Lady Lions, new coach ready for 2003 campaign

By Wendell Redden
Missouri Southern Sports Information

When Jennifer Jimerson was authoring Missouri Southern State College softball records during a four-year career from 1995 to 1998, she envisioned the perfect job as returning to her alma mater as the head softball coach.

That vision is now a reality.

With the resignation of Ron Faubion late last year, the task of directing the Lady Lions softball program was offered to Jimerson, a native of Blue Springs, Mo., on an interim basis. It didn't take her long to give Sallie Beard, director of athletics, an affirmative answer.

"My parents used to tease me, when I was a player here, that wouldn't it be great to come back as coach someday," Jimerson recalls. "I always thought that this would be the perfect job.

"The circumstances (Faubion's departure), obviously, aren't the best, but I'm trying to make the most of the opportunity I've been given."

Jimerson, who also serves as an instructor in kinesiology, has always wanted to be a head coach, but she didn't expect the opportunity to come this soon.

"I wanted a few years as an assistant before moving up," she explains. "I was an assistant at (NCAA Division I) Ohio University for a year before joining Coach Faubion here. I've been here two, two and a half years. I looked at some head coaching positions over the summer and within the next two years I was looking at trying to get a head coaching position."

Although there are obviously more perks, such as no teaching load, at the Division I level, Jimerson says she's happiest in Division II.

"Personally, I enjoy the Division II level. It has the nice balance of the student to athlete ratio. And I enjoy teaching in the classroom. You don't get that opportunity at a lot of Division I schools. There (Division I), athletics are somewhat segregated from academia. Here, there's a perfect mix. Teaching helps me keep the perspective that our players are not just softball players. They're here to get an education and to have somewhat of a social life. That's what college is about, growing up to become productive young women."

Jimerson's first season at the helm of the Lady Lions was made doubly difficult when five players, recruited by Faubion, left at the semester. Included in that quintet were a pitcher and catcher.

"When I took over, we had 10 players on the roster," Jimerson recalls. "One of those, pitcher Carly Goodnight, had shoulder surgery during the Christmas break, and unless we have a miracle, she won't be pitching this season.

"Losing Carly left us with nine players. I found some players who were in the program before and asked if they were interested in an opportunity to play again. There was another girl (Natasha Jones, freshman from Webb City) who we had talked to a couple times in the past about walking on. We contacted her and she's with us now. Although she hasn't played in a couple years, she's a heckuva hitter."

With 13 healthy players now on the roster, everyone is going to get an opportunity to contribute, Jimerson says.

Jana Allison, who started in center field last year, will be one of the Southern pitchers. Another outfielder, Kara Reed, figures to see mound duty as a reliever. Freshman Callie Stanford, of Webb City, will shoulder much of the pitching load.

"We talked to Jana over Christmas about doing double duty and pitching a lot more," Jimerson adds. "She's handled it real well. We had talked about her just filling in, but she'll probably be a starter for us."

Stanford, an all-star right-hander at Webb City, was a dominant pitcher in high school.

"Callie won't be able to dominate the college hitters like she did in high school," Jimerson says. "We're asking her to throw the ball where they can hit it, but not hit it hard. Callie has a good drop ball and her change is coming around. Her curve has looked good in recent scrimmages. We just want her to get our opponents hitting ground balls or pop-ups to the outfield.

"I think our defense is above average. Our infield defense appears very strong. When Jana or Kara comes in to pitch, we'll have to move people around in the outfield, but we're solid defensively there, also."

Jimerson has been encouraged by Southern's offensive production during preseason.

"Our hitting is coming along real well," she says. "There are some things we need to work on. Although we have a few players with power potential, we won't be a team to hit the ball out of the park. We're going to have to hit and run, bunt and run. I prefer a team that hits line drives up the middle than one that sits back and waits on the big home run."

Missouri Southern's probable starting infield would have Kristen Armilio, a senior from Belton, Mo., at first base; Lisa Roe, senior from Lenexa, Ks., at second, either Kami Weston, junior from Baxter Springs, or sophomore Alesa Woolard, Claremore, Okla., at shortstop, and junior Lindsey Long, Broken Arrow, Okla., at third.

Allison will start in center when she's not pitching. Jones, Reed, Linwood, Ks., junior; Lacey Schell, Webb City junior, and Roxanne Thirion, Owasso, Okla., junior, are the other outfield candidates.

The catcher will be Mary Barrow, a sophomore from Muskogee, Okla., with Joplin sophomore Haley Hodson providing the backup. Hodson can also fill in at second base.

Missouri Southern's schedule, while attractive with 15 home games (including tournaments), presents a tough challenge. Three teams, nationally ranked in the pre-season poll of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, are on the schedule. Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, the Lady Lions' season-opening opponent on Feb. 15, is No. 11 in the poll. North Dakota State is No. 5 and Nebraska-Omaha is 14th. Augustana University and MIAA rival Washburn also received votes in the poll.

"There are three past national champions on our schedule," Jimerson says. "North Dakota State won the NCAA Division II title three years ago; Nebraska-Omaha won it two years ago, and Oklahoma City University has won the NAIA national title eight times."

Missouri Southern will compete in five regular-season tournaments, including its own Ott Foods Classic on March 7-8. Southern is bracketed in the Green pool against Oklahoma City, North Dakota State, Southwest Baptist, and Northwest Missouri State. The White pool lists Nebraska-Omaha, Pittsburg State, Southwestern Oklahoma, University of Mary (North Dakota) and Washburn.

The Lady Lions are also entered in the University of Central Arkansas Spring Clash on February 21-22, the Division II Lead-Off Classic in Dallas on Feb. 28-March 1-2, the Pittsburg State University Tournament March 20-22 and the University of Nebraska-Omaha tournament on April 5-6.

Missouri Southern's MIAA schedule includes home games with Southwest Baptist, Missouri-Rolla, Central Missouri State, Truman State, Pittsburg State and Emporia State.

Truman State, Washburn and Central Missouri State look like the teams to beat, Jimerson says. "And Emporia State looked good last fall. I've heard some good things about Pittsburg, too. They have some good hitters in the lineup. But, in this league, anybody can beat anybody else. That seems to be true in all sports."

Jimerson will have one part-time assistant coach. Lori Onstot, head coach at Seneca High School, will help out when her schedule permits.