By Chad Hayworth (for OzarksSportsZone.com)
The East Newton Lady Patriots return a deep and talented team in 2026 for new coach Jeff Atchison.
East Newton will be led by a pair of pitchers that are as good as any in the area. Junior Ericka McMillion and sophomore Kolby Rinehart will split the duties in the circle this spring, even if Atchison isn’t yet 100 percent certain how he’ll divvy up the innings.
“What a great problem to have,” he said. “It’s not normal to have two aces that can step up and dominate a game. That’s not the usual situation in high school softball.
A difference in styles between the two could be a huge advantage, especially when they both pitch in the same game, he said.
“Rinehart is more of a finesse pitcher, hitting her spots,” Atchison said. “Ericka is just going to try and blow you away. And when either isn’t pitching, they’ll be on the field somewhere.”
The Lady Patriots will be young, but experienced and talented across the infield. Lexi Brown, a sophomore moved to third base from centerfield over the summer and has acclimated well, Atchison said.
That moves another sophomore, Sylvia Larsen to short stop, where she pairs up with junior second baseman Halle Cook.
Junior Lilah Sesay is a mainstay at first base, with sophomore catcher Maggie Marion settling in behind the plate.
“Most of these kids play travel ball and are three-sport athletes at school,” he said. “They are the type of kids you want on your team.”
There are several players fighting for spots in the starting lineup, likely playing in the outfield, Atchison said.
They include junior Ella Ford, and sophomores Ella Marion, Adi Harrington and Kayla Drake.
“I don’t know yet who will end up where,” Atchison said. “We have a lot of good players that will be backups on our team. In fact, we have kids that likely won’t see any starts on this team that would easily be starting on just about any other team in the area.”
Atchison said he’s in the position that he is in because a group of kids and parents decided some years ago to make softball a priority.
“We have a lot of kids that love playing softball,” he said. “And their parents have allowed them to play travel ball and done a great job of keeping them interested in playing softball.”
The Lady Patriots were 11-8 a season ago, falling to Mt. Vernon in the district semifinals.
East Newton’s potential this year is not lost on other area coaches, who cite them as a team to beat in 2026, and that’s fine with Atchison.
“In our district, we have two coaches that have won state titles,” he said. “They know how to coach and how to prepare a team. They aren’t going to roll over for anyone.”
Atchison said his goals for the year don’t have much to do with wins, or titles, or accolades.
“I want us to be better every day,” he said. “I know what my personal goals are and most of them don’t revolve around winning. I want us to be good teammates and good people. If we do, that will be success, and the wins will take care of themselves.”
