Pitching, infield defense strengths for 2004 softball Lions
By Wendell Redden
Missouri Southern Sports Information
Success, for Missouri Southern State University's young Lions this season, could depend on how well and how quickly the squad gels.
"We have a shot at the conference. That's one of our goals," says second-year head coach Jennifer Jimerson. "The keys to our success will be how well we communicate with each other, how well we come together as a squad. That can be difficult when half of your squad is new."
Health could be an issue because the Lions lack depth. But Jimerson believes the Lions' pitching and infield defense could be strengths.
"We have three veterans returning in the infield, plus a freshman who could be a real plus for us," Jimerson stresses. "Also, we have some other kids who are working at the infield positions to provide depth."
Keys to the infield defense are veterans Lindsey Long at third base, Kami Weston at shortstop and Alese Woolard at second. Woolard was an all-conference second-team pick as an outfielder last year, but she was a talented shortstop at Oolagah (Okla.) High School, earning all-state honors her senior year.
"Alese has the range and the arm to play the position and she's giving us everything she has while learning a new position," Jimerson says. "Teamed with Kami (Weston), she has strengthened our defense up the middle."
Woolard led Missouri Southern in several offensive categories last year, including batting average (.358), hits (57), runs (37), at-bats (159), triples (10) and slugging percentage (.553). She also stroked 11 doubles.
Weston, the senior shortstop from Baxter Springs, Kan., ranked among the MIAA's top defensive shortstops last year with only seven errors in 181 total chances for a .961 batting average. While batting only .256, she had two of Missouri Southern's home runs in 2003.
"Kami has a continuous shoulder problem, but she should be healthy for the start of the season," Jimerson says.
Long has earned the respect of her coach with her play at third base.
"Third base is a reaction position," Jimerson emphasizes. "You've got to find kids who have that inner desire to knock (the ball) down with their body and the quick reaction to not get hurt over there. When you have a batter with speed who can bunt, the third baseman sometimes is just 15 feet away. And she's usually just 30 feet away. Lindsay has the ability to make the plays. She gets in a batter's face and takes her on."
Long, who prepped at Broken Arrow (Okla.) High School, has good gap power and is one of Southern's better base runners. During her previous two years with the Lions, the senior guardian of the hot corner has swiped 15 bases in 17 attempts.
A freshman, Rachel Bowen of Lansing (Kan.) High School, will probably start at first base, but the lefty is also expected to see some action at pitcher. When she pitches, veteran catcher Mary Barrow (Muskogee, Okla.) and freshman catcher Kristen Jennings (Antioch, Tenn.) could see action at first. Both have been working out there, and Jennings and Shari Gates (Muskogee, Okla.) have been backing up Long at third.
"Rachel is very strong defensively and mechanically. She has good range and a good arm," Jimerson says. "She's really good at digging out the short hops."
Barrow and Jennings give Southern a solid one-two punch behind the plate.
"Mary caught most of our games last year and catching every game takes a lot out of a player," Jimerson says. "She's a long stronger this year and is much more vocal in calling for the cutoffs and taking charge of the defense. That's an area we've been working with our catchers, getting them to take charge out there. Kristen is very sound mechanically and has an abundance of talent, but college softball is a whole new world to her. We're looking for Mary to help her develop into a college catcher."
Barrow, starting all 48 games in the Lions' 23-25 season in 2003, finished third on the squad in hitting with a .290 average. She had 19 RBI and her 42 hits included eight doubles, a triple and home run. She had only four errors in posting a .981 fielding percentage.
Sophomore Callie Stanford (Webb City), the workhorse of the pitching Southern staff last year, returns after going 11-13 in 27 appearances as a freshman. She pitched 165.1 innings and compiled a 2.20 earned run average. She walked 53 batters and struck out 84.
"Callie gained a lot of experience against good competition last year," Jimerson says. "She developed a very nice drop and change and has a lot of tools to use. She suffered through the freshman experience of learning that she couldn't throw the ball past people like she did in high school. She also had to make the adjustment of pitching from 43 feet instead of 40 feet. Experience will make her a better pitcher this year."
Stanford shouldn't have to shoulder the pitching load this year. Transfer Amy Schneider, a sophomore from Collin County (Texas) Community College, will share mound duties with Callie. A first-team all-district pitcher at South Garland (Texas) High School, Schneider has impressed Jimerson in fall and preseason workouts.
"Amy will do a very good job for us," Jimerson says. "She's a very smart pitcher and has the confidence out there in the circle. She's a control pitcher with very good stuff, but she can get the strikeouts when she needs them."
Missouri Southern returns only one veteran in the outfield: senior Kara Reed of Linwood, Kan., a transfer from Barry University prior to the 2002 season. Junior Haley Hodson of Joplin is competing for a starting job in the outfield as are Laura Hunter of Carthage, a transfer from Cowley County (Kan.) Community College, Erin Gfeller, a freshman from Overland Park, Kan., and Megan Parsons, a freshman from Stella, Mo., who played at McDonald County High School.
Reed batted .276 last season and led the Lions in runs batted in with 28. She had 43 hits, including five doubles and two triples. She handled 33 chances in the outfield without an error.
Completing the Missouri Southern roster is sophomore Jessie Noid, a utility player who served as the Lions' pinch runner last year.
Jimerson says Missouri Southern will be a line drive-oriented offensive team this season.
"We're going to have to manufacture some runs," she points out. "We have some players with some power, but we're not going to be a club that will rely on the long ball to win games. Good pitching, defense and timely hitting will carry us."
Missouri Southern's schedule includes six tournaments, including the postseason MIAA Tournament in Shawnee, Kan. The Lions will play in the Central Arkansas Tournament on Feb. 20-21, the Missouri Western Tournament March 6-7, West Florida Tournament in Pensacola on March 15-20 and the Nebraska-Omaha tournament on March 27-28. The Lions will host their Ott's Foods Classic on March 12-13. Opponents will be Washburn, Northwest Missouri State, Missouri-St. Louis, Augustana (S.D.), and Oklahoma City University.
Missouri Southern opens conference play at home against Pittsburg State on March 23.