Buford sophomore Bria Bush is picking up right where she left off last season.

Bush finished last season 12-4 with 103 strikeouts and a 1.26 ERA. She had 14 strikeouts and a 2-0 record in the Elite Eight at the state tournament in Columbus and ended the season with the program’s fifth straight state championship.

This season, Bush is poised for some of the same successes. With only seven games played so far, she has a 4-0 record with 16 strikeouts, a 0.58 ERA, and only two earned runs allowed.

For her efforts, Bush has been named The Times Athlete of the Week.

Her outstanding performances, however, are not surprising for the Buford coaching staff.

“You could tell early on as a freshman she was going to be special,” head coach Tony Wolfe said.

He believes that Bush may be even better this season than she was as one of the top two pitchers on the team last fall.

“She’s obviously improved as a year older, and a year stronger, and a year more mature,” Wolfe said. “Last year she was a pitcher that relied on great command. This year she’s a stronger version, a little more experienced. She has added velocity and a change up that has served her well.”

Another difference for Bush this year comes from the fact that she is taking some swings for the Lady Wolves, a role they did not have her in last season.

Wolfe said that his team last year was deep in position players and batters, so the Lady Wolves could allow Bush to focus on her pitching. This season, however, Bush has stepped up to the plate and is 7 for 17 so far with four RBIs.

“We were probably not expecting as much as we’ve gotten from her,” Wolfe said.

Some of Buford’s top hitters are still injured, but Wolfe doesn’t see Bush’s opportunities at the plate lessening much when they return.

“The way she’s performing, she won’t give us a choice but to keep her out there,” Wolfe said.

Not only is Bush a leader in terms of numbers, Wolfe feels that the team benefits from her composure on the field and considers her a leader on the team, even if she is a sophomore.

“The pitcher in baseball or softball is in more of a leadership position,” Wolfe said. “She keeps her poise, she stays so unemotional, and able to focus on the task, and I think the others out there can see that.

“She’s very competitve. She has a great presence out there pitching.”

Although the Lady Wolves graduated a large group of seniors from last year’s championship team, Wolfe feels that Bush and the other players still have a chance to see success.

“It will certainly be a goal of ours,” Wolfe said. “Our pitchers give us a chance to see some of the same successes as last year. We feel like we can be a really good team again.”