Wallace State’s 14th-ranked softball team opens the 2012 season this weekend in Gulf Shores and for the first time in five seasons isn’t the defending Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) state champion.

That might be bad news for Wallace State’s conference foes.

“There’s always a reason things don’t work out, and it caught up with us last year,” said Wallace State coach Jayne Clem, a nine-time ACCC Coach of the Year. “I think we became complacent, thinking we were going to win it all and not have to earn it. I believe not winning a state championship last year is going to make us better and stronger as a team. Our sophomores have vowed we are going to get back to the national tournament. They are working hard and leading by example, getting us ready for a strong season.”

The Lions did put together another impressive campaign in 2011, finishing with a 52-14 record and earning a sixth straight Northern Division championship. After nine days of inactivity, both in games and practice, due to the devastating tornadoes that swiped through the area on April 27, Wallace State resumed action in the conference tournament during the first week of May and was eliminated in the semifinals, ending a string of four consecutive state titles.

Pitching ace Heather Parker was an All-ACCC/Region 22 selection last season and returns to anchor the Wallace State rotation in 2012. Parker, a former Mortimer Jordan standout, finished 22-7 with a 1.88 ERA as a freshman, tossing 18 complete games, including four shutouts. She recorded 143 strikeouts and also added four homers and 23 RBIs at the plate.

“Heather really worked hard in the fall and threw in big games against teams like Alabama and Mississippi State,” said Clem, whose program won the 2008 NJCAA Division I national championship and was the national runner-up in 2009 and 2010. “Heather has matured and knows what she needs to do to become more and more effective.”

Sophomore Kayla Sneed also returns to the rotation after compiling a 14-3 record and 1.84 ERA last season behind 11 complete games.

Three freshmen pitchers should add quality depth to the staff after each garnered first-team All-State recognition their senior prep seasons. Lindsey DeFee and BreeAnna Blevins were All-State selections at Eufaula and Alexandria High Schools, respectively, and lefty Katie Cole accomplished the same feat at Tupelo (Miss.) High School.

“Those three freshmen are going to help us out tremendously,” Clem said.

All-ACCC/Region 22 infielder Megan Christensen, a Grissom grad, returns to the Wallace State infield after hitting .439 with six homers and 42 RBIs last season. Michal Robertson is back at shortstop after leading the Lions in runs scored (43) and finishing second in stolen bases (12), complementing her .302 average, five homers and 22 RBIs.

Sophomores Madison Scott and Kirsten Gibson will round out the infield along with freshmen Victoria Frith, Brittany Gillison and Markeshia Evans.

All-State catcher Paige Rowland, a freshman from Eufaula, should provide an offensive bolt after hitting .438 with 11 homers and 66 RBIs during her senior season. 

Fyffe’s Whitney Brown is the lone returning starter in the outfield after hitting .333 with six homers and 35 RBIs as a freshman. Hartselle’s Katie Gentle, St. Clair County’s Kreshela Mickens, Springville’s Kirsten Gibson, Elizabeth Jordan from Bowling Green, Ky. and Rebekah Everhart from Murfreesboro, Tenn., all have a chance to earn significant playing time in the outfield.

“We’ve got a lot of athletes in the lineup. We should have power up and down, but we’ve also got lots and lots of speed,” Clem said. “If you’re hitting well, you’re going to be in the lineup. It’s that simple. It should be an entertaining lineup to watch.”

Clem enters her 12th season with a 602-153 record (.797 winning percentage), winning six state championships in addition to the 2008 national crown and two national runner-up finishes.

Recent Wallace State softball graduates include Kelsey Dennis, a two-time 1st-team NJCAA All-American who now pitches for Texas Tech, 3rd-team All-American infielder Saige Wright, now at Nebraska and UAHuntsville first baseman Stephanie Needham.

After a doubleheader Friday at Faulkner State, Wallace State plays six games between Saturday and Sunday at the Faulkner State Tournament in Gulf Shores. The Lions also have tournament dates planned this month in South Carolina and Panama City.

Wallace State’s home opener is March 1 vs. Indian Hills (Iowa) Community College followed by the team’s annual JUCO Tournament, scheduled for March 2-3 at Cullman’s Heritage Park. Conference play begins March 20 at Snead State.