SENATOBIA, Miss — After a historic season, Northwest Mississippi Community College softball players credit their success to becoming more of a family than just teammates.
“They finally started believing in it and you just start to see them soar. That’s when I love it, it’s hard but once they hit that point it’s so much fun,” said head coach Chelsea Bramlett.
This season for the first time in school history, the Rangers made it to the largest stage for junior college softball.
“Coming in a really not knowing any of the kids and not knowing what they’re capable of and things like that, so really kind of came in blind and we just took it from there,” said Bramlett.
Bramlett noticed recruiting players that either played with or against each other in high school was a breeding ground for chemistry.
“I’ve been on teams where you cant bond for some reason and I’ve been on teams like this one where you become a sisterhood and family and I’m going, to be honest, this team right here, we grew up together a lot of us I don’t think they’ll ever be another just like us,” said sophomore Molly Harris.
The Rangers won the Region 23 championship title this season.
Memphis commit Saige Koczka was the first to break the single-season record for home runs before freshman Mckaylee Polk broke her record with 18 for the Rangers.
Bramlett's strategic recruiting and success this season also won her the NJCAA Gulf A district coach of the year title.
“Here you're graduating about half your team every year and so it’s hard from a coaching standpoint of replacing them, you’ve only had them for two years. My sophomores did a phenomenal job this year and now it’s kind of hitting me like oh my gosh now my freshman have to step up what do we need to do to get them there,” said Bramlett.
But according to freshman Anna Nickens, thanks to how supportive her teammates are, that may not be much of a concern going into next season.
Up until one of the most important games of the season, Anna didn’t see much time on the field.
“She was saying the line-up and I was like okay she’s going to say my name and she said Nickens at second, and I was just like okay I’m going in. Everyone else was just like you got this you play ball you know what you do and was like any questions you got you can ask me, I got you,” said Nickens.
When Nickens went out and delivered a two-run single to take a 4-2 lead to dodge elimination in the national tournament.
Although the Rangers didn’t win the national title this year, they feel they're not far off thanks to their tight-knit team and determined coach.