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 on Sept. 13.
Overall record and Class are listed in parenthesis.
As always, I encourage players, fans, parents and coaches to email me (listed above) or Tweet at me with big single-game performances, player milestones or whatever else you may find interesting, even if your team isn't listed in the power rankings! Mainly because I'd love to get that content out even if we weren't there for a recap. Alright, now on to this week's Top 15.
CLICK FOR SEPT. 6 POWER RANKINGS
1. Camdenton (12-3; C4; Last week: 1)
Camdenton got shut out by a couple strong teams up in the Capital City Tournament, losing 1-0 to Class 4 Lee’s Summit North and 2-0 to Class 2 Blair Oaks. Oaks has made the state tournament every season this decade and has made the championship game twice, so not your run-of-the-mill under-class opponent. On the other end, the Lakers beat Kickapoo and Lebanon by a combined 22-2 and beat Class 4 Fox up in Jeff City, 6-0. Not a lot of new numbers stat-wise out of Camdenton this week, but I do know sophomore starter Haile Farris finally allowed a run. One run. She can be forgiven, just like the Lakers can for those two tournament losses. But Republic is knocking.
This week's opponents: 9/15 Rolla (5-4), 9/19 Waynesville (7-4), 9/20 Sedalia Smith-Cotton (1-10)
2. Republic (10-3; C4; Last week: 2)
Can’t really ask for a better week from the Tigers. Republic outscored opponents 42-2 in five wins, including wins over COC-Large opponents Webb City, Nixa and Ozark. The final of those three wins was the most impressive. Ozark had been 4-0 since last Tuesday before Republic beat them 5-1 behind a one-hit, 15-strikeout outing from Rachel Rook and a two-run homer by Kami Holt, her fourth of the year. Holt is sitting on 15 RBIs and a .587 OBP thanks to 12 walks and still leads Republic with a .441 average. Credit to Julia Higgins as well, whose 15 hits and 15 RBIs are tied with Holt for the team lead. Back to Rook, though. She struck out 54 batters this week in 25 innings. That’s a RIDICULOUS rate. Her ERA dropped from 2.06 last Tuesday to 1.55 and her WHIP from 1.01 to 0.83. Overall, she’s allowed two earned runs in her last 30 innings pitched. 'Nough said.
This week's opponents: 9/15 Neosho (5-7), 9/16 Kickapoo (7-5), 9/19 Jefferson City (4-6), 9/20 Branson (7-3)
3. Willow Springs (10-1; C2; Last Week: 3)
Close 6-5 win for Willow over a Class 1 Dora team that might be hitting its stride right now, but I’m leaving the Bears safely in the No. 3 spot (and honestly thought about moving them up. Yeah, they're that good). You just can’t ignore this pitching. Through 67.0 innings, Sydney Miller and Kirstein Loman had allowed six TOTAL earned runs (Miller allowed four this week). Loman is still sitting on a 0.00 ERA and managed to lower her 0.581 WHIP to 0.523, because why not? Miller’s stats “ballooned” to a 1.10 ERA and .704 WHIP after a 10-2 win over MV-BT/Liberty and Tuesday's Dora win. And don’t worry, Miller (.576 avg.), Bella Melvin (.517, team-best 17 RBIs) and Devin Perkins (.500) are still raking at the plate. Keep an eye their game with Salem next Tuesday as well as this weekend's Norwood tournament. Both will be very telling.
This week's opponents: 9/15 Gainesville (1-8), 9/17 Norwood Tournament, 9/19 Van Buren (4-2), 9/20 Salem (7-1)
4. Norwood (9-3; C1; Last week: 4)
Norwood lost to Class 2 Pleasant Hope this week, but they haven’t had a problem with Class 1 competition yet, a trend that continued with a 13-2 win over Hartville (a game they should have won pretty easily, and did). The Pirates also beat Class 3 Reeds Spring, 5-4, and Class 2 Houston, 10-0. Good wins! Emily Chadwell is still pitching very well. Her ERA jumped a bit to 2.08 (was 1.24 last week), but that’s mostly due to the loss to Pleasant Hope. Jenna Ogletree had been 0-9 in her last three games heading into Tuesday’s matchup with Houston, but she hit a grand slam, so that slump is likely over and she now has 14 RBIs.
This week's opponents: 9/17 Norwood Tournament, 9/19 Mansfield (5-3)
5. Rogersville (9-3; C3; Last week: 5)
Good win for Rogersville over Class 2 Pleasant Hope, 6-4. Most importantly, the Wildcats took care of business against their only Class 3 competition this week in Hollister, winning 12-2. Class 4 Kickapoo topped the ‘Cats 6-3 in the rain-shortened Ozark Tournament, and they fell 12-0 to Republic. Can’t necessarily fault them for the two losses, though a win over Kickapoo shouldn’t have been out of the question despite the Chiefs sitting at 7-5 right now. Hailey Brown was held without a steal for the first time this season in the loss to Kickapoo (and again against Republic) but swiped four bags against Hollister and is up to 17 this season. Her speed likely has something to do with this next stat, but Brown is batting .629 through 12 games. That’s incredibly impressive on a Class 3 team, or, quite frankly, on any team. She also leads Rogersville with a pair of home runs. Shelby Ince had a good week, upping her average from .435 to .486. Hunter Bledsoe’s ERA jumped from 0.82 to 1.64, but the junior has obviously been great this year, averaging a strikeout per inning and sitting on a 6-1 record.
This week's opponents: 9/15 Hillcrest (6-6), 9/16 Rolla (5-4), 9/20 Reeds Spring (6-4)
6. Salem (7-1; C3; Last week: 6)
The Lady Tigers aren’t going to stop hitting anytime soon. They beat Class 3 Houston 15-0 last Tuesday and—despite having a full week between games—topped Class 2 Steelville 13-3 this Tuesday. They were scheduled to compete in the Potosi Tournament this weekend, but it started raining and didn’t stop. Shelby Carr had her best game of the season on the mound against Steelville, striking out 11 in 6.0 innings and grabbing her first win in three starts, so a well-deserved shoutout to her. Camryn Pryor (.615 avg.), Shelby Carr (.621 avg.) and Payton Curley (.533 avg.) all have at least one hit in every game this season, something fun to keep an eye on. Whoever keeps the streak going the longest gets an O-Zone t-shirt (I haven’t gotten this approved but I don’t care. Game on, ladies!). Last note: very challenging week of games coming up for Salem (see below), playing five teams that combine for a 36-13 record.
This week's opponents: 9/14 Cuba (6-3), 9/15 Dora (7-4), 9/16 Waynesville (7-4), 9/19 Dixon (6-1), 9/20 Willow Springs (10-1)
7. McDonald County (10-2; C4; Last week: 7)
Before Monday, the Lady Mustangs hadn’t played since Sept. 2. They probably got bored. I would’ve gotten bored. Perhaps I would’ve dreamed of all the hits I’m not getting, but then I’d still not get them because I wasn’t a very good hitter. But I’m not McDonald County. They took 10 days off and then beat Carl Junction 18-0 on Monday and Joplin 11-2 on Tuesday. I don’t have updated stats from the past two games, but the scores over fellow Class 4 teams speak for themselves. They stay at No. 7.
This week's opponents: 9/17 Branson Tournament, 9/19 Lamar (2-5), 9/20 Cassville (5-3)
8. El Dorado Springs (9-2; C2; Last week: 8)
These girls responded really well to a busy seven-game schedule this week, allowing just six runs in their five wins and making it to the Walnut Grove Tournament finals before falling to Class 3 Aurora, 6-3. Their only other loss this week was to another Class 3 school in Clinton with their most recent win coming Tuesday night over Class 1 Weaubleau, 5-2. Tailor Hutsell was only hit by two pitches this week, but still has an impressive six HBPs this season. Gritty player right there. She gets one gritcoin. Hutsell continues to put up some of the best numbers in the area on the mound; she went 4-2 this week with five more complete games and only saw her ERA raise from 1.67 to 1.68. She’s also kept up a very high strikeout rate and now has 98 Ks in 64.1 innings. Jace Cundiff had a productive week out of the leadoff spot, going 7-15 there.
This week's opponents: 9/14 Sherwood (5-1), 9/17 El Dorado Springs Softball Tournament, 9/21 Wheatland (7-2)
9. Monett (9-2; C3; Last week: 9)
Last week I said I was concerned with Monett’s pitching. I guess I still am, in theory, but if Haley Williams can keep up what she’s done this week, that concern will be DONE. Williams had a 6.46 ERA last Tuesday. That ERA now stands at 4.57 after allowing just seven earned runs in her last 34.0 innings pitched. That’s an impressive turnaround (and one that continued Tuesday night. Williams pitched eight scoreless innings against Seneca in a game Monett won 1-0). The Cubs had a very good week, beating Class 4 teams Grain Valley and Lebanon by a combined 21-4. They also beat Lamar 16-4. The one loss was to Class 4 Nixa, 10-4. Williams (.595 avg.) and Josie Alcock (.486 avg.) still lead Monett offensively. Camryn Wolf hit her fourth homer of the season in the loss to Nixa.
This week's opponents: 9/15 Bolivar (1-6), 9/19 Carl Junction (1-11)
10. Pleasant Hope (8-6; C2; Last week: 12)
I know Pleasant Hope has it’s share of losses, but they’ve played a very tough schedule for a Class 2 program and have been consistently competitive against higher-level competition. That continued this week, losing to Class 4 Kickapoo, 6-5, and Class 3 Rogersville, 6-3. But the losses aren’t why they’re here. Pleasant Hope put up wins of 7-5 over Class 3 Marshfield, 9-1 over Class 1 Norwood and 8-7 over Class 3 Hillcrest this week, in addition to the wins I touched on in last week's rankings.
This week's opponents: 9/15 Seymour (0-10), 9/19 Buffalo (4-9), 9/20 Weaubleau (2-6)
11. Ozark (8-3; C4; Last week: 13)
The Tigers had a good week, beating a trio of Class 4 teams in Carl Junction, Rolla, Carthage and Branson. The standout in that group is the 8-5 win over Branson, with the other three all hovering around or sitting at well below .500. Ozark also put up a pretty good fight early against Republic, trailing 2-1 late, but ultimately lost 5-1 in a game in which they were one-hit by Rachel Rook, which is nothing to be ashamed of with how she's been pitching (See: Republic). Kara Ford got that one hit against Rook and is on an 11-game hit streak to start the season. She raised her average from .429 to .457 this week in addition to scoring nine runs and swiping three bags.
This week's opponents: 9/15 Willard (5-2), 9/16 LN/LHS September Smash Tournament, 9/20 Webb City (7-6)
12. Bakersfield (9-2; C1; Last week: N/A)
Here’s a Class 1 team that’s looked very good within its classification that I admittedly overlooked last week. The Lions won their Bakersfield Pride Park Tournament this weekend, beating Class 2 teams in Gainesville, Alton and Mansfield in the process by a combined 26-6. Their only losses have come against Class 3 Salem and Class 2 Willow Springs, losing to Willow in a close one, 9-7 (the loss to Salem was 10-3). The Lions have a key Class 1 win over Dora (9-3), 6-5, and a couple good Class 2 wins over Houston and MV-BT/Liberty. Three Bakersfield batters are hitting over .500 right now (and Krystal Foster is at .452). Those three are Maddie Simpson (.576), Jacelyn McCormack (.500) and Natalie McKee (.500). Simpson leads the team with a 1.498 OPS, 14 runs and 14 RBIs and is tied for the lead in steals with Foster (14). Pitching is a bit of a question mark, but McKee has held her own on the mound so far, posting a 3.72 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 52.2 innings.
This week's opponents: 9/15 Alton (2-9), 9/19 Hartville (3-10)
13. West Plains (6-3; C3; Last week: N/A)
The Zizzers are starting to peak my interest in Class 3. They began the season with an 11-inning, 7-3 loss to Class 4 Ozark. They outhit fellow Class 3 member Rogersville, despite losing 3-1. They held Camdenton to eight hits and four runs in a 4-0 loss. Since that loss to Camdenton, West Plains is 5-0, they won their own tournament last weekend, and the games they’ve won haven’t been close, beating Class 4 Glendale and Waynesville, Class 3 Marshfield, and Class 2 East Carter and Van Buren by a combined 46-2. Abbey Gann has been an absolute gem on the mound so far. She’s started eight games and completed seven, going 6-2 with a 1.17 ERA and 0.98 WHIP, and has struck out 81 in 54.0 innings. Gann has been very good at the plate as well, hitting .484 with five extra-base hits. But it’s Karsyn Smith who has highlighted the lineup for the Zizzers. Smith is sitting on a .455 average, 1.150 OPS, five extra-base hits, 12 runs, 15 RBIs and eight steals through nine games. Head coach Don Long has done an excellent job moving this lineup around. Leadoff hitter Hadley Taylor was struggling early, going 1-14 in that spot. Since she was moved to the bottom half, she’s hitting 9-20. Her replacement at the top of the order is Shelby Foster, who is .458 there with seven steals. That’s good managing, man.
This week's opponents: 9/15 Lebanon (5-6), 9/17 Branson Tournament, 9/19 Kickapoo (7-5), 9/20 Joplin (5-8)
14. Marion C. Early (8-4; C1; Last week: N/A)
This is a team I don’t have stats for yet, but they’re doing enough right to warrant a spot on this list. Their only Class 1 loss came 11-10 at Hermitage in the first game of the season. Since then they’re 4-0 against Class 1 competition and have wins over Class 4 Parkview, Class 3 Hollister and Class 2 Hartville and Houston. They’ve also managed to medal in a couple tournaments, most recently finishing third in the Walnut Grove Tournament last weekend. Beyond that Hermitage loss, their other losses were 9-2 to Class 1 Norwood, 9-3 to Class 2 El Dorado Springs and 4-1 to Class 3 Aurora, which won the Walnut Grove Tournament.
This week's opponents: 9/15 Walnut Grove (6-6), 9/17 Norwood Tournament, 9/20 Glendale (0-9)
15. Branson (7-3; C4; Last week: 15)
I’m keeping Branson in despite an 8-5 loss to Ozark this week. Mainly because I think this team is only going to get better with the young talent on the roster. The Pirates easily beat Class 3 Carl Junction on Tuesday, 15-0, and also beat Class 4 Carthage last week, 7-5. Gracie Jaeger upped her average from .455 to .515 and is now sporting a 1.250 OPS. Freshman pitcher Katrina Ford still looks great on the mound with her ERA sitting at 1.97. This weekend’s Branson Tournament should be pretty telling as to how good they can really be this year, and games against Kickapoo and Republic will be equally as telling.
This week's opponents: 9/15 Kickapoo (7-5), 9/17 Branson Tournament, 9/20 Republic (10-3)
Keep an eye on: East Newton (8-4, C1), Dixon (6-1, C2), Willard (5-2, C4), Reeds Spring (6-4, C3), Wheatland (7-2, C1), Waynesville (7-4, C4), Cassville (5-3, C3), Hermitage (6-4, C1), Webb City (6-6, C4), Walnut Grove (6-6, C1)
