Sweatt takes over Bulldog softball program

If all goes as Crestview athletic director Kevin Pettis hopes the revolving door that has characterized the Bulldog head softball coach position has made its final turn for a while.

Veteran coach Chris Sweatt takes over the program and becomes the team’s fifth coach in the last six years.

And although Sweatt has limited experience coaching softball Pettis said his baseball background makes him a natural choice to get the Bulldogs into contention in a tough District 2-6A.

“I’ve known Chris Sweatt since we were in college together (at Troy),” Pettis said. “He was a phenomenal baseball player and softball is about pitching, catching and hitting, period. He’s got someone to help him with pitching, but he can do all the other stuff.

“The hitting is hitting, is hitting, is hitting and he knows how to teach the short swing that is needed in softball. He’s a winner. I think he’s going to do a great job and the girls love playing for him.”

Sweatt admits that he has had to make some adjustments from his baseball background to coaching softball, but nothing major.

“The game of softball is a little faster than I thought as far as the pitching and the base running,” he said. “The bunting and that kind of stuff — some of the basics —I’ve got to get used to that.

“But it’s going pretty smooth.”

Sweatt said he’s fortunate to have seniors Hannah Day, Ashley Adams, Elizabeth Bass, Sara Cadenhead and Shelby Gainer back. All five girls have started two or three years and will be the looked on to provide the leadership for what could be an otherwise young team.

“I’m not putting any pressure on them (to win),” he said. “It’s all up to me. I’m going to give them the easy way out.

“They’ve just got to play the game and let the seniors lead and things like that. I think if my five seniors step up we are going to be all right.”

Sweatt is not concerned that defending state champion Niceville is a district opponent.

He doesn’t want his team looking in the past, but rather focusing on the present to make this a good season.

“We are going to do what we are going to do, and in the long run I think it’s going to work out, and we are going to be decent,” Sweatt said.