her, but teams will pitch her carefully. We have to get other girls to step up and produce.”
Harpe feels North Central and Buford are among the teams to beat in the region. The region is highly competitive as three of the final four teams in the Lower State bracket of last year’s playoffs were from region four.
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