The Lincoln softball team ended up at 13-9 under new head coach Aleah Paxton. If you will remember, Coach Paxton led Lincoln to a state championship in 2019.
She spent one year as the coach of the middle schoolers before taking the head job last summer.
It was a unique situation in that her youngest sister, Braylin Paxton was her starting pitcher this past season. Braylin will probably end up with more strikeouts than either sister, Aleah or Cayden. If she can conquer her control problems and add another pitch to her arsenal over the summer, Lincoln could make a run next season. They need to find a catcher and hope a young player can step up and fill that key position. Their hitting improved over the course of the season but they still need to work on their defense.
We had a chance to interview Coach Paxton and reminisce over the past season and the future of Lincoln softball.
JL: What are your thoughts of the past season?
Paxton: I am very proud of what the girls accomplished this season. The last few seasons have not gone very well and have ended before they should have. The girls showed that they won’t give up when they are down and are capable of being a great team. We still have a lot to learn and improve on, but this season was a great start to the program we’re looking to build.
JL: You lose two key players through graduation in your dependable catcher Lexi Dulaban and your hard hitting first baseman Courtney Stephens? Who will take those positions?
Paxton: We have a lot of girls who can play a lot of spots so it’s hard to say who is going to play where next year.
JL: What are your future goals?
Paxton: I’m hoping to improve our record even more next season. I think we have the potential to win the conference and perform well in the postseason..
JL: Do you have anyone coming up through middle school that will play next year?
Paxton: We have several 8th graders coming up. I think they all have something to bring to the team that will benefit us next year even if they don’t start.
JL: How many girls do you have playing summer ball?
Paxton: I think almost every girl in our program has a team that they play for during the summer.
Well, there you have it. We wish them our best.
