- March 18, 2026
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Following their second consecutive loss, the Braden River High softball players had formed a circle and had taken a knee in right field.
They were ready to listen.
Coach Keith Jans and assistants Loren Paul and Brandon Stacey reiterated one word more than any other.
Adversity.
“You’ve got to get the reps,” Jans said. “You’ve got to get the experience to learn from it.”
Adversity hadn't been something the Pirates had to deal with through their first six games, all victories. But falling to Sarasota on March 9 and Venice on March 11, had introduced them to the word.
Braden River’s 14-player roster — featuring a mere three upperclassmen — experienced growing pains.
Seven freshmen had earned a spot on the 2026 roster. Those newcomers have been productive at the plate.
Braden River blazed through the first three weeks of its schedule by outscoring opponents 78-3 combined. It secured five shutouts while scoring an average of 13 runs per game.
As of March 10, four of the team’s top-six hitters were freshmen. Junior center fielder/left fielder Leighton Paul is the only upperclassmen among those six and leads all of them with a team-high .636 batting average.
“It’s amazing, honestly, I’m lost for words with that,” Jans said. “It’s what every coach wants to see — for freshmen to come in and not be afraid up there at the plate. They come in and put a bat on the ball.”
Last season’s team was mostly underclassmen, too. There were two seniors and two juniors among that group of 14 players. The top-two hitters in 2025 were then-freshman Maddie Kasch (.386, 10 RBIs) and then-sophomore Paul (.375, 5 RBIs).
But those Pirates weren’t nearly as successful as this year’s bunch.
Braden River finished last season with a 4-19 record — the program’s fewest wins since 2014 — and failed to reach the FHSAA Class 5A Regional tournament after going winless in District 5A-9 play. The team was routed on a regular basis, suffering 12 losses by 10 or more runs.
Braden River has surpassed last season’s four wins and has scored 84 runs in comparison to last year's 125 for the entire season. The Pirates still have 13 regular-season games remaining to build on those totals.
In the third season under Jans, the Pirates seem to have turned the corner.
But those freshmen still have to learn about the grind of a varsity season.
“It just matters about the intensity,” Kasch said. “The intensity in the dugout, the intensity on the field — the intensity anywhere. If you make a mistake, you have to put it past you, because the team is there for you.”
Cooper and Cady Jones have spearheaded the freshmen. As of March 10, the sisters have hit .571 and .435, respectively, and have accounted for 19 RBIs combined.
Playing third baseman/catcher, Cooper Jones’ .654 on-base percentage ranks second on the team. Infielder/pitcher Cady Jones owns a slugging percentage of .696 — good for third on the team.
Then there’s freshman shortstop Evelyn Paul and freshman catcher/utility Ansley Schneider, who have combined for 14 RBIs while rounding out the Pirates’ top six in batting average.
Jans said most of his seven freshmen have played together before they entered high school at one point or another, especially in travel ball.
“We’ve been excited to play together for a long time,” Cooper Jones said. “We knew, only having a few upperclassmen, we needed to step up to the plate. It was our time to shine.”
Pirate junior Leighton Paul, though, has outdone any of the freshman — and any other Pirate, for that matter.
The junior leads the team in most statistical categories, including batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, hits and runs. She excels at getting on base by any means necessary, whether that’s a bunt, slap or hit.
Kasch, who’s now in her second season alongside Paul, said the veteran outfielder's speed sets her apart.
Just like her teammates, Paul faced tougher pitching against Sarasota and Venice than in her team’s preceding six-game stretch. Braden River was held to six runs across those two contests but surrendered 16 — eight of which were scored by Venice in the sixth inning March 11.
Jans pointed to the better pitching as the source of adversity that he and his staff discussed with their players following the loss to the Indians. He expects similar pitching down the road as the Pirates continue their journey.
In his eyes, adversity will help if his players truly learn from it.
Growing pains, after all, are only ever supposed to be temporary.
“We’re a young team. We've got some learning to do,” Jans said. “I believe in this team, and the good thing is that (our players) believe in themselves.”
