Hamlin pushing fundamentals as Hornets enter postseason

One might think that you would be hard-pressed to find much room for improvement in the scorching-hot Advance/Bell City softball squad this spring, however, veteran Hornet coach James Hamlin is still seeing areas he wants his players to improve upon as they enter postseason play today.

Advance/Bell City (17-2) will host Meadow Heights (5-11) today in the opening round of the MSHSAA Class 1 District 2 Tournament at Advance at 4 p.m.

“No matter where we are,” Hamlin said recently, “we always have to work harder and be better defensively.

“That is always a focus.”

A win today would give the Hornets their 18th victory, which would match the win total from the legendary 2021 squad, which finished fourth in the MSHSAA Class 1 State Finals.

As far as defense goes, Advance/Bell City has won its past four games by a combined total of 72-0 and Hamlin’s kids have committed just three errors during that stretch.

Statistically, the Hornets are allowing just 2.6 runs per game, which is about half as much as the Final Four team and is the stingiest team in program history since 2012.

“We’ve got to continue, with (junior pitcher Addi Carlton),” Hamlin continued, “and these other girls, throwing the ball well in the circle. We’ve got to work on that, and we will.”

Advance/Bell City will certainly ride Carlton’s right arm until it can’t any longer, as Advance/Bell City should.

“She has a good sense of what a hitter is looking for,” Hamlin said of Carlton, “and what to NOT throw them.”

In her last three outings, Carlton has allowed just one hit over 11 innings, no earned runs, walked three batters, and struck out 27.

“She has a good idea on how to pitch to batters based on what she is seeing them do,” Hamlin said.

If Advance/Bell City has to go with a different pitcher, Hamlin said sophomore Brogan Wright-Hawkins has done a nice job in limited innings this spring.

“Brogan can step in there and do a heckuva job for us,” Hamlin said.

In her last three innings pitched, Wright-Hawkins has struck out seven batters and allowed no runs.

Offensively, this team is the most potent (12 runs averaged per game) since that 2012 squad went 15-1, but Hamlin said he is still pushing his hitters to grow at the plate.

“We’ve got to continue to fine-tune our hitting,” Hamlin said. “We never stop working on fundamentals. It all comes down to pitching, hitting, and defense.

“We stay after those things all year long.”

The Hornets have not won a District title since 2021. Oak Ridge (12-5) and Oran (11-6) are the other teams in the District with winning marks.

Advance/Bell City beat Oak Ridge earlier this season 15-0, and has not faced Oran this spring.