By Matt Turer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Team: Lincoln Cardinals
Coach: Chris Sanders
2019 Results: 26-2 (Beat Kennett 8-3 in Class 1 State Championship)
Opening Day 2020: March 23 vs. Archie
The Class 1 state championship lives in Lincoln, Missouri. The 2019 season felt a bit like a coronation to the outside observer after the Cardinals placed third at state in 2017 and followed that up with a 24-win district championship team in 2018.
That postseason experience carried the Cardinals through the Class 1 District 14 tournament in 2019, outscoring opponents 41-3 on the way to that championship. Then, a 12-5 win over Adrian and a 7-1 win over Wellington-Napoleon followed in sectional and quarterfinal play to put Lincoln back in the state semifinals.
In that semifinal, Lincoln took down 21-win Potosi 2-1 in extra innings to reach the state championship for the first time in program history. And in the title game, the Cardinals came through in extras again with an 8-3 win in eight innings over Kennett.
This year’s Lincoln team returns to field without graduated seniors First Team All-State pitcher Aleah Paxton (18-2, 1.31 ERA, 164 K, 112.0 IP/.373 AVG) and all-district OF Lindsey Koll (25 G, .422 AVG, 4 XBH, 30 R, 22 RBI).
But the Cardinals are bringing back more than they’re losing, including Second Team All-State DP Haley Mackey (Sr.) and four other all-district selections in INF Haley Ebeling (Jr.), INF Cadyn Paxton (Jr.), INF Jenna Vandaveer (Soph.) and OF Chloe Reese (Sr.).
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With all that high-end depth returning, the mindset in Lincoln remains the same.
“Win conference, win districts and go deep in the postseason,” Cardinals head coach Chris Sanders said.
“The experience these girls have is a big plus. The seniors have been to state twice, and the core group of juniors were such a big part of the state championship run and have always played with knowledge and passion for the game that goes well beyond their age.”
Lincoln hit an eye-popping .399 as a team in 2019 and outscored opponents by an average of nearly 10 runs per game (11.5-1.8) despite hitting just four home runs as a team—with three of those homers coming from Cadyn Paxton.
Instead, the team’s top-to-bottom understanding of hitting fundamentals wore down opposing pitchers and defenses. Mackey (.468), Ebeling (.461), Paxton (.430) and Vandaveer (.446) all batted well over .400 and Reese came in at .359 with a team-best four triples.
“While Mackey gives us raw power, Ebeling is our most pure hitter,” Sanders said. “She provides gap-to-gap hitting.”
Ebeling led the Cardinals with 19 extra-base hits in 2019.
But it’s Mackey who led the team in batting and has crept towards the .500 mark in each of her last two seasons. Now a senior, her coach thinks she can reach that mark.
“Can Mackey hit .500? Absolutely,” Sanders said.
And if there’s concern that Aleah Paxton’s outgoing 1.31 ERA is going to be an issue, there’s a new Paxton ready to take her place as Cadyn posted a 1.56 ERA in 18.0 innings last season (15 K) and is 10-0 with a 1.50 ERA in her high school career.
“Cadyn will follow in her sister’s footsteps,” Sanders said. “Her confidence on the field keeps all the girls loose and focused. She also proved last year that she can hit the gaps and hit for power out of the leadoff spot.”
Behind Cadyn Paxton in the field, Vandaveer serves as the team’s sparkplug defensively and on offense.
“She gives us the opportunity to do multiple things at the plate with her blistering speed on the bases,” Sanders said about Vandaveer and her 23 stolen bases. “Defensively, there isn’t a thing that gets by her at shortstop.”
Full-time starter Alexis Harms is back as well. Harms batted .283 in 2019 with 32 runs and 13 steals.
“Reese and Harms are good all-around players that fit really well with the rest of the girls,” Sanders said. “They do whatever the team needs to win. Both girls came up big in our championship run.”
The Cardinals will also look to Jordan Young in 2019. Young only saw 16 plate appearances in 2019 in 25 games but made the most out of them, batting .400 with two doubles and a triple.
Lincoln welcomes a pair of newcomers in freshman OF Gracyn Eifert and INF Taylor Bays.
The Cardinals will challenge themselves during the regular season when they host perennial spring powerhouse Purdy on April 25.
