By Pat Dailey (For OzarkSportsZone.com)
Oletha Rich has gone from carrying Forsyth’s bats as a bat girl to carrying one of best bats in what figures to be a loaded Lady Panthers lineup.
Rich, a junior catcher, prepared herself for prep ball by serving as Forsyth’s bat girl while she was in grade school and junior high.
“Oletha has been a part of our program for about as long as she can remember,” said new head coach Jeff Walls, who has been an assistant at Forsyth for either baseball or softball the past 12 years. “She came in and won a varsity starting spot (at third base) for us as a freshman two years ago and is going to be a big asset for us this year. She may hit in the three-hole and is taking over our leadership role.”
Rich makes for a fitting starting point for Forsyth’s fortunes because she’s replacing Emily Shipman, a 2019 All-State catcher who had a .602 career batting average as a Lady Panther.
“Backing up someone like Emily was a thankless job because she is so good,” Walls said. “We did have Oletha at catcher on nights when Emily pitched and we didn’t miss a lot. She’s an extremely hard worker and has improved her receiving skills since then.”
Rich, who hit .379 as a freshman, is among six starters the Lady Panthers still have from their 22-4 team of two years ago that won the Class 1 District 9 championship. The returnees also include seniors Rachel Essary, Katrina Drake and Kyleigh Kincaid and juniors Emmalea Cook and Landry Stuart.
“I’m inheriting a great program and great kids,” Walls said. “We’re excited to see how far we can go. We have a lot to live up. But we’re not expecting to miss a beat. Our expectations are as high, if not higher, than last year.”
Essary was an All-State Second-Team selection and All-Mid Lakes Conference First-Team choice as a sophomore. She posted an 18-3 W-L record and 2.64 ERA in the center circle, while batting .507 with five home runs and 46 RBIs at the plate.
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After missing out on her junior season with the cancellation of spring sports a year ago, Essary endured a torn ACL in the first inning of her first game playing club ball last summer.
“She’s getting back to the ol’ Rachel,” Walls said. “Her therapy and rehab are going well. There’s still a little bit of trepidation, but every week she’s making progress. We expect big things out of her.”
Forsyth will again feature an Essary at pitcher, but could have a new ace. Rachel’s younger sister, Lindsey, has the potential to be an immediate-impact type as a freshman as a pitcher and hitter.
“One of the more fun battles we’re going to have is sister against sister,” Walls said. “It’s a healthy sibling rivalry competition. Lindsey is very talented and is throwing a little harder than Rachel. We have quite a 1-2 punch with those two.”
Both Essarys will provide power at-bat.
“As a four-hole hitter for us (two years ago), Rachel was a doubles machine and a big RBI hitter,” Walls said. “She’ll probably be our four-hole hitter again. With Lindsey being a freshman, we will start her lower in the order at sixth or seventh, where she will see a few more fast balls.”
Drake is the team’s likely lead-off hitter. She hit .475 as a sophomore and made the All-Mid Lakes First-Team. Drake may return to first base or move to left field.
“If we have one of the Essary sisters at first base when they’re not pitching, we will look for (Drake) to fill one of our outfield spots,” Walls said. “I think she’s a natural outfielder.”
Kyleigh Kincaid will patrol center field. She had a breakout sophomore season by hitting .404 and earning an All-Mid Lakes First-Team selection.
“Kyleigh is a stalwart,” Walls said. “She’s super speedy and can track down a lot of balls.”
Walls also likes his defense up the middle with Cook at shortstop. She hit .306 as a freshman.
“She’s a bulldog,” Walls said. “She’s the heart of our middle infield.”
Stuart, Kloe Hendrickson and Emmy Blevins will fill starting jobs at third base, second base and either left field or right field.
Marionville transfers Emma Barrickman and Belle Barrickman and two more freshmen, Savannah Koen and McKenzie Calhoun, could bid for playing time.
“It’s great to have depth,” Walls said. “Given the uncertainty COVID brings, I think depth will be more important this season than others. You never know when you’re going to get a phone call with news that a player is quarantined.”
With MSHSSA expanding spring ball to include two classes for the first time, Walls suspects Forsyth will be bumped to Class 2.
“I’ll be shocked if we’re not in Class 2,” he said.
The Lady Panthers are due to unveil their new all-turf field for their home-opener March 23 versus Clever. The turf was installed last fall. Joplin, Hillcrest and Forsyth are the only softball programs in southwest Missouri with a synthetic home playing surface.
“When we made the transition from grass to turf on our baseball field, it took forever and we went a season in which everything was on the road,” Walls said. “But this time everything was done in less than a month and the field looks fantastic. It’s something the girls can be proud of.”
