The Tharptown Wildcats are like a lot of other teams in Franklin County: young and inexperienced. With less than a handful of seniors, Shannon Benford is still trying to build a program the Wildcats can be proud of.

“I hate the way last year ended,” said Benford. “I really thought we had a shot to make the playoffs. We were just getting in a groove, and everything shut down. A lot of young players missed out on getting critical experience they need.”

Some key players returning are centerfielder and pitcher Hunter White, catcher Colton Simmons and ninth-grader Jackson Clement.

“We have a little bit of experience, but for the most part, there will be a lot of new faces,” Benford explained. “Every year it seems like we are young.

“We should be good in the field and hitting. We just need our pitching to come around.”

Tharptown plays in an area with Decatur Heritage, Hatton, Tanner and Whitesburg Christian.