AISA SOFTBALL: Midkiff, Colts look to three-peat
Hooper’s Kaylee Midkiff hopes to lead the Colts to a third-straight AISA championship this weekend. (Tim Gayle)
By TIM GAYLE
HOPE HULL -- There’s no secret formula to hitting home runs, Hooper Academy senior Kaylee Midkiff insists.
“Softball is a game of failure, so you have to know you’re not going to get on base every time,” she said. “Just believe in what you’ve been taught and trust that what you practice is good, that you can go do it in the game. Believe in what you’re doing every day so there’s no stress in the game. You can just relax and have fun.”
Midkiff has been having a lot of fun this year, leading the Colts back to the Alabama Independent School Association state softball tournament Thursday through Saturday at Lagoon Park Softball Complex. But unlike her sophomore year, when Hooper won its first softball championship, or her junior year, when she fought through a nagging shoulder injury to win the program its second consecutive title, she understands her high school career is down to its last three days and everyone wants to dethrone the Colts.
“The expectation is we’re supposed to win every game,” Midkiff said. “Because we have two straight (championships), nobody should be able to beat us. We’re down to one pitcher this year, so we’re not going to be able to win every game, but we’ll get the main ones.”
One reason for the Colts’ success has been Midkiff, an obvious candidate for AISA Player of the Year honors. The senior catcher is batting .494 with an on-base percentage of .613 and a slugging percentage of 1.146. She has nearly as many home runs this season (14) as singles (16), along with 12 doubles and 49 RBIs. Not surprisingly, she has drawn almost as many walks (27) this season as the number of runs (28) she has scored.
Behind the plate, she has caught 177.2 innings this year while committing just two errors and allowing just three passed balls.
“She’s physically, mentally, emotionally a leader on and off the field,” Hooper Academy coach Elyse Grier said. “She’s been through a lot of these successful years that we’ve had and just having that know-how and that experience in knowing what to do and what comes next and how to handle the pressure in those situations just means the world. That way, she can help others. If you’ve never done it before, you don’t know how to handle it; she’s been through it multiple times now.”
She played last season with a torn labrum in her non-throwing shoulder, requiring surgery that forced her to miss the volleyball and basketball seasons.
“She struggled at the end of last softball season with that shoulder, but she didn’t miss any games with it,” Grier said.
But the Tennessee Tech signee was able to concentrate more on softball, which has led to 14 home runs this season after hitting nine last year.
“It’s been more consistent in hitting them over the fence,” Grier said. “She goes to hitting lessons all the time. She’s been working really hard. She’s got a really good hitting coach. She works all the time behind the scenes and I really think that hard work is showing up and it’s paying off.”
Midkiff’s home run in last week’s regional tournament at Lagoon Park was the 35th of her career.
“It doesn’t feel real,” she said. “In the Crenshaw game, I hit three out in a row. I did not expect that. And I feel like when I don’t expect it, it happens.”
Her secret, if there is one, to her success at the plate involves relaxing and not overthinking the process.
“I feel like this year I’ve been able to relax and control my thinking process when I’m up to bat instead of going 90 to nothing,” she said. “I just take deep breaths right as she pitches it and just explode. I’ve worked a lot on my mental game this year and that’s really helped.
“My hitting coach always sends me these quotes before every game. It helps me realize that nobody is perfect, just control what you can control and let the rest happen. Let God take control.”
Her seventh year as a starter has the Colts (21-10-1) back in the state tournament as one of the favorites, but Kaylee Midkiff tries not to think about the impending end of her high school career.
“Thank goodness I have four more years in college,” she said. “I’ve been working with the little ones, the JV players, and trying to help them with their mental game, their batting and stuff so that maybe they can keep the tradition going and maybe even break my record one day.”
AISA STATE SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
Thursday’s Results
Game 1 -- Crenshaw Christian 12, Wilcox Academy 4
Game 2 -- Abbeville Christian 12, South Choctaw Academy 1
Game 3 -- Patrician Academy 12, Lakeside School 0
Game 4 -- Cornerstone Christian 3, Jackson Academy 2
Game 5 -- South Choctaw Academy 10, Wilcox Academy 0
Game 6 -- Jackson Academy 9, Lakeside School 3
Game 7 -- Abbeville Christian 10, Crenshaw Christian 0
Game 8 -- Patrician Academy 9, Cornerstone Christian 1
Friday’s Schedule
Game 9 -- Cornerstone Christian vs. South Choctaw Academy, 10 a.m.
Game 10 -- Crenshaw Christian vs. Jackson Academy, 10 a.m.
Game 11 -- Abbeville Christian vs. Patrician Academy, noon
Game 12 -- Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, noon
Game 13 -- Winner Game 12 vs. Loser Game 11, 2 p.m.
Saturday
Championship Game, 10 a.m. (A second game, if necessary, will immediately follow.)
CLASS AA
Thursday’s Results
Game 1 -- Fort Dale Academy 12, Morgan Academy 0
Game 2 -- Bessemer Academy 5, Chambers Academy 4
Game 3 -- Edgewood Academy 10, Macon East Academy 2
Game 4 -- Clarke Prep School 3, Hooper Academy 2
Game 5 -- Morgan Academy 3, Chambers Academy 1
Game 6 -- Macon East Academy 5, Hooper Academy 4
Game 7 -- Bessemer Academy 15, Fort Dale Academy 1
Game 8 -- Clarke Prep School 5, Edgewood Academy 1
Friday’s Schedule
Game 9 -- Morgan Academy vs. Edgewood Academy, 10 a.m.
Game 10 -- Macon East Academy vs. Fort Dale Academy, 10 a.m.
Game 11 -- Bessemer Academy vs. Clarke Prep School, noon
Game 12 -- Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, noon
Game 13 -- Winner Game 12 vs. Loser Game 11, 2 p.m.
Saturday
Championship Game, 1 p.m. (A second game, if necessary, will immediately follow.)