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Morristown West enters the 2023 season with a target on their back but are ready to defend their District 2-4A Championship.

The Lady Trojans return eight starters from last season’s team, a squad that went 25-13-1 and made it to the Region 1-4A Semifinals.

For head coach Heather Kelley, she likes the way her team has gone to work in the offseason and is excited to see what her team can do this season.

“We have had some really good practices,” Kelley said. “ I’m excited to see how this group does. We only had one starter graduate last year-we were young. We have some new ones that will impact us right away.”

Two of the starters returning that Kelley will really lean on for leadership are seniors Jaelyn McDaniel and Aviah Bunsic. McDaniel, who is committed to play at Walters State, will be the teams starting catcher, while Bunsic, signed with King University for next year, will be the teams shortstop.

Last season, McDaniel hit .434 and drove in 46 RBIs. Defensively, she had a .985 fielding percentage and 246 putouts. She was IMAC Offensive Player of the Year and made the All-District Team.

Meanwhile, Bunsic hit .317 and led the team with five home runs. Bunsic also scored 40 runs and stole nine bases. Bunsic can also pitch for the Lady Trojans.

“I’m looking to Jaelyn McDaniel and Aviah Bunsic to be the big leaders,” Kelley said. “Jaelyn is such a vocal catcher and has such a passion for the game. She was so good for Bri (Bunsic). Aviah can pitch and play shortstop so it’s nice having 2 pitchers.”

Along with those two, juniors Mikaela Olodey and Kaylee Dyke are two other veterans that will be in the starting lineup. Olodey will play first base for the Lady Trojans while Dyke will roam the outfield.

“I also am expecting Junior Mikaela Olodey and Kaylee Dyke to be big leaders as well,” Kelley said. “Mikaela is one of the most solid, consistent first basemans I have seen. Kaylee can cover a tremendous amount of area in the outfield and is one of the strongest leadoff hitters around.”

Another returning upperclassmen is Arlette Gutierrez. A senior, Gutierrez will be a big asset in the outfield for Kelley.

However, when it comes to returning players, there might not be one in the area that is more important than Briony Bunsic.

Just a sophomore, Briony Bunsic had a freshman season to remember in 2022. Pitching just about every game for the Lady Trojans, Briony Bunsic finished with a 19-9 record. She struck out 206 batters and had a 2.40 ERA. Briony had 72 strikeouts in district play and a 0.66 ERA. She tossed two no-hitters and fired a perfect game.

She was the IMAC Player of the Year and the Lakeway Players of the year.

For Briony Bunsic, she now has a year of high school experience under her belt and is looking to continue to impress.

“Bri has picked up another pitch this off season that is looking really good,” Kelley said. “She has put in a lot of work this summer and played in some big summer tournaments. She was IMAC Player of the Year last year and Lakeway Player of the Year so we are looking forward to a big year from her. She has also picked up some speed.”

In terms of younger players, along with Briony, sophomores Aubrie Messer and Hailey Milton return after starting all of last season. Kelley expects both of them to build off of strong freshman seasons and significantly contribute.

As for new players, sophomore Cadence Beaver has joined the team. Kelley expects her to help out in the infield.

“We have added sophomore Cadence Beaver who I feel can come and help us immediately,” Kelley said. “She is a really solid infielder and has a consistent bat.”

The freshmen on the team will be Allexus Mullane, Kameryn Walker and Emma McClellan. Kelley said that Mullane can play just about anywhere, while McClellan will pitch and Walker will play in the outfield.

The schedule this year will not be easy for West as they travel to four different tournaments. The Lady Trojans will play in the Science Hill Tournament, the Florida Beach Bash in Destin, Fl, the Eastman Tournament in Kingsport and the Tiny Day Tournament in Greeneville.

For Kelley, the tough scheduling is on purpose as to prepare her team for the competition they will face in postseason play.

“The tournaments are so important in preparing for our postseason,” Kelley said. “We like seeing the different teams from middle and west TN as well. Last year we saw some nationally ranked teams and it was good for our girls to see they could hit off that pitching and see some really high quality softball.”

The district will once again be just four teams with Morristown East, Jeff County and Sevier County joining the Lady Trojans. The target will be on the Lady Trojans back as they look to defend their District Title crown.

‘To repeat as District champions we will need to be focused every game,” Kelley said. “We need to stay healthy and work to get better each time we step on the field. I don’t want complacency to creep in.”

In terms of goals, Kelley doesn’t hide the fact that their veteran presence has the capability to get them far in postseason play. However, she just wants them to take it one game at a time.

“I know the generic answer is we want to go to state,” Kelley said. “Every team says that but this group has played together for a majority of their childhood and has been a vision for many years. Personally, I would like to see us go further than the first round of the regionals. I would like to contend for a regional championship and get into a Sub state game. Anything can happen from there.”