ROCKINGHAM — With the foundation set following the start of a new era last season, the Richmond Senior High School softball team is looking to continue building its new identity this spring.
After a tough campaign in 2025, the Lady Raiders and second-year head coach Caroline Wilson are back to the drawing board with higher expectations and a stronger confidence in 2026.
Looking to end two consecutive seasons with a losing record, the Lady Raiders are set to make their official season debut this week.
With a renewed sense of purpose and a combination of returning starters and fresh talent, the team has hopes of reestablishing itself in the newly realigned Mid-South Conference.
A season ago, the Lady Raiders went 7-19 overall and went 5-7 against former Sandhills Athletic Conference opponents. That placed the team fourth overall in the final standings and Richmond ended its longstanding streak of consecutive years making the state playoffs.
Wilson, who played for Richmond and graduated a decade ago, returns for her second season at the helm. Among the many goals this season, she said, is for the team to show improvement in its overall record.
Boasting a 13-player roster, the Lady Raiders will return seven players who were starters last season or who played significant innings. The team will be without its three former All-Conference seniors from last year – Trinity Lockhart, Madalyn Pearson and Jakayla Steele.
Back for their senior season are infielders Kinsie Lyerly and Hayden Robinson. Lyerly, the team’s leading returner in batting average (.364), brings a powerful bat to the flex position and can also play first base. She had a team-leading 22 runs batted in as a junior and hit two home runs.
Robinson will return for her fourth varsity season and remain a staple in the infield at either second or third base. With a consistent bat and steady glove, she’s the second leading returning hitter in batting average (.344), hits (22) and RBI (19).
Juniors Jorja Moore and Emma Rusich both return for their third season of varsity action. Moore has been an anchor behind the plate as the team’s catcher the past two seasons and will look to have a breakout season after rehabbing from surgery limited her production as a sophomore.
In the games she played, Moore batted .235, but her most dominant production came as battery mate to the pitchers. Rusich, an infielder and a pitcher, batted .321 as a sophomore with 18 hits and eight RBI.
Richmond’s other three returners are all sophomores – Carley McCormick, Mackenzie Quick and Lexi Smith. The trio racked up significant innings as freshman players and look to contribute more this season,
McCormick played first base and pitched last year, batting .317 with nine RBI. Smith, who batted .316, is expected to catch and play some shortstop this season due to junior Kalynn McCormick being out due to injury.
Quick is eyeing a comeback sophomore season after an injury sidelined her following just seven games as a freshman. Like McCormick, Quick can pitch and play first base.
Richmond’s biggest position group undergoing change this season is its pitching staff, which will be without Pearson, who was a three-year starter. Acknowledging the change, Wilson is confident in Richmond’s approach this season, which will offer more options.
Going with more of a platoon approach, the Lady Raiders will have five pitchers to choose from at any given moment.
Three of those pitchers – Rusich, McCormick and Quick – have varsity pitching experience. Rusich and Quick each threw 18.1 innings last season, and McCormick pitched 5.2 innings.
New to the varsity roster is sophomore pitcher Madison Hancock, who logged 46.1 innings as the junior varsity team’s main pitcher as a freshman. Freshman Ava Clark, the only ninth grader on the team, is also expected to get some innings in the circle.
Varsity newcomers include juniors Madeline Carriker (infielder/outfielder), Macie King (infielder/outfielder) and Kaylan Parsons (infielder/outfielder), and sophomore Sydney Barnes (infielder/outfielder).
Hoping to remain competitive and stay at or near the top of the Mid-South Conference standings, the Lady Raiders will have to contend with familiar foes Hoke County and Pinecrest high schools. Last season, those programs finished third and fifth in the conference, respectively.
Noting that Fayetteville-based conference opponents like Jack Britt, Overhills and Pine Forest high schools tend to be strong teams, Wilson expects that Lady Raiders to remain a contender.
Back as assistant coaches this spring are second-year junior varsity coach Lauren Brewer, as well as former player Taylor Parrish.
The Lady Raiders are set to open their season at home Wednesday against former conference opponent Union Pines High School. First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m.
SEASON SCHEDULE: Click here for an always up-to-date schedule for the Richmond softball team.
The Richmond Observer will continue its award-winning coverage of the varsity and junior varsity softball teams this spring.
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