By Chris Parker
Due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, MSHSAA has delayed the release of class and district assignments until after Sept. 11 when schools must declare whether they are playing fall sports in the regular fall or alternate fall.
Softball will be going from four to five classes, so there will likely be some big changes once the new classifications are released.
With that in mind, I will use the class assignments from last year for the pre-season power rankings.
Before I go any further, THESE ARE NOT A HEAD-TO-HEAD RANKING, BUT A RANKING OF DOMINANCE BY CLASS. I am not saying I think the Class 1 schools on this list could beat all the Class 3-4 teams ranked below them or not ranked.
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1. Webb City (C4) – Last year Webb City went 21-7 overall with all of those losses coming against teams from out of the area. The Lady Cardinals lost 2-0 to eventual state runner-up Raymore-Peculiar in the sectional round. Over the past two years, Webb City is 31-5 against teams from the area. This year, Webb City must replace two all-state and two more all-conference players. Any growing pains new players have to go through can be smoothed over by the presence on Haidyn Berry. Berry was the COC Player of the Year last season. She is dominant in the circle and at the plate. Many holes have to be filled in the Webb City lineup, but Cardinals are the type of program that just reloads.
2. Bolivar (C3) – This is the year Bolivar has been building towards for a long time. The Lady Liberators return their entire starting lineup from last year’s district championship winning squad that finished 23-6 overall. They lost 6-0 to eventual state champion Helias Catholic in the sectional round. University of Kansas commit Katie Brooks is the headliner, but there is talent up and down the roster. There won’t be a more experienced team in the Ozarks this year.
3. Rogersville (C3) – Rogersville advanced all the way to the Class 3 state quarterfinals before falling to eventual state champion Helias Catholic to finish 23-7 overall. The Lady Wildcats will have to replace a lot of offensive production, but three all-region players do return. Halle Miles was one of the top freshmen in the area last year going 11-1 in the circle while hitting .455 with nine home runs at the plate. Jenna McKenzie gives Rogersville a second strong option at pitcher after she posted a 2.59 ERA over 54 innings last year. Rogersville has won at least 17 games in each of the past seven seasons.
4. Kickapoo (C4) – Kickapoo broke through with its first district title since 2015 last year. The Lady Chiefs went 24-6 overall falling to eventual state runner-up Raymore-Peculiar in the Class 4 quarterfinals. Kickapoo’s experienced group of seniors have never won less than 20 games in a season, and this year should be no different. This year, seven players who earned post-season honors return led by all-state pitcher Ellie Facklam.
5. Walnut Grove (C1) – Walnut Grove’s 12-8 record from last year won’t jump off the page, but the list of returning players will. The Lady Tigers bring back eight starters from last season’s district championship squad. No returning player is more important than senior Makayla McVay. McVay missed her junior season due to a torn ACL. As a sophomore, she was an all-state selection after she went 8-5 with a 2.56 ERA and 109 strikeouts in the circle at pitcher while hitting .585 at the plate. Last year’s adversity playing without McVay will only help this season.
6. McDonald County (C3) – Of any team outside of the Top 5, McDonald County is the one I think has the best chance to make a run up to the top spot. Why? Pitching. The Mustangs have a new head coach in Heath Alumbaugh who might have the area’s top 1-2 punch in the circle. Senior Alexa Hopkins and junior Madeline McCall both earned all-region honors last year. McCall was 9-2 with a 2.33 ERA while striking out 141 in 84.2 innings. Hopkins, who hasn’t lost a start since her freshman year in 2017, went 12-0 with a 1.66 ERA with 52 strikeouts in 67.1 innings. The Mustangs have two district titles and a 45-8 record over the past two years. This team is very capable of making a run at a state title.
7. Ava (C2) – Last year, Ava was supposed to be a team in transition after graduating eight seniors from a team that won 16 games. The Bears flipped that narrative on its head by going 17-9 and winning a district title with a young squad. Seven starters return this year including both pitchers.
8. Ozark (C4) – Ozark had a streak of three district titles snapped last year by Kickapoo. Last year’s 18 wins also snapped a streak of 20-win seasons dating back to at least 2007. The Lady Tigers will look to get back above that 20-win mark behind a group of four returning seniors including top pitcher Hattie Depee, who went 17-6 with a 2.50 ERA last year. Sophomore Savannah Hughes could also see time in the circle.
9. Weaubleau (C1) – Weaubleau went 17-8 last year winning a district championship before falling to Stoutland in the state quarterfinals. The Lady Tigers lost three players that earned post-season honors on the all-conference or all-region teams. Depth will be a strength for Weaubleau this year with 18 players. The biggest weapon for Weaubleau will be senior Jenna Daggett. Daggett, a lefty, tallied 189 strikeouts in 129 innings with a 3.20 ERA in the circle last year. She hit .615 with 41 RBI and 40 runs scored. She is a complete game-changer for Weaubleau.
10. Republic (C4) – Republic graduated just three players from last year’s squad that finished 18-10 overall and district runner-up to Webb City. The Lady Tigers return two-time all-state selection Kaitlyn Ragsdale (.439 batting average, 30 stolen bases) to the top of the lineup. Avery Romans, who is entering her third year in the circle, provides stability at the most important position.
OTHERS: Nixa (C4), Nevada (C3), Halfway (C1), Neosho (C4), Mansfield (C2)
