Ogden, Hawkins members of an elite softball squad

By DAVE TAYLOR
Landmark News Service

Sarah Hawkins

Kelsey Ogden

Kayla Baker

Carroll County softball standouts Kelsey Ogden and Sarah Hawkins are members of the prestigious Kentucky S.W.A.T.T. 16 and Under College Showcase softball team. The team also includes Trimble County High School’s Kayla Baker.

Ogden is the daughter of Jackie and Mary Ogden of Sanders. Hawkins is the daughter of Dennis and Jo Ellen Hawkins of Carrollton. Baker is the daughter of Kevin and Rhonda Bradley of Bedford.

What is SWATT? SWATT stands for the team’s motto – “Softball With ATTitude” and the attitude is “Swagger” whether winning or losing. On or off the field always have and show swagger.

The Kentucky S.W.A.T.T. Fastpitch 16U College Showcase team is made up of elite athletes from central Kentucky with a common goal of achieving their dreams to play at the collegiate level. The team is led by NCAA Division 1 player Abbey Stepp. Coach Stepp has put together a team of top college prospects from central Kentucky that will participate in college showcase tournaments this fall and in the summer of 2013.

Coach Stepp is a top 50 Division 1 hitter playing for Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, Ala. Stepp, originally from Versailles, Ky., will be returning to Versailles after graduation in May 2013.

Ogden, a sophomore, is also a starter on the CCHS Lady Panthers basketball team. This past spring she was named to the 31st District Softball All Tournament Team, the Eighth Region Softball All Tournament Team and was the third pick on the North Central Kentucky Conference All Conference Softball Team.

Hawkins, a junior, is also a member of the Carroll County Band of Gold—concert band, marching band, steel band, pep band and jazz band and is in Drama Club at CCHS. She was the Most Valuable Player of the Queen City Showdown fastpitch tournament in 2011.

Baker is a member of the TCHS softball and volleyball teams and was recently a member of “Chuck’s Chix,” an area girls’ fastpitch softball organization based in Carrollton featuring girls from Carroll, Owen, Gallatin, Trimble and Henry counties, and representing six school systems.

Also selected for the KY S.W.A.T.T. team were: Madison Brummett, Anderson County High School; Ally Sandefur, Bourbon County High School; Mandy Head, Keely Moussette and Kaitlyn Coleman, all of Woodford County High School;  Hannah Martin - Lexington Catholic High School; Emmalee Hankinson, Williams-town High School; and Ally Jo Schneider, Scott County High School.

This past weekend the girls played in the Gold Diamond College Exposure Showcase in Chatta-nooga, Tenn., Kevin Bradley told The Trimble Banner. There were more than 50 teams mainly from the southeast United States. Each team played five games. KY S.W.A.T.T. defeated Ohio Hawks, Southern Attack and Team Knoxville and were defeated by Carolina Elite and Knoxville White Lightning for a 3-2 record. It is worth mentioning that the Ohio Hawks are one of the largest girls’ fastpitch organizations in the nation, Bradley said.

Kayla and the others loved getting to play one game in the Frost Stadium, University of Tennessee Chattanooga, Bradley said. “After their third win I heard one of the girls state ‘we’ve finally decided we like each other!’ This is a new team and the girls had to get to know each other and had to learn how each other plays the game.”

The 11 players on the roster each have a primary position but also must have a secondary position, Bradley said.

Baker is primarily a catcher but Coach Abbey is also developing her to play first base. Ogden switches between third base shortstop and outfield. Hawkins is a pitcher who also plays outfield.

KY S.W.A.T.T. will be playing numerous tournaments and showcases throughout the southeast United States this summer.