After a 23-11 record a year ago, Joplin returns starters all over the diamond with the hopes of not only duplicating, but surpassing the success from last season.
After finishing with 20 wins for the first time since the 2013 season, the Eagles are still focused on getting better in every phase of the game. Fortunately, Joplin has plenty of talent returning to do just that.
“Our expectation is just to improve from last year,” Joplin coach Brenden Schneider said. “That sounds funny to say after winning 23 games, but I know the girls feel like we can be better. We have added some very competitive games to our schedule and hope that by the end of the year we have put ourselves in a position to compete for a district and conference championship. The softball in this area is so good and everyone knows you better come to play every game. If we can improve every game we will give ourselves a chance to compete in districts.”
The Eagles return six entrenched starters from a year ago as well as several other players with starting or varsity experience.
“Our biggest strength is our hitting and the amount of varsity experience we have on our roster,” Schneider said. “We also have a fair amount of speed. We feel confident that we are going to score and take advantage of mistakes on the bases. The top six hitters in our lineup were very productive last year and we return five of them.”
On the infield, senior third baseman and four-year starter Bailey Ledford brings back a .443/.504/.565 slash line from last year at the top of the order. She is joined by junior first baseman Jadyn Pankow (.438/.476/.563), who had eight doubles, 30 RBI and scored 26 runs last season, and junior INF Maria Loum (.344/.375/.409), who had 22 runs scored and 17 RBI last year. Junior Libby Munn (.247/.360/.563), who had a team-high eight home runs to go along with 29 RBI and 20 runs scored and started predominantly in the outfield last year, is also back and is expected to spend most of her time on the infield this season.
In the outfield, junior Abby Lowery (.441/.481/.653), who led the team with 15 doubles, 31 RBI and 41 runs scored, brings back a big bat to the top of the lineup.
Vying for the open outfield spots are senior Taryn Casey (.333/.375/.396), senior Ashley Phillips, senior Peyton Meadows, senior Meagan Meeker and sophomore Carlie Howard.
Back at catcher is junior Riley Kelly (.333/.375/.396), who had 28 RBI and seven doubles behind the plate last season. Senior Kirsten McMillen is also back to provide depth behind the dish for the Eagles.
The biggest question mark for Joplin heading into the new season will be in the circle. The Eagles graduated Jill McDaniel, who anchored the Eagles’ pitching staff for the last several seasons. Now, Joplin will be relying on sophomore Ava Wolf, who will also see time in the outfield, and sophomore Caelyn Bobski to step up and provide quality innings in the circle this season.
“Losing a senior pitcher with 200 strikeouts is hard for any program to replace but Ava Wolf and Caelyn Bobski have really committed themselves to becoming great pitchers,” Schneider said. “We hope that by the end of the year the experience will be there and they will help propel us toward competing for a district title. Combined, they threw 60 varsity innings in the fall and showed that they can be successful at that level. They are both aware of how difficult and important their roles will be in the circle. Getting that experience last year will be invaluable. They are both young and we think that they will see lots of improvement throughout the year as they consistently face varsity hitters.”
New faces to the varsity squad this year will include sophomore 1B Lillibelle Stafford, sophomore UTL Lilly Glover and sophomore 2B Gracie Williamson.
After coming off such a successful season last year, Coach Schneider wants to see his team come out of the gates mentally prepared and not taking anything for granted. He feels that will be one of the bigger keys to getting the season started on the proper footing.
“We really need to focus on our mental approach,” he said. “We surprised some people last year but as we know this area is loaded with talent. We need to learn how to deal with failure, tough situations, and bad days. I thought we struggled with that toward the end of last year and so we will be looking to improve in that area. Our girls work extremely hard on the field now our job as coaches is to identify what we can improve to take us to the next level. If we can find a way to stay positive, play for each other, and have fun, this team will go beyond expectations.”
The biggest key to success for Joplin this season may be how well the Eagles play on defense. The offense, with so much experience back, is expected to produce at an above-average rate. However, with the Eagles relying on a pair of young hurlers this season, a great defense behind the inexperienced pitching will do wonders for the confidence in the circle.
“This is one area we are really focusing on improving because it was the difference
between us winning and losing tight games last year,” Schneider said. “This group is very athletic and we have lots of girls that can play in multiple spots. Obviously, Bailey Ledford has been a rock at third base for the past three years and we expect her to continue her great play. Jadyn Pankow does a great job at first and Abby Lowery will still hold down center field. We also have Riley Kelly who has been a great pairing with McMillen behind the plate. Our middle infield and corner outfield positions will have some different girls battling for specific spots but we feel good about the options that could potentially fill those roles.”
Joplin opens the season in the Aurora Kickoff Classic on Aug. 25 before the Eagles’ home opener against Kickapoo on Aug. 28.
