SEFL Team Spotlight

By: Caroline Helmer

March 21^st, 2021 – The Southeastern Fastpitch League (SEFL) is excited to spotlight Team Kentucky Gold 18U and for the remainder of the 2021 season, we will be spotlighting several different teams in the SEFL in our different age groups.

Team Kentucky Gold 18u was established in the Fall of 2013 and has been rapidly growing as an organization since then. Team Kentucky was founded on helping young ladies achieve their personal goals of playing softball at the next level. Coach Dave Woolums pointed out, “For us it doesn’t matter which level, it just matters that we prepare them for it. There is a fit at every level for each player”, which is proven in their fourteen current college commitments.

With great competition in each of their tournaments played, Team Kentucky doesn’t focus on tracking their wins and losses; they are looking for development and growth throughout their team and in each of their players individually to prepare them for college. The team is coached by Dave Woolums, Greg Davis, and Bobby Roark, who all work their hardest to ensure their players are reaching their goals and full potential as athletes.

Team Kentucky Gold 18U had many standout player performances this past year including Kelsie Hill, who led the way for Team Kentucky in the circle, with an ERA of 1.98. “Kelsie has great command of her pitches and is a real student of the game”, said coach Woolums. A great compliment to Kelsie is Samantha Schaefer who is able to spin the ball extremely well when she is on the rubber and keeps the opposing hitters off balance. Leading the way on the offensive side is catcher, Bianca Ward, with a .415 batting average, and her teammates Micah Hays, Ryli Renfro, and Alanna Pierce, who are all batting above .370. Another offensive threat, that quickly turned her singles into doubles, is the speedy Kailey Dixon, who recorded 22 stolen bases, while only getting caught twice! This upcoming year, Team Kentucky Gold 18U has a full schedule prepared as they will be competing in six tournaments and showcase events.

This team is a very tight knit group who are working hard every day and pushing each other to be the best. Before games, the team makes sure to eat a good meal together and have high energy during warmups. They always say a team prayer right before taking the field and remind each other the reason for playing and remain grateful for their opportunities to play each day. The team and coaches want to always make sure that their players are learning more than just softball, they want to teach them life lessons within the game. Coach Dave Woolums explained, “We want to form relationships among our team members that last long past the softball field when the lights go out.” One of their favorite memories as a team was when they punched their ticket for the very first Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series in Oklahoma City, which will take place July 27^th-August 1^st this summer.

Team Kentucky Gold 18U has big things ahead of them in the future as they keep pushing forward to new opportunities. Be on the lookout for this dominant team as they have a full schedule slated for 2021 and continue to compete against top teams in the SEFL this season. We are excited to see them continue to grow and achieve success in their careers as a team and individually. Good luck this season Team Kentucky Gold 18u!