New Crestwood softball head coach Ricks believes return to playoffs can be done

            Sumter – Jamila Ricks was the head coach of the junior varsity softball team for Crestwood High School last year, the program’s first JV team in at least a decade.

             This year she’s the head coach of the varsity team after Donald Flippin left to become the athletic director at fellow Sumter School District school Lakewood. She inherited a team that reached the state playoffs last season for the first time in a decade.

            The Knights won four of their first nine games this year and were 1-2 in Region 6-AAA.

           “To me the team is playing as they should, but I believe they can definitely play above my expectations if they believe in themselves and have that confidence I know they have,” Ricks said. “My team does surprise me every day with something different on the field, whether it’s good or bad, and I could not ask for anything more of them.” 

         Crestwood returns basically all of its lineup from last season when it went 10-9 and finished fourth in the region. The Knights advanced to the playoffs and went 1-2 in the district tournament. The one piece that’s missing is pitcher Maliah Wright, who is now at Gray Collegiate Academy.

        Sophomore Rylee Creech has been handling most of the pitching with freshman Ja’Misauana Montgomery and junior Daleah Dixon getting some work as well.

       Senior centerfielder Laniya Rouse is batting leadoff followed by sophomore catcher Zaire Ransom. Alanna Dixon has been in the 3 hole with Montgomery batting cleanup.

       Returning freshman My’Aniah Robinson is fifth followed by returning senior Na’Laya Singleton, Daleah Dixon,  Au’Niya Brooks and returning sophomore Scharlin Jones.

       Rouse was leading the team with a .632 batting average followed by Montgomery at .625 and Brooks at .571.

      Ricks, who has a JV team for a second straight year, believes a return trip to the playoffs is very doable.

     “They have to communicate, work together and believe in themselves that they can be the next best thing and be in the top if they believe in their skills,” Ricks said. “I feel once they get in their element, or like they like to say “lock in mode -- working together defensively and offensively -- they can be unstoppable and take it to the next level.”

     KREMER TRYING TO BUILD BASEBALL PROGRAM

    The Crestwood baseball team is off to a 2-7 overall start and is 0-4 in region play. Head coach Collin Kremer is being measured in what he considers success with his young team.

           “I feel like we’re headed in the right direction,” said Kremer, who is in his second season as head coach. “We are progressing after getting zero wins a couple of years ago. I definitely feel like we’re going in the right direction.

           “There’s not a set number of wins that we have in mind. We want to be more competitive and not have so many games where we’re getting beat by the 15-run or 10-run (mercy) rule.”

           The Knights return eight players from last year’s squad that was 3-19 overall and 0-10 in region action. All of them have been part of the starting lineup most of this season.

           The most consistent batting order has junior Darian Miller leading off followed by junior shortstop Jordan Mickens and junior first baseman Randall Bird Jr.

           Cash Hollway is a freshman third baseman batting cleanup. Junior catcher Noah Papp is in the 5 hole followed by junior second baseman Jaydis Williams, junior leftfielder Maliek Billups and senior centerfielder Carron Dawson.

           Senior Jabari Johnson and freshman Patrick Fortier share time in right and bat ninth.

           Bird, Papp, Miller and Williams are seeing most of the time on the mound with Mickens and Holloway getting some relief work.

           Kremer said pitching has been the biggest weakness so far. He is happy with the defensive play.

           Kremer is excited to have a junior varsity team for the first time in several years.

           “This is the first year we've had a JV since before COVID,” he said. “This will show these new players what program is about and where we’re expected to be going.”