ORANGE PARK, Fla. – The expectations grew as the season went on, but Brittany Michael is the first to admit that she didn’t see things playing out like this.
The Ridgeview softball team, back in the state semifinals?
Unexpected? Maybe a bit. Surprising? Not at all considering just how well the Panthers have played.
The Panthers softball team reached the state semifinals in 2019 and had a strong enough squad to make a return trip last year before the pandemic got in the way.
Now, they’re back and ready to chase a spot in the state championship game. Ridgeview (26-3) faces Eustis (25-1) in the Class 4A state semifinals on Thursday morning at 10 a.m. in Clermont with all business on its mind.
Brittany Michael said that her expectations for a return trip to Clermont were initially pretty mild simply based on the amount of talent that Ridgeview graduated from its team last year when everything was clicking. They had to replace those veterans with youth and Michael said that she wasn’t certain that Ridgeview would still be standing at this point.
“We lost a lot of good, good players from last year,” she said.
The Panthers were ranked No. 1 in the Super 6 and 8-1 when the season was paused and eventually canceled. That took expectations of a deep playoff run and potential championship and put them on hold.
“We really felt like we had a good chance to be the state champs last year,” said Ridgeview coach Casey Thompson. “Lost some talent this year. We have a really young team this year. We’ve had quite a few players step up as freshmen and sophomores. I mean, these girls are so special. They don’t give up. They want to keep pushing and they may be a group that is just as competitive as I am. And I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not, but I love every minute of it.”
On its surface, this year didn’t seem to be the one to break the mold.
Ridgeview’s roster was dotted with freshmen and sophomores, nine in all.
Add to that the fact that one of the team’s three seniors, Brittany’s twin sister and Panthers catcher, Brooke, was diagnosed with lymphoma last November. Not only was that diagnosis an emotional bombshell for the team, but Brooke, the starting catcher, was one of the team’s most productive players.
What happened then? How did everything come together like it has to put the Panthers two wins away from a title?
“I would definitely just say the people in general [on this team have made it special],” said senior outfielder Ashlyn Halford said. “I feel like the younger girls are definitely good when it comes to listening to the older girls, and it’s good sharing it with positive attitudes around.”
The Panthers grew up in a hurry, meshing the young players with the veterans to be one of the last area softball teams standing.
Brittany Michael has been arguably the best two-way player in the area (.431, 13 RBIs, 25-3, 0.82 ERA, 269 Ks in 179 IP). Her sister, Brooke, has returned to the lineup while undergoing treatment for lymphoma and been not only an emotional jolt, but a significant factor in games. Brooke has hit safely in Ridgeview’s last five games and driven in seven RBI in that span.
The difference in going to the state semifinals in 2019 and going now, Brooke said, is mindset.
“It wasn’t nerve wracking [in 2019] because it was just like another travel tournament for me, but I feel like all of us kind of went down like it was just a vacation with our friends,” she said. “But it’s not, it’s a business trip. We’re down there to win. If we lose, then we can turn it into a vacation, but right now it’s a business trip.”
Outside of Brittany Michael (.431) and fellow senior Ashlyn Halford (.330), Haylee McCrea (.366) and Mary Girgis (.344) have been among the team’s top hitters all season. McCrea is a freshman and Girgis is a sophomore.
The underclass players across the board have performed well with the season on the line, too.
Girgis was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning to force in the winning run against Clay in the playoffs. Junior Gianna Michel singled home the winning run in the regional final against Baker County, capping off a rally from a five-run deficit to win, 6-5.
“I mean, these girls are so special. They don’t give up. They want to keep pushing and they may be a group that is just as competitive as I am,” Thompson said. “And I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not, but I love every minute of it.”
Ridgeview has had 15 games decided by two runs or less this season, including back-to-back playoff games. It is 13-2 in those one- or two-run games.
“I don’t know how we keep winning but we do,” Brittany Michael said. “There’s 21 outs to get it done and we get it done every time.”