By Lee Davis
Once upon a time, Spain Park softball was so weak that players actually got an award just for diving for a ball in the outfield.
All of that changed when C.J. Hawkins took over the program nine years ago. Now, the Lady Jaguar program regularly posts winning seasons, produces all-stars and contends for state championships.
And that’s exactly what Spain Park did in 2014.
The Lady Jaguars went 49-17, reached the semifinals of the Class 6A Championship Tournament in Montgomery and put five players on the latest edition of the All-Over the Mountain softball team. The team was selected by an exclusive poll of the eight head coaches of area schools in Classes 6A and 5A.
Additionally, Spain Park third baseman-pitcher MaryKathryn Bonamy was named by the coaches as the 2014 Player of the Year.
First-year Hoover coach Erin Wright and Oak Mountain coach Kellie Eubanks shared Coach of the Year honors.
Bonamy, a junior who has already committed to the University of North Carolina, sparked her team’s strong playoff run with four home runs and 12 RBIs.
“I really had no idea I could be chosen Player of the Year, so this is a great surprise,” Bonamy said. “It’s an honor when you stop to think about all the great players that come out of this part of the state. This is something special.”
Bonamy–popularly known as M.K.–batted .425 with a whopping 19 home runs and 65 RBIs in 2014. She also swatted 13 doubles and scored 42 runs. Her eye was as good as her bat, as she drew 40 walks from opposing pitchers.
“M.K. is a pure joy to coach,” Hawkins said. “She’s a true game changer. Her leadership on and off the field makes her an amazing teammate. The work ethic she shows every day makes the entire team better. M.K. is a true champion in every sense of the word.”
Wright, who came to Hoover after a successful stint at Mountain Brook, led a youthful Lady Bucs team to a 36-21 mark and a berth in the state playoffs at Montgomery’s Lagoon Park. Eubanks piloted a Lady Eagle team with little preseason hype to a winning record.
The four Spain Park players joining Bonamy on the All-Over the Mountain squad are Julianna Cross, Julie Knight, Haleigh Sisson and Mary Katherine Tedder. Other members of the team include Ashlyn Boyd, Madison Chambers, Morgan Reed, Linley Splawn and Rachel Walz, Briarwood; D.G. Boyd and Suzie Sarcone, John Carroll Catholic; Morgan Williams and Venice Sanders, Homewood; Mary Catherine Nichols, Carly Sewell and Kynadi Tipler, Hoover; Rebecca Blitz, Grace Morrissette and Courtney Shea, Mountain Brook; Carmyn Greenwood, Madeline Porter and Ashlee Sanders, Oak Mountain; and Kristin Chapman, Taylor Coe, Olivia Cooper and Caroline Hardy, Vestavia Hills.
