Raines, Jolly join Jackets

August 7, 2011

Raines

Two faces familiar with the area and definitely to the sport of softball will work with the Starkville High School fastpitch program next spring.
Wendy Jolly returns as the head coach of the Lady Yellowjackets and one of her assistants will be former Ackerman High School and Mississippi State player Chelsea Raines.
SHS athletic director Stan Miller was pleased to make the announcement during a coaches meeting on Friday.
Jolly, who coached the Lady Jackets from 1997-2003, learned about the opening and jumped at the chance to rejoin the program.
Miller was about to go in a different direction to hire a coach before learning about Jolly's interest.
"I knew Wendy from back when and that was the glory years of fastpitch for us," Miller said. "I told her to go home, think about it and talk with her husband. She came back to me excited and wanted to get on board. Between Wendy, Michael Franklin and Chelsea (as coaches) and we've got some players, we should do real good."
Raines is excited about the chance to work with Jolly and believes she'll be a part of an improved situation at SHS.
"We have sat down, talked and are on the same page with everything," Raines said. "I think it's going to be a lot better than it used to be. It's going to be a lot of work because they've been downhill and our goal was to bring them uphill when I worked with them this summer.
"They are a bunch of great girls. They want to learn and do good. They want to have that winning season. I want people to look at that schedule and say, 'I don't want to play Starkville,' because they are intimidated."
Raines likes the fact she'll be starting a coaching career so close to home and she's still attending classes at MSU.