The defending state champion Henderson County Lady Colonels softball team has some huge shoes to fill in the 2025 season if it expects to defend its state championship from a year ago.
Gone from last year’s 35-5 team are leading hitters Alyse Rollings, Hallie McCracken and Taylor Troutman. Troutman was considered one of the best high school softball players in the country last year. All three women are playing softball at their respective colleges, with Troutman on the roster of the Mississippi State University Bulldogs. With their departure, the team will be losing batting averages of .430,.500, and .516, along with nearly 40 home runs.
However, there is no lack of talent on the current Lady Colonels’ roster. They are picked as the preseason number one team in the 2nd region. They will just have to adjust their playing style, as they transition from being a team rife with power hitters to a quicker team which employs more small ball tactics, according to head coach Shannon Troutman.
“I have a lot of talent,” Troutman said. “I’d put my team one through twenty against anyone because I’ve got such an evenly balanced team. I think I’ll have more speed this year, be able to play more small ball, steal more bases and be just a little bit more athletic.”
When you talk about the talent on the Lady Cols team, it all starts with senior Anna Kemp. The University of Southern Indiana commit played in 38 games last season, pitching in 26 of those, including a shutout performance against North Laurel in the state championship. She was named to the All-Tournament team and was the Most Valuable Player. She also received Class 3A, 1st Team All-State Honors from the Kentucky Softball Coaches Association.
According to MaxPreps, Kemp finished with a 25-1 record and 195 strikeouts. She also owned a .409 batting average, was third on the team with ten home runs, and was second on the team in RBI.
This preseason she was voted the number two player in the second region by a coach’s poll. MaxPreps, though, lists Kemp as the best softball player in Kentucky for 2025.
“She’s phenomenal. It’s great to have somebody like that,” Troutman said. “The best thing about Anna Kemp is her leadership. She is a bulldog on that mound. She wants to win more than anyone and she wants to beat that person batting more than anyone.”
Kemp knows how important her leadership will be to Henderson County, but she will not let the expectations hinder her play on the field.
“For me, I have such high expectations for myself already,” Kemp said. “I love being with my team. They’re always encouraging me and they make great plays behind me, so it makes it a lot of fun and it’s easy to go out and do what I’m supposed to do.”
Junior Ayden Bennett is a prime candidate to emerge as a leader on this year’s team. According to KHSAA, the middle infielder played in all 41 games and returns with the highest batting average (.467), the most hits (47), and the second most stolen bases (36) of this season’s returning players.
Another junior, MacKenzie Burczyk figures to help fill a major role for the Lady Cols as well. Burczyk was both a solid pitcher and hitter for Henderson County last year. She posted a 2.57 ERA in 49 innings pitched. At the plate, she batted .345 with eight home runs and 28 RBI.
Troutman has high hopes for Burczyk and several of his returning players.
“I really expect (Burczyk) to step in as the go-to hitter in my lineup…the one that everyone’s scared of,” the coach said. “Ayden Bennett and Saniya Shields bring a lot of speed. Azayah Hall really wants to earn and push to be one of the greats. We’ve got Braylin Risley in centerfield. Maggie Grogan can have a huge year. She’s athletically so gifted. She does everything. A bunch of them can step up.”
Risley is a junior. Shields, Hall and Grogan are all sophomores. Bennett, Shields, and Grogan combined for 90 stolen bases last year.
Among the changes, however, one constant remains for Troutman and the Lady Cols.
“State Championship,” Troutman said. “That’s always our goal. There is no other goal. That’s what we’re pushing for.”
The Lady Cols are off to a great start so far this season, picking up right where they left off.
As of Saturday, they own a 7-1 record.
