FARMINGTON -- Making a direct transition from competing in the state basketball tournament to spring sports is anything but easy.
Just ask Farmington baseball players and softball players from various teams competing during the Farmington Invitational Softball Tournament last weekend.
Farmington's boys basketball advanced to the state finals on March 7 and brought home the school's first ever trophy with a State Class 4A runner-up finish. Little Rock Christian outscored them 19-4 in the first quarter, but the teams played even the rest of the way resulting in a 71-56 loss.
"It's a lot to wrap my mind around, but it feels great to come home with a trophy. I know it's a runner-up trophy but it feels great to make history there with Farmington," said junior Sam Kirkman.
Senior Cameron Crisman spoke about the challenges of sliding over from basketball to baseball.
"It's a great feeling, never been done before. People are going to remember us and I think that's great," Crisman said.
That meant the Cardinal baseball team was without three pitchers until last week.
"It's tough. They're two completely different sports and different ways of playing, but I think the transition's been going pretty smooth right now," Crisman said.
Crisman credited coaching with helping adjust from one sport to another.
"Good coaching makes all the difference with Coach Taylor [in basketball] and Coach Harper [in baseball], the help that they've been giving just makes it as best as possible," Crisman said.
Junior teammate Kirkman was going through the same thing.
"It's pretty tough coming straight off from basketball, but just playing catch through the basketball season helps a lot and just staying in baseball shape along with when it's baseball season staying in basketball shape," Kirkman said.
Gravette softball players competing next door in the Farmington Invitational agreed that making the switch between the sports can be a little complicated.
"It's a really big struggle. It's hard on your body because basketball and softball are like two completely different shades. You have to completely change your mindset, so it's been kind of a struggle but I feel like now I'm getting into my softball groove," said Gravette ace Brooke Handle, who pitched the Lady Lions through the 2023 district, regional and state tournaments all the way to a Class 4A State championship last season.
This year the Lady Lions advanced all the way to the Class 4A State semifinals and were on basketball away from playing in the finals when they dropped a 51-50 loss to Morrilton on March 2. Handle sustained a broken nose from an opposing post player, who elbowed her during the tourney and played with a protective face shield in her last basketball game.
Handle was named to the Class 4A All-State Tournament team, an honor she cherishes.
"It felt amazing. It felt like all of my hard work had just paid off," Handle said.
She stayed after basketball practice and did extra work and achieved her goal of being named to the All-State Tournament Team at the 4A level.
The broken nose doesn't affect her ability to perform while pitching, but she's still using that shield underneath her other protective gear when pitching. Handle's aware that as a pitcher her presence in the lineup provides a valuable asset to her team.
"I feel like it's very important. I feel like I have to push a little harder than most girls transitioning from basketball to softball, but I was working in the offseason to make sure that I was ready," Handle said.
Handle's classmate Keeley Elsea also feels the grind of adjusting to softball coming off the basketball season.
"It's so hard, it's so different. Your hand-eye coordination has to be so much better in softball. Basketball definitely helped with my stamina and the team's been so welcoming since we came back. It's been fun, but it's been tough," Elsea said.
Elsea holds fond memories of the Lady Lions' accomplishments in basketball.
"It was amazing, it was so fun. I've played with those girls since I was five. It was really sad when it ended, but it was amazing how far we went," Elsea said.
Elsea appreciates Handle making herself available for the softball season.
"It's crazy important. We're all praying for her fast recovery and really thankful that she's OK," Elsea said.