MORGANTOWN – After capturing the program’s first sectional title in 15 years, the Trinity Christian High School softball team will do battle with Magnolia this week for a regional title and a spot in the 2025 WVSSAC state softball tournament next Wednesday and Thursday at Little Creek Park in South Charleston.
“The beginning of the season was tough for us to build momentum because of the weather and playing games that were spread out,” TCS coach Bryan Phillips said. “Down the stretch, we’ve built more consistency and are peaking at the right time. Every girl has each other’s backs. The camaraderie of our team is exceptional.”
TCS is led by a trio of sophomores, Josalyn Phillips, Peyton Moore, and Paige Hopkins. Each holds a batting average greater than .400, led by Hopkins at .488. All three have over 20 hits and nearly 20 RBI (Hopkins has 17). Moore has accounted for 12 extra-base hits and almost one-third of all the Warriors’ runs, with 40 of 153 scored.
“Those three have become the rocks of our team,” Coach Phillips said. “They are the glue that holds everything together during games, and everything starts with those three.”
Hopkins leads TCS in the circle with 66 innings this season, with seven wins and 69 strikeouts. Olivia Timperio and Jilliam Conn are other options for the Warriors if needed. Timperio tossed six innings, allowing only one hit, against top-seeded Madonna to secure the sectional title.
“My main message to the team this week is just to enjoy the moment,” Phillips said. “This is somewhere the program hasn’t been in a long time, and it’s nice to be a part of history. Just enjoy every day and every practice you have. If you can do that, nothing will become too much for you to handle.”
The Warriors will travel to Magnolia on Monday for Game 1 before hosting Game 2 on Tuesday at Mylan Park. The series will return to New Martinsville for Game 3 on Wednesday evening if necessary.
