By Erik Harris, sports editor
LEEDS — The Leeds High School softball team will be under new leadership next spring.
After two seasons as an assistant for the Greenwave, Erin Wright has been promoted to head coach. She also serves as the school’s head volleyball coach and assistant girls basketball coach.
Wright replaces Brian Gulock, who led the softball team to a 10-4 record in the COVID-shortened 2020 season and a 13-19 record in 2021 on their way to a Class 5A, Area 10 championship and an East Central Regional berth. His Greenwave outlasted Ramsay 15-13 in the area title game and followed with an 0-2 outing in Montgomery a few days later.
“It was actually my first time to be an assistant in high school, but the dynamic between Gulock, (Jesse) Turner and I was just amazing, so it was really an easy transition once Gulock said that he was going to step down and pursue his family career,” said Wright. “But I’m so excited and so thrilled to be a part of Leeds.
Wright likes the experience returning from last year’s roster.
“We had a really young team last year, but the buy-in was phenomenal,” she continued. “From a 7th-grader starting at second base to an 8th-grader starting at shortstop, they gained so much experience, so to be able to utilize that experience that we had last year and just grow is going to be so fun to watch.”
The journey will begin in October, when tryouts are held for the 2022 ball club. For Wright, this will be stop No. 5 as a high school head coach. She previously held the position at Mountain Brook, Hoover, Oak Grove and Bessemer Academy.
Her girls will, once again, compete in Area 10 alongside Ramsay, Carver-Birmingham and Parker. Based on travel-ball reports, rising sophomore first baseman Madeleine Payne looks ready for another area championship run.
2nd of of two 3-run bombs on the way to Prospex 06’s 6-4 victory over Tulsa Hype tonight in the second round of bracket play at the SE National Championships. Video of # 1 in comments. @Leeds_Softball pic.twitter.com/6p4jXVfdxx
— Madeleine Payne 2024 (@2024Payne) July 9, 2021