The Ritchie County softball team is returning to the state tournament for the first time since 2021. (Photo provided)

ELLENBORO – For the first time since 2021, the Ritchie County softball program of head coach Dave Mossor is back in the state tournament field.

Mossor, who just coached career game No. 1,203 when the Rebels came out of the loser’s bracket to win twice at Madonna to punch their ticket, earned the No. 3 seed.

Ritchie County faces No. 6 Man (12-8) around 1 p.m. today in a Class A state quarterfinal on Rock Field B at South Charleston’s Little Creek Park.

“Worrisome. Great,” Mossor replied when asked how it felt to be back in the big show as the head coach eyes a third career championship having won it all in 1992 and 2011 while collecting eight state runner-up trophies along the way. “The bad thing is I’ve been here too many times and I need to get out of this and let somebody be more enthusiastic about it.

“I’m enthused. The excitement is there, but it should be more. I couldn’t hardly walk after the game (regional final). I was so distraught because I thought we were going to lose and we didn’t. Rocklyn (Marcum) threw a one-hitter and a two-hitter and shut them out. It’s going to be hard to hit Rocklyn. I don’t care who it is. Her ERA is 0.56. Amazing. Her batting average is .604.”

Marcum, who is a 15-game winner for the 19-10 program, leads the Rebels in every offensive statistical category, which includes 61 stolen bases to go with 225 strikeouts in 135 2-3 innings inside the circle.

“Oh, excited,” Marcum said of making it to state for the first time. “At the beginning of the season we were kind of like a little rough, but we pulled together. I don’t know.

“I think we were still used to last season and nobody had confidence at all, and this season we all kind of came together as a team and decided that it was possible.”

Marcum, who bats leadoff, said she watched the Man and Gilmer County regional game.

The Rebels haven’t played anyone else in the single-A tournament field aside from top-seeded Wahama, which won 5-3 in eight innings and 2-0 versus RCHS in the regular season.

“I thought they looked a lot like Madonna, which can be good, can be bad, but I think we got it,” said Marcum, who also talked about the team’s maturation process. “I’ve gotten better every year, which is always a blessing, but I’m a perfectionist, so I’m never alright.

“Honestly, just actually being a team. Last year we were not a team at all, but this year the chemistry is a lot better. We come in here and do what we are supposed to and do it right, and then we come out and just go with the flow.”

Rebel third baseman Ava Satterfield, who bats third and carries a .407 average with 14 RBIs and 19 steals, said there’s an obvious difference this spring.

“We were all stoked,” she said of beating Madonna for the second time. “It was like one of the best feelings ever. It took a lot of teamwork and we pushed through it, and I’m proud of us. The energy is totally different. Like we all just kind of blended well.

“We all just mixed in really well. I’m pretty confident in our team. I think we have some jitters and stuff, but I think we’re all pretty confident and we know what we’re capable of, so I think we should be good.”

Satterfield knows the nature of the game isn’t easy at times, but it’s all about the next play.

“You know, you make mistakes. It’s bound to happen, but you learn from it,” Satterfield said. “To me it’s always like how you react after. How you pick yourself up and how the team interacts after. It just makes the team.

“We just need to stick together, talk. Communication, to me, and trust, that’s the biggest things. If we have that then I think we can win it all. We’re going to win. We’re going to win. That’s what’s going to happen.”

Ritchie County No. 2 pitcher when needed is starting shortstop and two-hole hitter Chelsie Jeffrey, who has four mound victories and is batting .449 with eight doubles, 17 RBIs and 36 stolen bases.

“I think we can do it. I think we have the confidence,” admitted Jeffrey of bringing back the top prize. “We put the work in every day. I mean we look forward to this. We work hard. I believe we can do it. Last year I feel like we weren’t bonding as well. I mean we worked good together, but I can just tell our chemistry this year is just insane.

“We get along. We put in the work everyday. We have fun at practice. I mean we look forward to these moments. This is our goal and I think we can win it all. We bond so well. We’re like glue together. We work so well together. We have each other’s backs and we just push each other to be the best possible athletes we can be.”

Marcum agreed with that assessment.

“Obviously, our goal is to win, but honestly I think we’re all just glad to be here,” added Marcum, who leads the team with four round-trippers. “I feel like we’re not just doing it for us, we’re doing it for him (Mossor).

“I think he just wanted to do it one more time before he decided to retire. He’s been ready to for awhile. Hopefully, we can win this one for him.”

Although not pegged to bring back any hardware to Ritchie County, Mossor firmly believes they have as good a shot as anyone else.

“These girls have come to the front,” said the coach. “If we have errors, someone will really have to rocket the ball at them because they make the routine plays. Not super throws or whatever, but it’s there and I’ve never had a team (like that).

“I’ve had teams with great arms that missed, but they are basically on the money most of the time. If we have errors we have a bunch of them. I hope that doesn’t happen in the state.”

Following Marcum, Jeffrey and Satterfield in the batting order are seniors Rindy Perkins at first base and Emily Bush in center. Hitting six through nine for the Rebels are catcher Cassy Hardbarger, left fielder Abbi Cox, second baseman Kesslee Wass and right fielder Alisha Lewis.

“I’m so grateful to be on this team,” added Jeffrey. “I’ve been on many teams. I’ve played a lot of sports in high school, but this team just means so much to me. I call them my family, all my friends. I know they are my friends, but I think of them as family and I’m just glad we made it back there.

“I know it’s been awhile since we made it there. I’m just glad we made it back and I’m hoping we can make history. I love coach Mossor. Me and him, we have our ups and downs. We fight sometimes. We get along sometimes, but I’m glad he can be along on this journey and I hope we can win it for him.”