HOLY CROSS COUGARS
* Record: 28-10-1.
* Coach: Tony Young (third season, 84-33-1 record).
* State ranking: No. 19.
* State titles: None.
* Last trip to State: First.
* 21st District scores: Beat Valley 15-0 in semifinal and Fairdale 15-0 in final.
* Sixth Region Tournament scores: Beat Bullitt Central 11-1 in quarterfinal, Butler 6-0 in semifinal and Fern Creek 6-5 in final.
* Probable batting order: Maddie Gailor (Fr., CF, .395 batting average, 11 RBI, 32 runs); Jennifer Peffley (Jr., RF, .514, 15 RBI, 35 runs); Ally Klein (Jr., 3B, .432, 29 RBI, 38 runs); Shelby Atzinger (Sr., SS, .437, 1 HR, 27 RBI, 31 runs); Dakota Young (So., 1B, .375, 5 HR, 40 RBI, 13 runs); Allie Just (Sr., DP/P, .279, 13 RBI, 17 runs); Kameron Bowling (Jr., DP/P, .295, 17 RBI, 12 runs); Natalie Bodenbender (Sr., C, .222, 9 RBI, 15 runs); Hannah Burkhardt (So., 2B, .237, 6 RBI, 18 runs); Kaelynn Goatley (Sr., LF).
* Top pitchers: Kameron Bowling (Jr., 19-4, 1.83 ERA); Allie Just (Sr., 8-5, 2.33 ERA).
* Notes: Holy Cross is in the state tournament for the first time after a thrilling 6-5, 10-inning victory over Fern Creek in the Sixth Region final. The Cougars have won two straight All “A” Classic state titles for small schools. … Gailor suffered a knee injury at home plate after scoring the winning run in the regional final. Young said she is questionable to play in the state tournament. … Atzinger has signed with Eastern Kentucky, and Peffley has committed to Spalding. Peffley was named Sixth Region Player of the Year by the Kentucky Softball Coaches Association.
* First-round game: The Cougars will face Eighth Region champion and No. 8-ranked Anderson County (26-9) at 8 p.m. EDT Thursday. The Bearcats are in the state tournament for the third straight year and are led by junior catcher Bailey Curry, who was named Eighth Region Player of the Year and has a state-record 61 home runs for her career. She has committed to Toledo.
* Coach speak: “My major concern as a coach is that we go in and give 100 percent effort and play to win and not be satisfied with just getting there,” Young said. “I think they’re showing that they’re hungry and want to show everybody that we’re a legitimate top-five team in the state that can win this thing.”