Kallie McMahan is eager to coach her first game as Lexington’s interim slow-pitch softball coach.

The season started earlier this month for schools with enough players to field teams, but not McMahan, a middle school softball coach and geography teacher took over the high school program in December following a coaching change.

“We had games scheduled this week, but they ended up getting cancelled because the other school didn’t make teams,” she told The Register on March 10.

It’s a reality Lexington faced last season when the program didn’t have enough players to field a team.

“It really just depends on the kids,” McMahan said. “A lot of them are playing tournament ball, so tournament ball and slow pitch tend to overlap. “I’m not really seeing that this year.

“And then you also have to run in the kids that do both slow-pitch and run track, but we did a much better job this year of making sure we didn’t have a lot of track events and slow pitch events on the same days. So, I’ve got a couple that are going to do both.”

While it takes a minimum of 10 players to compete, McMahan said between 17 and 19 players will suit up for her this season

She called it “quite the turnaround.”

“I’m happy to be here,” she said. “I’m more than thrilled to step in for these high school girls and let them have a season. I think it’s going to be a balance thing with me doing both. But so far were making it and were making the best of the situation.”

Leading the way for the Lady ‘Dawgs will be six seniors. Four — Briley Lacqument, Lexi Torres, Merabelle Neilson and Brodie Anderson — played for Lexington’s fast-pitch team in the fall.

Lacqument, who pitched in the fall, will play third base or wherever she’s needed for McMahan.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen Briley not smiling,” she said. “When it comes to the mentality, it’s so important that you see her having fun and being happy because that carries over to everyone else.”

Torres, a starter on the basketball team, brings the same type of energy as Lacqument, her coach said.

“Lexi’s there, she’s going to be happy,” McMahan said. “She’s not going to throw a fit about anything. She’s 100 percent there for the other girls on her team.”

Neilson, an outfielder on the fast-pitch team, will pitch for the Lady Jays, while Anderson will be the likely starter at shortstop.

“She’s one of those kids that you want her on your team; you don’t want to have to play against her,” McMahan said of Anderson. “The competetive nature, and the sheer want to be successful ... I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Lexington is scheduled to play its first games of the season on March 23.

This group is such a fun group,” McMahan said. “They’re a great group of kids, and really, they make my job easy because I don’t have to worry about anything. I know they’re going to take care of what they need to and we’re going to go play.”