Warlassies are giving the Valley a lot to root for
Catch the best show in town tonight
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
May 2, 2024
The 17-2 Warlassies will host Madison, May 2, as Owen will seek its 14th straight victory and first Western Highlands Conference championship in over a decade. Photo by Fred McCormick
Ironically, some of the coldest nights I’ve ever experienced have been covering softball and baseball during the spring athletic season at Owen. While the picturesque setting is framed by sweeping views of the mountains in nearly every direction, the plateau on which the fields are positioned can be downright frigid when winter weather lingers.
However, with temperatures expected to hover around 80 degrees tonight, when Western Highlands Conference foe Madison comes to town to close out the regular season, the red hot Warlassies will be bringing their own heat.
Owen, which comes into the Thursday, May 2 contest with a 17-2 record, hasn’t lost a game since mid-March. By the time junior Sophie Neal throws the first pitch, her team will be less than 24 hours removed from its 13th straight victory, which came in an 11-0 showing against the Patriots.
A win tonight would give Owen at least a share of the regular season conference championship for the first time in over a decade, and for the $7 admission fee, it’s hard to imagine a much better show tonight in the Swannanoa Valley.
Owen softball last won the WHC in 2011, and finished fourth in the standings a season ago. As the Warlassies entered the 2024 campaign, head coach Pete Ledford and his staff were relying on a “special group” of talented young players to come in and compete right away.
“Anyone who knows about youth softball and the program at (Owen Middle) in the last few years, knows we have a lot of talent in the Valley right now,” the fourth-year coach said. “So, I knew we were going to have something special this year, and into the future.”
The roster features one senior, recent Montreat commit Tinley Clark, three juniors, three sophomores and seven freshmen. Nearly every player can field in multiple positions, while five can play “just about anywhere,” according to Ledford.
Owen freshman Mia Roland leads her team in nearly every offensive category this season, including batting average, home runs, runs batted in and stolen bases. Photo by Fred McCormick
Freshman Mia Roland is certainly one of those players, having emerged as a star at both shortstop and the plate. In 19 games played, Roland has crushed 6 a team-leading 6 home runs and 35 RBI. Her .529 batting average over 75 plate appearances and 25 stolen bases also set statistical standards for Owen this season.
“I knew she was going to have an impact when she got here, but I had no idea it would be this big,” Ledford said of the freshman. “We’ve jumped from fourth to first in the conference with seven freshman, and she is probably the biggest reason for that. She brings so much passion for the game, works so hard on and off the field, and her competitiveness has really rubbed off on her teammates. The sky’s the limit for her.”
While Roland often sets the table for the Warlassies with extra base hits or towering home runs, she’s far from the team’s only offensive threat. Six Owen players have hit at least one home run this season, including freshman Payten Brockman and sophomore Easton Whitson, who each have three, while half a dozen Warlassies have driven in 10 or more runs.
At the plate, Owen has scored 141 runs in its last 13 games, while the pitching staff has allowed 22 in that same span. Much of that credit goes to Neal, who enters the regular season finale with a 12-1 record, boasting an ERA of 1.76.
The junior has registered 117 strikeouts in 15 appearances.
“Sophie wants to be the best no matter what, and she wants to strike everyone out,” Ledford said. “She’s a one-of-a-kind pitcher, and knowing the girls have her back gives her the confidence to go out there and do what she’s been doing for us all season.”
What she has done, he continued, is bring an arsenal of effective pitches to keep hitters off-balance.
“She has a screwball, curveball, changeup and even a drop ball, and she likes to work fast when she’s in a groove,” Ledford said. “Plus, she can locate her fastball anywhere she wants to, and that’s another big part of what makes her so tough to hit.”
Owen junior pitcher Sophie Neal has struck out 117 batters in 15 appearances this season for the 17-2 Warlassies. Photo by Fred McCormick
Elly Wright, who is hitting .314 with 15 RBI through 19 games, has been more than serviceable when filling in for Neal on the mound, The sophomore has compiled a 5-0 record in six appearances while giving up only 11 runs.
The pitching staff is supported by an aggressive approach to baserunning that has helped the Warlassies establish early leads all year long.
“We try to take advantage where we can, and put our girls in scoring position,” Ledford said. “You have to play heads up softball and generate runs, which takes pressure off Sophie. Once we do that, she can get in her groove and we build from there.”
That recipe has created an almost tangible buzz around the softball field at Owen, where the young team will look to celebrate the Owen’s first WHC championship in 13 years. If you don’t have plans, I suggest you grab a lawn chair and come out to cheer them on.
After all, with the postseason less than a week away, these Warlassies are giving the Swannanoa Valley a lot to root for.