NATCHEZ — In hopes of giving some local softball players increased exposure, Mike Powell and Sammy Atkins started a local select softball team.

The Natchez Rebels, a 16-and-under team that plays in the United States Fastpitch Association, features 11 players, most of whom attend Adams County Christian School, along with a few girls from Monterey, Jonesville and Harrisonburg.

“A lot of the girls don’t play school ball,” Atkins said. “Some of them do, but their schedules are so stringent with cheer and other stuff that it’s hard to get them out here.”

When they are able to play together, though, Atkins said he’s been impressed with the groups camaraderie.

“This group is dedicated, and anyone with talent in the Natchez area is welcome to try,” he said. “Most of them are sophomores and juniors, and the girls we have are all really tight-knit. We’re not only teaching them how to improve their game but also lead in everything else they do.”

Rising junior Kylie Powell, who primarily plays catcher for the Rebels, said the group bonded quickly after the team started up in late April.

“We’re like a family,” she said. “We all get along, and most of us go to school together, and the girls that don’t we’ve sort of taken under our wing.”

April is actually a month later than the coaches would have liked to form the team, he said, since most other select softball teams are being formed in March. Since then, they’ve been traveling to places like Zachary, La., Pearl and Gulfport to play in USFA tournaments.

“You get a lot of exposure (doing this),” Atkins said. “You have a lot more scouts at these tournaments.”

One of their players, rising ACCS sophomore Ashleigh Williams, is already on those scouts’ radars.

“She’ll probably be the first SEC recruit out of our area in quite some time,” Atkins said. “We have several other girls who, if they keep getting better, could possibly get seen by some smaller schools.”

Powell said it’s important for the girls to see good competition so that they’re challenged to improve their play.

“I can go out with these girls and see some of the best girls there are,” she said. “It gives us better experience and makes us better and pushes us to learn from those teams.”

Atkins said with fastpitch being the wave of the future, it was important for the girls to get exposed to some of the best pitching they’ll face.

“In Natchez, we’re behind in fastpitch badly,” Atkins said. “This is helping speed things up. We held onto slowpitch a few too many years.”