Westminster, St. Pius X building season on 'leadership' and 'don't give up' mindset

Westminster takes on St. Pius X in non region matchup

For the most part, it is still relatively early in the 2025 Georgia High School Association softball season and while some teams have seemingly hit their stride, others are who are off to good starts but may be working towards more consistency as they build a season which will result in a deep run into postseason play.

"We have some good leadership in our seniors," Westminster Wildcats head coach, Layne McLaughlin said on Monday following their matchup with the St. Pius X Golden Lions, as she praised several players for their role in setting "the tone" for what expectations of of team efforts are expected.

"Three of the four have been four year starters so they've kind of waited for this moment and they've stepped up and led really well and just the sheer experience that they have and that they pass forward has really set the tone for us," McLAughlin said of captains McKenna Bekkers, Townsend Post, Kate McDonald and Adelaide Banks.

And while the Wildcats lost the non-region game, at 4-3 through the first seven games to start the season, Westminster is a game better than a season ago through the same span of games. "I think we always surprise ourselves with how well we can be," McLaughlin said of the Wildcats performance this season, in particular against "good competition" which she strategically scheduled this season as the Wildcats build towards what they hope to be a season which leads to a deep postseason run, something the Golden Lions have been familiar with.

Last season, the Golden Lions finished 24-6 overall and 13-1 in their region standings, advancing to the the Georgia High School Association state championship tournament for the second consecutive season and with Monday's win moving St. Pius X to 3-3 on the season, head coach Amie McDougal, has been in impressed with her team's efforts to start the season.

"The younger girls stepping up and a lot of my older girls playing the role and helping the younger girls fit in and work hard and they don't give up," McDougal said following their win over Westminster, praising her players for their will to battle until the end with pitching by senior Maggie Laba along with sophomore Laraley Messick, freshman Emery Harris, and senior Sophia Walker, being one of the areas which have stood out to her. "We're pretty stacked," McDougal added.