The Corbin High School varsity softball and baseball teams will be among the most experienced in the region this spring, with both squads featuring strong veteran leadership in multiple positions on the field.
The softball Hounds will be looking to successfully defend their 50th District championship crown and reclaim the 13th Region championship crown that they last won in 2022.
“We have thoroughly enjoyed our offseason,” said Head Coach Crystal Stidham, explaining that the team has been reaping the benefits of incorporating a new, tailor-made training program courtesy of Tyler Ross and Grit 2 Great Sports Performance.
In addition to a re-vamped training program, the softball Hounds are also enjoying their portion of the brand-new athletic commons area, unveiled last fall, which includes their very own dedicated locker room area.
“We are just so blessed,” Stidham said of the new facility. “For it to finally come to fruition, and for it to be as amazing as it is, has blown my mind. It is beautiful, and the kids absolutely love it.”
Returning to the lineup for Stidham this spring will be five talented and dedicated seniors in Anela Sanders, Danni Foley, Morgan Hicks, Alana Stidham and Raegan Walker.
“They were on the team that won the region,” Stidham said of her senior group. “They know what it takes to get to that level. They want what’s best for the team, and it has been awesome as coaches to see them clicking and being on the same page.”
Not only will Stidham have several experienced players on the field this season, but they will each be performing vital roles on a day-to-day basis. Sanders will be back behind the plate, catching primarily for Foley, who will be the team’s top pitching talent after the graduation of Kallie Housley last year.
Morgan Hicks will also be back in the lineup, and will be counted on to continue leading the way offensively as the team’s leading hitter. Defensively, she will be expected to have another phenomenal year at first base.
Finally, Alana Stidham will be back to making athletic plays in the outfield, while Walker will fill whatever role she is asked to fill as a true utility player who can get the job done in multiple positions.
“It has been such a blessing to have a group like this,” Coach Stidham said. “They are coachable, they have good attitudes, and their strong leadership will make all the difference in the world. I am excited to see how we’re going to do.”
Defending region champion baseball Hounds looking for another trip to state tourney
Head Coach Cody Philpot’s Redhounds finished last season with a region-best 30-11 overall win-loss record that included 50th District and 13th Region championship victories. They concluded their campaign with a thrilling extra inning loss to Owensboro Catholic in the opening round of the KHSAA State Championship Tournament.
Four senior players were key to Corbin’s success on the diamond last year, those players being Jeremiah Gilbert, Bradric Helton, Walker Landrum and Mikey Neal. While Philpot said recently that those four names could never be replaced, he is excited about the fact that another group of experienced veterans will be leading the charge for the team again this spring.
“We graduated a lot of talent, but we are also bringing a lot back,” Philpot said. “You couldn’t have asked for more out of the senior group that we had last year, both leadership-wise and talent-wise, but we have been blessed over the past several years to have some really good players who have been able to step up into those roles and put us right back in the same situation. I expect that to be the same again this season.”
The 2025 baseball Hounds will be led by seniors JT Gentry, Noah Cima, Cooper McCauley, Lucas Tarvin, Cruz Cima, Will Freeman and Kade Elam, who has committed to play for the University of Louisville later this year.
In addition to those names, juniors Cam Estep, Clay Botner, Ethan Abner, Dallas Merida and Jaden Broughton will also be expected to provide strong leadership on the field in the coming weeks and months.
Philpot said that he expects one of the team’s main strengths this season to be the amount of overall speed and athleticism, noting that several players have good instincts on the base paths and like to be aggressive against opposing defenses.
Philpot and company have benefitted during the offseason from having full use of their newly remodeled facility, which is a luxury that they didn’t get to enjoy leading up to the 2024 season.
“We want to thank the administration and the community for their support with our facility upgrades,” Philpot said. “It has been good to actually gets reps in on the field, and be able to work on various situational things as we do our intersquad scrimmages.”
Philpot said the next couple of weeks will be spent getting players ready for the grind of another high school baseball season. “We are trying to be the best version of us that we can be,” he said. “In order to do that, each individual has to be the best version of themselves. If we can do that, we should be a difficult team to beat.”
