By Staff
Lady Tigers catcher switches positions during season with Panhandle Express
By BRUCE HIXON-Sports Editor
She got to play with some different teammates, perform at different facilities and experience an unfamiliar position.
Yet perhaps was the best thing T.R. Miller senior Terri Lynne Peacock got from playing for the Panhandle Express traveling softball team this summer was a chance to play with and against top notch competition.
"It was a good experience. I got a chance to work with some different coaches. I think it was beneficial to get some instruction from different people although my coaches this summer were pretty laid back with it being summer," Peacock said.
Peacock's Panhandle Express team played approximately 20 games at tournaments in Daphne and Florida towns Tiger Point, Pensacola, Navarre and Fort Lauderdale.
"We had some success. We won one tournament and finished second in another. Each tournament we were guaranteed four games. The tournament at Fort Lauderdale was really tough. There were some extremely good teams and players in that field," Peacock said.
Peacock was shifted away from her normal catching duties at T.R. Miller to leftfield this past summer.
"There was a catcher from Robertsdale on our team who was really good and she caught most of our team's innings. I was able to watch her mechanics and see how she worked. Probably the thing that impressed me the most about watching her was the confidence she played with," Peacock said. "Playing leftfield was definitely an adjustment. I had played strictly catcher the last three years of high school. I hadn't played anywhere but catcher since eighth grade when I played second base and I hadn't played leftfield since I played in the Brewton YMCA league. Probably the biggest adjustment was getting used to fielding groundballs and catching flyballs."
Peacock admits her mind often drifted towards her usual high school position.
Peacock indicated most of her teammates came from what would be Class 5A and 6A Alabama high school size programs.
"The biggest difference I saw in the level of competition was in pitching. The pitching was quite a bit better than what I usually see playing Class 3A ball at T.R. Miller," Peacock said.
Peacock said she had two individual highlights, one from the defensive end and the other on the offensive side.
"I was real pleased with a diving catch I made on a ball that was hit down the leftfield line in one game. Considering I hadn't played in leftfield for so long, I was real happy to make it," Peacock said. "I also hit one homerun during the season on a ball that cleared the outfield fence."
Peacock said playing with the summer travelling team was preparation for down the road.
"I think it will help me going into next spring season. I also think it helped me in that it gave me some possible college exposure in different areas than where I normally play with our high school schedule," Peacock said. "All in all, I had a lot of fun with the Panhandle Express."