ALL-CCC: State champ St. James dominates with six selections, including COY

St. James catcher Emily Darby was named the Capital City Conference Player of the Year by the coaches. (File Photo)

By TIM GAYLE

St. James catcher Emily Darby helped the Trojans win a 3A state softball championship on Friday, but that wasn’t the end of her playing week. 

“She left the state tournament and went and played seven games on Saturday and Sunday,” St. James coach Mark Hall said. “She just loves playing softball. She wants to be on the softball field.”

Darby’s enthusiasm for the game is infectious and her ability at the plate and behind the plate is unique as well.

 “Emily Darby is something we’ve never had and that’s a catcher who has the most energy on the field,” Hall said. “They say you only go as far as your pitching and your catching but your pitcher, at times, doesn’t need to show a lot of energy and needs to be calm and taking care of business. But when your catcher has all that energy. 

“So she’s our leader. We feed off her emotions and she, 100 percent of the time, is going to give you everything she’s got. Hitting wise, she’s one of the most feared hitters in the state. The coaches in the regionals and the state tournament obviously got the memo. That’s the thing I preached every time she got up to bat is patience.”

Darby batted .530 this season, recording 17 home runs and 19 doubles while driving in 82 runs, all team highs. She also drew 33 walks in 115 at-bats as postseason opponents quit pitching to her. In her final eight postseason games, she had no home runs, eight hits and nine walks, rarely seeing a quality pitch in the month of May.

The sophomore was selected by Capital City Conference coaches as the CCC Player of the Year, edging out three-time POY and teammate Emily Needham.  

“She’s been the face of the program for several years now,” Hall said of Needham. “Watching her develop as a player and as a person, it’s a fitting end to win a state championship on her way out because she means everything to St. James softball. And to not only pitch like she’s capable of doing, she had a breakout offensive year. When it got to her in the lineup, you knew that she was going to see good pitches and she was going to have an opportunity to drive in a lot of runs.

“She’s one of the main reasons, if not the main reason, that St. James is one of the premier programs in the state.”

St. James coach Mark Hall was selected by coaches as the CCC Coach of the Year.

Needham is one of four players earning all-CCC first team selection for the fourth consecutive year, along with teammate Sydney Johnston, Catholic’s Rylee Wilcoxson and Trinity’s Emma Rose Meldrum.

Catholic outfielder Haley Ishman made the first team for the third consecutive year, while Darby and Kaitlyn Hudson of St. James, Catholic’s Peyton Dees and Trinity’s Marley Sharpless are repeat selections.

ALL-CAPITAL CITY CONFERENCE SOFTBALL TEAM

1B -- Rylee Wilcoxson, Sr., Catholic

2B -- Lily Stanford, Jr., St. James

3B -- Emma Rose Meldrum, Sr., Trinity

SS -- Sydney Johnston, Sr., St. James

C -- Emily Darby, So., St. James

OF -- Campbell Hammett, Sr., Alabama Christian

OF -- Haley Ishman, Jr., Catholic

OF -- Kaitlyn Hudson, Jr., St. James

P -- Emily Needham, Sr., St. James

P -- Marley Sharpless, Sr., Trinity

P -- Adalee Lincoln, 8th, Alabama Christian

DH -- Peyton Dees, Sr., Catholic

Util -- Elizabeth Hall, Sr., Alabama Christian

PLAYER OF THE YEAR -- Emily Darby, St. James

COACH OF THE YEAR -- Mark Hall, St. James

Honorable mention: Addi Brunson, 8th, 3B, St. James; Koriah Cannon, 7th, OF, St. James; Kayleigh Creel, Sr., OF, Trinity; Aleigha Davis, So., P, St. James; Gabby Eady, Jr., P-DH, Catholic; Davis Anne Fitzpatrick 8th, 1B-SS-P, Montgomery Academy; Hayden Fitts, Jr., SS, Catholic; Anna Gleason, Sr., 3B, Alabama Christian; Destini Hartman, Fr., P. Catholic; Emory Harris, Sr, 1B, Trinity; Elinor Grace Hines, Jr., SS-3B-P, Montgomery Academy; Harper Johnson, Fr., C-OF, Trinity; Mary Olive Maddox, Jr., 1B, St. James; Maddie Owens, Jr., P, Alabama Christian; Layla Pelt, 7th, P, Trinity; Jaidyn Simmons, Sr., OF-P, Catholic; Mia Zukowski, Jr., OF, St. James.