Senior shortstop Verlyncia Leonard may have a lot of things going on right now with homecoming court and being captain of the cheerleading squad, but softball is definitely at the forefront of her schedule.

Leonard has been playing since she was five years old and loves every minute of it.

Influenced by her mom and older sisters, Verlyncia started playing for fun.

“I started playing at Starkville Parks,” Leonard said, “and I just fell in love with the game ever since.”

With a 1-5 record so far, the Lady Jacket Softball Team has had a rough start, but Leonard and the team know their weaknesses and are working diligently to improve.

“Overall, we don’t hit as well as we could,” Leonard said. “We make careless mistakes and don’t recover from them like we should when we’re on defense.”

The softball team is already improving in the areas needed and are ready for a great season.

As for Leonard, she is ready to share the excitement and fear of leaving her school and her team behind after graduating.