Softball On SI

Former SEC Star and Seventh-Grade Phenom Have Jasper High School Ready for Postseason

A former SEC softball star and a standout seventh-grade phenom have propelled Jasper High School into the postseason, forming a dynamic duo leading the team’s success.
Maren Angus-Coombs|
February 11, 2017; Fullerton, CA, USA; Ole Miss Rebels infielder Kaylee Horton (1) hits against the North Dakota State Bison at Anderson Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
February 11, 2017; Fullerton, CA, USA; Ole Miss Rebels infielder Kaylee Horton (1) hits against the North Dakota State Bison at Anderson Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Kaylee Horton is no stranger to the postseason.

As a junior at Ole Miss, it was Horton who sent the Rebels to a Super Regional with a walk-off single against Louisiana in the if neccessary game.

Horton finished her college career at Auburn but since then, she has turned into one of the most respected high school coaches in Alabama.

However, she isn't doing it alone.

Horton has a seventh-grade weapon named Emersyn Haney, who is turning heads and making a difference for the Vikings as their starting centerfielder and No. 5 hitter.

Entering Jasper's regional game on Wednesday, Haney is third on the team in batting average (.384), second in on-base percentage (.494), second in slugging (.603), second in OPS (1.097), third in RBIs (20), third in runs scored (26), and second in walks (13).

The left-handed hitter came to Jasper under unique circumstances, she has been home schooled for her entire life and now, she is competing against girls nearly five years older than her.

"I was nervous at first," Haney told Softball On SI during a phone interview, "If I took someone's position, would they not like me? It's been the total opposite. I love everybody on the team, they are all really sweet, and I look up to them."

Horton was never worried whether Haney would fit and says she has handled this season "like a boss."

"Honestly, she's one of my top players, one of my top hitters, and she's great overall and just as a seventh grader. Everyone we play will ask how old she is, and they can't believe how young she is and how great of a player she is. It's just crazy to know that I still have her for five more years and how much she's gonna develop."

This is Horton's first season as Jasper's head coach. She was promoted after a midseason coaching change and believes in Haney so much that she lets her control the outfield.

"I'll tell her she's in charge of the outfield and she shifts them herself," Horton said. "We have a senior and a junior in the outfield with her and honestly, they are her biggest fans."

Haney's goal is to play collegiately in the SEC, like her coach, but she has plenty of time to worry about that. At just 13 years old, she is navigating junior high and attending public school, but she is wise beyond her years.

"You can be good at any level," she said. "Age doesn't define how good you can be and even if you're older, you can still make more improvements and get better than you already are and if you're younger, you can be better than an 18-year-old."

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Maren Angus-Coombs
MAREN ANGUS-COOMBS

Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has been a sports writer since 2008. She has been covering college softball since 2016 for various outlets including Softball America, ESPNW and Hurrdat Sports. She is currently the managing editor of Softball On SI and also serves as an analyst for Nebraska softball games on Nebraska Public Media and B1G+.

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