Young Syrupmaids Set to Begin Season

Published 11:46 am Monday, July 28, 2025

CAIRO – Cairo softball will be young and inexperienced when the season starts in early August. That presents good and bad possibilities for head coach Spence Cooper.

“We’re very young, which is good and bad. We have two returning starters, and another one of our upper classmen played some varsity last year. Other than that, it is a bunch of younger girls with no varsity experience,” Cooper said. “It’s good that they’re a blank canvas for the coaches to mold in how we want them to be, but it’s just going to be a learning process this year. You’ve got to go through some growing pains.

“I’m very proud of the work they put in this summer. We’ve done all of the summer work. Now it’s just time to get some game experience.”

Cairo will host a junior varsity game on Aug. 4 at Colquitt County. Its varsity opener is scheduled for Aug. 5 at home against Tift County.

Senior pitcher/first baseman/outfielder Breanna Jordan and junior infielder Karlynn Crole return as the Syrupmaids’ only two starters from last year. Junior Leah Dumas is also expected to contribute as well at designated hitter.

Freshman Kaylee Barrett will help shoulder some of the pitching responsibilities.

“She’s very talented. She’s an extremely hard worker,” Cooper said. “Her main thing this year will not be so much with skill but just maturity and how to handle adversity on the mound.”

Barrett will miss the first four weeks of the season following hernia surgery.

The Georgia High School Association mandated that July 28 be the first date for official practice for softball teams across the state. Cooper discussed his team’s mindset heading into preseason practices.

“I told them, we have maybe one or two spots where this is what the starting lineup is going to be on day one. They have to go out there and win a spot and then just develop into a starter,” Cooper said. “In the past, each girl has had their own position. Now it’s about stepping up as a leader, and this may not be your primary position, but this is where you’re going to make the team the best. We have to develop there. They’ve done a really good job of doing that.

“We’ve really tried to buy into the mindset of just competing and doing what you can to make the team the best you can be.”