Rachel Hickman’s résumé is nearly endless.
The senior pitcher from Poplarville has so many eye-popping numbers it’s hard to figure out where to begin.
The Southern Miss signee is 25-2 with a 0.46 ERA in 167 innings. That’s a mere 11 earned runs in 27 starts, not to mention 300 strikeouts, which equates to a strikeout per nine inning ratio of 16.16.
Hickman is part of a Poplarville team that is currently regarded as one of the top teams in the state and her stats can’t be denied.
However, North Pike won’t be fazed when the two teams meet Thursday in Poplarville for the quarterfinal round of the Class 4A fastpitch softball playoffs.
“She’s going to throw a little faster than some of the pitchers we’ve seen around here but we’ve seen some good ones this season,” said North Pike coach Sonya Wallace, noting how the Jaguars have played New Hope, Madison Central and Oak Grove this season. “… Seeing some of those better pitchers we’ve seen recently will help us prepare for Hickman at Poplarville.”
North Pike cruised past Greene County in last weekend’s second round with a 6-1 win on Friday night and a 9-0 shutout Saturday. Lauren Wells was sharp in both games as she went the distance for the wins.
The Jaguar offense will face a different beast against Hickman, who has overpowered her opponents all season. Hickman has 17 double-digit strikeout performances in her 27 starts, including 10 shutouts.
On paper, North Pike may look overmatched, but that may be deceiving considering the schedules both teams played. As usual, Wallace front-loaded her schedule with schools like Madison Central, Oak Grove, Harrison Central, Clinton and New Hope
Poplarville has played the likes of Lake Cormorant, Neshoba Central and Ocean Springs, but not nearly the strength of North Pike’s opponents.
Poplarville’s .407 team batting average is hard to dismiss, however, considering its No. 9 hitter is a .329 hitter.
“They have a lot of high batting averages and all that but you have to look at who’ve they’ve played and some different things, too,” Wallace said. “I feel like overall we’ve maybe played a tougher schedule … but we’ll just have to wait and see what they look like on Thursday.”
The recipe doesn’t change for North Pike, though. The Jaguars will need another strong performance from Wells, as well as some clutch hitting.
Wells launched a solo home run in Game 2 against Greene County to propel a 12-hit attack and Savannah Johnston and Madison both had two hits and two RBIs in Game 1. North Pike’s defense was also strong and didn’t commit an error.
“I feel like if we go there and play like we’ve been playing and play good, solid defense and put the ball in play, we can find a way to hang in there with them,” Wallace said.
If North Pike can grab a win Thursday and return home Saturday to close out the series, it would be the first appearance in the semifinals since 2009 when the Jags made it to the title game.
