By Chris Parker

2018 Fall Preview: Ozark Softball

By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)

New coach … same result.

Jimmy Nimmo’s first season at the Ozark help proved to be more of the same, as the area powerhouse notched its sixth district championship in the past seven years. The Lady Tigers finished with a 19-9 record, falling to Webb City in the Class 4 sectional round.

“I knew going into our 2017 season that it would be a challenge for our girls to start off the season with a new head coach and an entirely new set of assistant coaches,” Nimmo said. “It took us awhile to figure each other out but we were able to put things together well towards the last half of the season. Things came together well and I feel this will carry over into this next season.”

Nimmo’s first order of business this season will be finding replacements for graduated seniors Brooke Pridgen (P), Tara McCormack (2B), Aly Faught (1B) and Sariah Reed (OF).

Pridgen, Ozark’s longtime standout in the circle, certainly left her mark on the program.

“Brooke was a three-year varsity starter that will be truly missed,” Nimmo said. “She pitched one of her best games ever in the district championship last season versus Kickapoo. Her competitiveness on the rubber will truly be missed and hard to replace.”

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Despite the graduation losses, Nimmo will still have plenty to work with in year two.

Six seniors will help provide experience and veteran leadership to a program steeped in tradition, including catcher Nya Morgan (.474 / 15 HR / 37 RBI), infielder Madison Reese (.429), outfielder Kara Ford (.425), first baseman Makenna Harmon (.402), pitcher Lily Sullivan and outfielder Emma Taylor. Sophomore shortstop Ashlei Coonrod rounds out the list of key returnees for the Lady Tigers.

“All these players had key starting roles last season and will play a big part in our lineup this fall,” Nimmo said. “I have high hopes for all these ladies. Last year’s starters are very seasoned, and I know the additions that we bring to the field will fill in nicely.”

With a handful of open spots in the lineup, Nimmo expects the competition for playing time to be fierce among Ozark’s newcomers.

“We have several sophomores and freshmen that have a chance to find their way to the varsity lineup throughout the season,” Nimmo said. “This group of young ladies brings athleticism and speed of which I am very excited about. It’s too early to name names but there have been a few youngsters that we have really been looking at during the summer.”

Ozark’s hopes to claim a third-straight district title will largely depend on what happens in the circle.

“Our pitching is a bit different this year,” Nimmo said. “Lily Sullivan and Hattie Depee, a sophomore, will both be trying to find their place on the rubber this year. Neither has much varsity experience, but both girls are competitors and they have played at a higher level this past summer that should prepare them for the challenge this fall.”

While some question marks remain in the circle, Nimmo believes his squad has made big improvements at the plate in the offseason that can only help take pressure off a relatively inexperienced staff.

“We hope to see some additional speed on the base paths,” Nimmo said. “With the experience of our upperclassmen and the talent of our underclassmen I feel that our offensive numbers should grow. My biggest hope is that our batting average improves and our extra baggers grow considerably. We should be solid one through nine, and we will have some options off the bench that we didn’t have last year to mix things up.”

Ozark opens the season Aug. 24 at Jefferson City.