YATES CENTER — Yes, the Yates Center High softball squad is light on numbers.

Even so, this year’s squad could have the makings of something special.

With only 11 players on the roster, staying healthy is of paramount importance, head coach Alexa Estes noted.

Yates Center returns two-time All-Three Rivers League performer Kinley Morrison, a junior.
Morrison was dominant both on the mound and at the plate in 2024.

She struck out 97 batters as a pitcher, while tallying a .514 batting average, 36 of 70, with only three strikeouts as a batter.

Last season marked her second straight year to earn all-league recognition.

Most teams would be content to stick with their ace for the full year.

But Estes has a couple other talented pitchers on her roster as well in senior Avery Eakin and sophomore Cayten Cummings.

“Avery did a great job pitching for us last season,” Estes said. “Cayten will pitch more as a backup.”

Morrison’s pitching forte is her speed, Estes said. Eakin, meanwhile, relies more on keeping batters off balance. “She gets a lot of pop-ups,” Estes noted.

Cummings also excelled last season, all over the place, suiting up at catcher and in the infield, on top of seeing time at pitcher.

She earned honorable mention all-league recognition in 2024, while racking up a .627 (32 of 53) batting average, with only two strikeouts. Cummings was the only freshman to receive any kind of postseason recognition from the league coaches.

The talent doesn’t end there.

Altoona-Midway imports Sandra Morales and Keyleigh Clines both have shown their athleticism in practice.

“We have good pitching and good catching, and our top five hitters are all coming back,” Estes said. “That’s a pretty good start.”

Jaycie Randall will likely return to her leadoff spot in the batting order, where her speed wreaked havoc on opposing defenses.

“Once she got on base, she almost always scored,” Estes noted.

Sophomore Mylin Tidd showed flashes of power last year as a freshman, with a pair of home runs to her credit.

“We’re going to be extremely aggressive on the basepaths,” Estes said. “We want to create chaos. Our defense should be strong, too.”

But team success will certainly hinge on durability, she repeated. “Last year, we had a full bench,” Estes said. “This year, we have two backups. Our biggest concern will be to make sure our pitchers and catchers stay healthy.”

Estes said teams like Jayhawk-Linn — “They’re always a good challenge.” — and Three Rivers League newcomer Central Heights will likely be among the teams to beat this spring.

“We lost to Central Heights last year at regionals,” she noted. “We’ll try to get some redemption this season.”