ROGERS -- Emily Kinney saw a lot of pitches two seasons ago as Rogers High advanced to the Class 7A championship game.
But none of those pitches came with a bat in her hands.
Player Profile
Emily Kinney
School: Rogers High
Class: Senior
Position: Catcher
Notable: Three-year starter at catcher but did not bat as a sophomore. … Is batting .333 with eight doubles, two home runs and 16 RBIs this season.
The Rogers senior catcher has always been a solid defensive player, and she was the Lady Mounties' starter during that postseason run. But a lack of productivity at the plate two years ago meant few chances to swing the bat.
"Sophomore year, she struggled to just hit the ball against varsity competition," said Lady Mounties coach Mike Harper.
After her sophomore season, Kinney figured she better become a better hitter to stay in the lineup and she went about doing just that.
"Between my sophomore and juniors seasons, I took lessons and I just broke down my swing and went back to the basics," Kinney said. "I fixed a lot of my problems."
That hard work has paid off and Kinney now has the green light when at the plate and her numbers prove it for a Lady Mounties team that can win the outright 7A-West Conference championship with a victory against Fayetteville today.
Kinney is hitting .333 on the year with eight doubles, two home runs and 16 RBIs. Her two home runs came in consecutive plate appearances against Springdale High and the first home run came on a 3-0 count with no outs and two runners aboard.
"I just have a lot more confidence now at the plate," Kinney said.
Harper said Kinney has also developed into a leader on the field and in the dugout.
"Emily has made herself into a good hitter," Harper said. "Since the fall of her junior year on, Emily has been very solid. She is strong and hits with power to all fields. When you have that going for you, you always have a chance to be a good hitter.
"Over time, she has grown as a person and people listen to her. She has taken the freshmen and sophomores under her wing and has mentored them to be a better catcher, and more importantly, a better person."
Rogers (20-6, 12-0 7A-West) has two solid starting pitchers in senior Haylee Zimmerman and junior Maddie Massanelli and Harper said Kinney does a good job managing games no matter who is in the circle.
"Emily has the right personality for both of them," Harper said. "She can be more honest with Haylee than anybody else on the team because they have been together for such a long period of time. She does a good job with Maddie and she encourages Maddie when she needs to be encouraged. She can also get on both of them."
Rogers is hosting the Class 7A State Tournament and Kinney said that is a big plus for the Lady Mounties. The tourney starts May 14 but the Lady Mounties have a first-round bye and won't play until the quarterfinals on May 15. Kinney has decided not to play college softball and will attend Central Arkansas in the fall.
"We had a bye our sophomore year, and I feel that one day off really helped us," Kinney said. "It's really exciting because I know I will be playing my final softball games on my home field and then hopefully in Fayetteville at Bogle Park."
Sports on 05/05/2015