Sept. 6 Softball Power Rankings

Each week, OzarksSportsZone.com will release local softball power rankings. Like our other power rankings, these rankings will be based on dominance by Class, not head-to-head.

Recent success and strength of schedule are also factored into the rankings. These rankings are through games played before Sept. 6

Overall record and Class are listed in parenthesis.

1. Camdenton (9-1, C4)

With the most thorough and dangerous lineup of any Class 4 team we cover, Camdenton debuts at the top of the power rankings. The Lakers have been beautifully efficient this season, outscoring teams 111-21 (+90). That includes a stretch from Aug. 23 to Sept. 1 when the Lakers didn’t allow a single run in four wins, beating Hillcrest, Glendale, West Plains and Pleasant Hope 45-0. Camdenton’s one loss came against Class 4 Poplar Bluff (11-2) in the Sullivan Tournament. The early success also includes a come-from-behind 9-8 win over Jefferson City, the group that knocked the Lakers out of last fall’s district tournament. Add a 10-0 win over a good Class 2 Pleasant Hope team to that list as well.

As for that beautiful efficiency I mentioned? Camdenton is batting .440 as a team and SEVEN regular starters are hitting at least .444! But a plethora of sophomore talent is what’s pushing them to the top right now. Sophomore Fayth Rakes has led that sophomore group statistically, batting .538 with a 1.317 OPS, 12 doubles and five RBIs. Shelby Webster leads the Lakers with 19 RBIs and is batting .486 with a 1.157 OPS. Then there’s Haile Farris, who’s hitting .448 with a .529 OBP.

What makes those three sophomores so dangerous is Camdenton already had stars returning in Kelly Uthe, Erin Rasmussen and Kylee Compton. And yeah, they're doing just fine. Compton is batting .533 with 13 RBIs. Uthe is hitting .455 with four doubles and 14 runs. Rasmussen has a .444 average with 13 runs. The three sophomores listed earlier? Just gravy.

The Lakers have been wearing out opponents on the mound as well. Uthe is the team’s No. 1 starter and has performed like one (3-1, 25.1 IP, 26 K, 1.93 ERA, 1.263 WHIP), but Compton (3-0, 15.2 IP, 25 K, 3.13 ERA, 1.085 WHIP) and Farris (3-0, 13.0 IP, 22 K, 0.00 ERA, 0.462 WHIP) have been as good if not better, at times. Especially Farris, who hasn’t allowed a single run.

This week’s opponents: 9/6 Kickapoo (4-4), 9/9 Capital City Tournament, 9/12 Lebanon (3-3)

2. Republic (5-3, C4)

All three of Republic’s losses came in the Shawnee Tournament out west in Oklahoma. The Tigers saw high-level competition in that five-game tourney, including University of Oklahoma pitching commit Olivia Rains, a Pryor, Okla. sophomore who shut out the Tigers. But back home, Republic has been as good as expected, beating Class 3 Monett, 10-4, and Class 3 Reeds Spring, 12-0. Kami Holt is raking early during her senior season, batting .435 with a ridiculous 1.595 OPS. Holt has two doubles, three triples and a pair of home runs (one being a grand slam in an 18-0 win over Carl Junction). Rachel Rook has been her usual overpowering self, but her numbers took a bit of a hit in Shawnee. Rook so far: 5-3, 2.06 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 43.2 IP, 59 K. Expect that strikeout ratio to increase and ERA to drop over the next couple weeks.

This week’s opponents: 9/6 Webb City (5-5), 9/8 Nixa (3-4), 9/9 Ozark Fall Festival Tournament

3. Willow Springs (7-1, C2)

Last year’s defending Class 2, District 8 champs have a pair of absolute gems on the mound in senior Kirstien Loman (4-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.581 WHIP, 20.2 IP, 21 K) and sophomore Sydney Miller (3-1, 25.1 IP, 41 K, 0.28 ERA, 0.671 WHIP). The two have allowed a combined nine runs in 46.0 innings pitched, so it’s no surprise Willow Springs is 7-1. The Bears' lineup is producing, as well. Let's start with the pitchers at the plate: Miller’s .560 average is bolstered by a team-high 14 hits, 11 runs and 11 RBIs and Loman has six extra-base hits. As for the rest, Bella Melvin has a .556 avg. and 1.500 OPS in addition to nine RBIs, and Devin Perkins is batting a clean .600. Willow Springs is 4-1 against Class 2 opponents, with its one loss coming against East Carter (3-1), 1-0. They have a pair of quality wins over MV/BT-Liberty and Class 1 Dora (5-3).

This week’s opponents: 9/6 MV-BT/Liberty (4-2*), 9/8 Mansfield (2-2), 9/12 Alton (1-3)

*=incomplete record

4. Norwood (6-2, C1)

The Pirates were expected to be good after graduating just one senior from a 16-win district champion, and yeah, they are. Norwood has wins over Class 3 Buffalo, three Class 2 teams (Seymour, Ava, Gainesville) and is 2-0 in Class 1. Their wins really haven’t been close, including 10-2 over a pretty good Ava team and 9-2 over Morrisville (5-2), the latter clinching the Morrisville Tournament championship. Their only two losses came against Class 3 Rogersville and Class 4 Lebanon, both on the road and by a combined three runs. Senior Emily Chadwell has eight starts and eight complete games, posting a 1.24 ERA and 0.933 WHIP with 32 strikeouts in 45.0 innings. Chadwell is also batting .400, but junior Emma Nelson (.458 AVG., 11 hits, nine runs) and senior Jenna Ogletree (.417 AVG, 9 R, 10 RBIs, 2 3B, 1 HR) lead the way at the plate.

This week's opponents: 9/6 Pleasant Hope (5-3), 9/8 Hartville (3-6), 9/12 Reeds Spring (5-2)

5. Rogersville (6-1, C3)

Both teams that beat Norwood are also in my initial Top 15, and Rogersville is one. The Wildcats lost four All-COC-Small selections to graduation, but they don’t look like they’ve dropped off much from last year’s district championship team. A lot of that carryover is thanks to junior pitcher Hunter Bledsoe, who is 5-0 with a 0.82 ERA and 0.76 WHIP and has struck out 35 in 33.0 innings. Hailey Brown has been excellent at the plate out of the leadoff spot, batting .565 with a 1.366 OPS, 10 runs and 10 steals. Shelby Ince is providing a nice power stroke with a .435 average, four doubles and eight RBIs. The Wildcats split a pair with Class 4 Branson and have beat Class 1 Norwood, Class 4 West Plains and Class 3 Clinton (3-1).

This week’s opponents: 9/6 Hollister (1-5), 9/8 Ava (2-4), 9/9 Ozark Invitational Tournament

6. Salem (5-1, C3)

I still need to see Salem against more Class 3 competition (only Class 3 win came against St. James, 13-12), but the Tigers were one to keep an eye on even before the season and are averaging 12.5 runs per game. That production isn’t a surprise when you’re fielding three players hitting at least .600. Camryn Pryor gets the attention, and rightly so; the senior is close to setting every batting record in Salem softball history (stay tuned for a feature on her in the next week). But it’s fellow senior Payton Curley that’s putting up the most ridiculous numbers so far. Curley is batting .636, slugging 1.091 and has a 1.783 OPS. That’s not bad! Numbers-wise, the kid has a pair of doubles, a triple, two homers, 12 runs, 10 RBIs and three steals. Now for Pryor: .600 AVG., 1.380 OPS, 11 runs. Then there’s Shelby Carr, who’s hitting an acceptable .619 with a 1.644 OPS, plus four doubles, 11 runs and 11 RBIs. Kari Hatridge has been effective on the mound. She’s 4-0 with a 2.22 ERA and 1.24 WHIP with 26 strikeouts in 20.1 IP.

This week's opponents: 9/6 Houston (3-4), 9/8 Cuba, 9/10 Potosi Tournament

7. McDonald County (9-2, C4)
I really like what the Mustangs are doing so far. This is a team that lost to Republic 3-0 in last year’s district semifinals, and they look every bit as good, if not better, with key early wins over Class 4 Neosho (twice), Carthage and Nixa by a combined score of 27-1. Their only losses came in the Joplin Tournament against Class 4 Blue Springs, 3-1, and Rock Bridge, 8-1, two teams that are a combined 14-3. Catcher Kylie Helm has been pretty incredible, but equally as incredible is the fact that she's only a SOPHOMORE with these numbers: .629 AVG, 1.553 OPS, six doubles, two triples, nine runs, 16 RBIs. Perhaps most importantly for Helm is that she’s batting .591 w/RISP. Too good! Cloee Helm has a year on Kylie and is putting up big numbers as well, hitting .514 with four doubles and swiping 11 bases so far. Senior pitcher Paige Jones is 7-1 with a 2.02 ERA and 1.038 WHIP. She’s struck out 50 in 52.0 innings.

This week's opponents: 9/8 Seneca (5-7), 9/12 Carl Junction (1-8)

8. El Dorado Springs (4-0, C2)

Seven starters came back this year from ElDo’s 2015 district championship squad, and while they’ve played a pretty limited early schedule, the Bulldogs have been very good and haven’t really played a close game. Their 6-1 win over Class 1 Hermitage is a good one, and they easily handled Class 3 Buffalo. Senior pitcher Tailor Hutsell tossed a no-hitter in that Hermitage game (four walks), and is 4-0 with a 1.67 ERA, 0.52 WHIP, 4 CG and 43 strikeouts and 27.0 innings so far. Fun Hutsell fact: she’s been hit by a pitch in every game. Nice! Kylie Eakins (.538 avg.) and Jace Cundiff (.429 avg., 6 RBIs) are off to good starts. Senior catcher Anyssa Salazar is off to a slow start statistically (.313 avg.), but when that picks up, the Bulldogs will be even more dangerous.

This week's opponents: 9/6 Morrisville (5-2), 9/9 Walnut Grove Tournament, 9/12 Lamar

9. Monett (5-1, C3)

BEST UNIFORMS IN THE OZARKS. Seriously, I want one of these unis. I would wear it to work. Anyway, the Cubs are giving up over six runs per game, so, yes, the pitching concerns me, but this team put up four runs on Rachel Rook and is averaging 10 runs per game this season. Plus, this is a Monett team that’s averaged 18 wins per season this decade. That is going to continue. Three starters are batting over .500, led by Josie Allcock: .522 AVG., 1.412 OPS, four doubles, two triples, seven RBIs. Kelli McCallister and Haley Williams are both batting exactly .500. McCallister has had more of a power stroke, knocking in 10 runs and putting up a 1.350 OPS (plus five steals. She’s fast, too!). Williams has started every game for the Cubs and is 5-1 with a 6.46 ERA.

This week's opponents: 9/6 Lamar (1-2), 9/9 Ozark Tournament

10. East Newton (6-3, C3)
The Patriots have been a pleasant surprise. They shut out a good Reeds Spring team whose only other loss has come against Republic, and they finished as runner-up in the Commerce, Okla. tournament in August. Outside of that tournament, East Newton’s only loss came against Class 3 Marshfield (5-3). Natalie Oxendine has been a workhorse on the rubber, starting all nine games and completing eight. She’s 6-3 with a 2.72 ERA and 1.09 WHIP and has 26 strikeouts in 56.2 innings. East Newton has a trio hitting over .400. Brynne Smith is exactly at the mark with seven extra-base hits (4 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR), eight RBIs and a 1.304 OPS. Jaylen Hayward is batting a team-best .464 with 13 runs scored, and Kaitlyn Haley is at .435 with a 1.022 OPS.

This week’s opponents: 9/6 Aurora (1-3), 9/8 Cassville (3-3), 9/12 (Cassville)

11. Reeds Spring (5-2, C3)

The Wolves haven't really had the toughest schedule, but I loved their lineup coming into the season and they've been absolutely crushing the ball with five batters above the .400 mark. Hannah Erickson (.423 avg.) and Allie Dickerson (.407 avg., 3 HR, 14 RBIs, 3 SB) were the two most on my radar going into the fall, but junior Mackenzie Duvall has been Reeds Spring's best bat so far. Duvall has put up this line through seven games: .565 AVG., .957 SLG, 1.587 OPS, 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBIs, 3 SB. That. Will. Do. Karri Dale Johnson (.435) and Courtney Scobee (.450) are also over .400. Erickson, the Wolves' No. 1 starter, is 3-2 with a 2.79 ERA and 1.34 WHIP on the mound, striking out 24 in 29.0 innings. Izzy Erickson has been very impressive as well. Izzy has only one start but has two relief appearances. She's 1-0 with a 0.69 ERA, 0.69 WHIP and has 25 strikeouts in 13.0 innings (and a rare softball save!). Tuesday's game against Marshfield (a team on my watch list!) could decide who's in and who's out of next week's rankings.

This week's opponents: 9/6 Marshfield (5-3), 9/8 Gainesville (1-7), 9/9 Glendale (0-5), 9/12 Norwood (6-2)

12. Pleasant Hope (5-3, C2)

Another group with a lot of experience, and it's showing early. The Pirates have played a tough schedule and have done pretty well with it, including a big 8-2 win over Class 4 Nixa. Pleasant Hope also has a pair of very good-looking wins over Iberia—last year's Class 2 state runner-up—4-3 and 9-3. Two of their three losses came by one run against Class 4 teams Rolla and Branson. I don't have stats to go with the schedule here, but I like what I've seen from the results, and I was able to see the Pirates in Camdenton. While they lost that game 10-0 (Camdenton is really good!), the girls could hit. Tuesday night's game against Norwood will be interesting, and with three teams above .500 on this week's schedule (two in higher classes), the next seven days should be pretty telling.

This week's opponents: 9/6 Norwood (6-2), 9/9 Hillcrest (5-4), 9/12 Marshfield (5-3)

13. Ozark (4-2, C4)
Ozark has been good. They graduated a ton of talent, and that showed a bit in a 4-0 loss to Class 4 Neosho (3-5). The Tigers outhit the Wildcats in that game but couldn't get a run home. Beyond that, the Tigers' only loss came against nine-win Class 4 Rock Bridge (Columbia), 8-3. Ozark has wins over Lebanon, Kickapoo, Carthage and West Plains (those four are just 13-14 so far) and actually beat the Zizzers by the same run differential that Camdenton did (a good sign). Brooke Pridgen has been as advertised, putting up a 3-2 record behind a 2.48 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 23 Ks in 41.0 innings. Not a lot of big numbers from the lineup through six games, but the Tigers have played a touger schedule and are still doing enough to win. They've been led by Kara Ford (.429 avg., 5 R, 4 SB, 1.097 OPS) and Morgan Doyle (.381 avg.) but need more power out of Doyle, who had six home runs last year but is still looking for her power stroke this season.

This week's opponents: 9/6 Carl Junction (1-8), 9/8 Branson (6-2), 9/9 Ozark Fall Festival Tournament

14. Hermitage (6-2, C1)

The Lady Hornets have been flirting with a breakout season the past couple of years, winning 12 games last season and 14 in 2014. This could finally be that breakout campaign with what we've seen early on. Hermitage won its first tournament in program history when it ~~beat~~ CRUSHED Wheatland (6-2) in the Humansville Tournament championship in August, 14-3. They have some other key early wins over Class 1 Morrisville (5-2) and Weaubleau, and played ElDo to a close 6-2 loss. The reason they aren't higher on this list is an odd 9-8 loss to Class 1 Humansville (1-9). Sheridan Corum has a team-best 11 hits, and she's bolstering a .500 AVG. and 1.411 OPS with three doubles, two triples, seven RBIs, nine runs and a .500 average w/RISP. Corum is also the Hornets' top starter, going 6-2 with a 2.37 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 21 strikeouts in 44.1 innings. Lindsey Smith leads the team with nine RBIs and is batting .409. Hermitage has a couple of speedsters in Jade Morris (8 SB) and Sadi Hostettler (9 SB) who are going to be tough on opposing catchers.

This week's opponents: 9/6 Fair Play (1-4), 9/9 Weaubleau Tournament, 9/12 Wheatland

15. Branson (6-2, C4)

Shameless plug is this O-Zone Magazine quote: "Branson hasn't finished above .500 since 2011, but that's probably about to change." Yeah, that sub-.500 stretch is going to END. Branson has some good wins over Class 2 Pleasant Hope, Class 3 Osage (5-3), Class 3 Marshfield (5-3) and Class 3 Rogersville (6-1). Their only Class 4 game was a 6-5 loss to Nixa, but I still like what we're seeing enough to slide Branson into these rankings. Plus, freshman pitcher Katrina Ford is only going to get better. Ford came in with a lot of local hype and is living up to it. Check out her (freshman!) line: 6 GS, 5-0, 37.0 IP, 15 K, 1.89 ERA, 1.00 WHIP. Ford is getting a lot of help offensively, with senior Ashlea Large (.471) and junior Gracie Jeager (.455) both above .400. Jeager is a star for the Pirates and has a 1.136 OPS, two doubles, a triple and eight runs to go with that average. Freshman Savannah Miller has also been impressive, batting .375 with a 1.000 OPS, three doubles, a home run and six RBIs, and she's yet to strikeout. I'd imagine Branson fans are pretty excited to have Miller and Ford together for the next four years.