This year’s girls softball team at the King’s Academy is looking to improve upon last year’s impressive season, where the team advanced into the Florida High School Athletic Association’s Class 2A state tournament, only to lose to Westminster Christian School from Miami in the first round of regional play.
Led by head coach Kim Needle and her husband Bryan Needle, who serves as an assistant coach, this year’s unit is similar to last year’s team. This year’s squad is very young but talented. The current roster has two seventh graders, six freshmen, three sophomores, one junior and just one senior.
After the team’s first 12 games, their record stands at 10-2, with the prolific offense averaging more than 14 runs per game while allowing the opposition just more than three runs a game.
The key to the offense has been the play of sophomore Gracyn Needle, freshman Lyla DiBlasi, seventh grader Emma Thornton, freshman Abbey Daniel, senior Hailey Adkins and sophomore Caroline Duncan.
“Gracyn has been seeing the ball extremely well so far this season,” Kim Needle said. “She is starting at shortstop and catches as well. She is currently batting .722 with 10 doubles, one triple, three home runs and 31 RBIs. Two of the home runs have been grand slams. Gracyn also reached a huge milestone last week, hitting in her 100th RBI for King’s.”
Meanwhile, DiBlasi is batting .526 with six doubles, 15 RBIs and 22 runs scored, while Thornton, Daniel, Adkins and Duncan are all batting above .400 so far this season.
Duncan is also a key part of the pitching staff.
“On the mound, Caroline is the workhorse,” Needle said. “She is currently 8-2 with a 2.20 ERA and 50 strikeouts. Caroline is always working mechanically and constantly making adjustments. I do not doubt that she is getting stronger every single day and will be her absolute best when our postseason play begins.”
The two oldest players on the team — junior Kiersten Zimmerman and senior Hailey Adkins — are somewhat new to fast-pitch softball. Zimmerman plays centerfield and is batting .355, while Adkins plays first base and is batting .429. Zimmerman is a converted soccer player, while Adkins is a competitive volleyball player.
“Kiersten is an exceptional athlete, while Hailey played softball last year as a junior. She continues to learn and is extremely coachable,” Needle said.
The team’s biggest strength is the desire by every player to improve so the team can get better.
“I believe our strength this year is the fact that these girls are continuing to learn and grow,” Needle said. “We have had most of these girls together now for the third year, so we are not teaching something new anymore. We are fine-tuning skills that they are seeing in the game and learned last year. Also, our older girls are stepping up and being true leaders. They are constant and intentional in their message about working hard in unity for God’s glory.”
Needle explained that the team is driven by a verse from Colossians, chosen by Adkins: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”
While Needle is the head coach, she relies a great deal on her husband Bryan and a new assistant coach, Randi Lynn Rohman.
“Bryan has a huge role as an assistant coach of our team,” Needle said. “He played both college and professional baseball and is amazing on the field with the team. He is the ‘details guy’ who supports the softball team by developing and implementing training and game programs, athletic skills and teamwork. Randi Lynn Rohman brings a wealth of knowledge from her softball career and coaching in the elite travel softball world.”
For TKA to be successful in the postseason later this spring, it will require true teamwork.
“To make a deep postseason run, we really need to work together and understand our strengths and to implement them in game play,” Needle said. “Our girls need to put in the time and work to be their best. We cannot be successful without every single one of our players understanding their role and working toward a championship.”
The final fixture on the team’s schedule is the FHSAA’s Class 2A state finals, which will be played from May 20-24 at a location to be announced.
