By Brennan Stebbins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Last spring was an up-and-down season for Clever softball, but it culminated in the program’s first district championship since 2016.
“We lost to some teams we shouldn’t have and we beat teams that no one thought we would,” said head coach Cheryl Grant. “The girls really came together at districts. We had a big meeting right before and I told them I really felt that they had the capability of winning it but they had to focus on softball and come together as a team. They really did. They worked together really hard and came out winning districts which was phenomenal.”
The Lady Jays finished 16-11 and graduated three seniors: Kenna Wise, who stole 46 bases and was a first team infielder in the Mid-Lakes Conference and Region 3; pitcher Kylie Wenger, a first team all-conference utility player who also earned first team all-district honors; and Anna Reavis, an honorable mention all-conference outfielder who was second team all district.
Grant said she’s got several talented freshmen joining the roster this spring and she anticipates a lot of competition for starting spots.
Senior Sydnee Thrasher will probably be the team’s No. 1 pitcher. She was a second team all conference and all-district outfielder last season. She threw 24 innings last year with a 2-1 record and 4.08 ERA and struck out 13.
“She was our number two last year and she was successful in the games she did pitch,” Grant said. “She’s maybe not as fast as Wenger was but she has more pitches. She’s got some off-speed pitches and really a plethora of pitches she can throw at you. I look forward to seeing how she handles the competition.”
Sophomore Piper Steele and freshman Grace Jackson will probably be the team’s catchers. Steele played in 11 games as a freshman.
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Senior Lindy Twigg will likely play at first base. She earned second team all conference and all-district honors and was a .352 hitter with five doubles, three triples, 14 RBI’s and 14 runs.
Seniors Rylea King (.289 hitter) and Chloe Stidham (.333 hitter) could split time at second base; both will be in the starting lineup somewhere. King earned second team all conference and all-district honors last season, and Stidham was second team all conference and all district as a catcher.
Junior Karli Hedge (.263 hitter) could play at shortstop, with Stidham also in the mix there. And senior Amy Kozisek (.353 hitter) will likely play at third.
King and Stidham are also in the conversation to play center field, with sophomore Sophia Fields, freshman Bailey Gaulding, senior Ambryah Moore and senior Abigail Garrett also seeking outfield spots.
Freshman Savannah Cheney joins the program as a power hitter and might serve as designated player. Another freshman, Ava Mittag, will be the team’s No. 2 pitcher.
“I think our defense will be fairly solid this year,” Grant said. “We have a lot of returning seniors who have a good IQ of the game and that helps a lot. We’re going to lose some speed with Kenna and Kylie gone so we’ll have to fill in those gaps and we also lost two of our big power hitters so we’ll have to figure that out, too, but I’ve got some kids who can hit. I think we’ll be competitive but I always think we could beat anybody if we work hard enough. If we can get the kids to buy in and gel as a team, who knows where we’ll be when districts come.”
The Lady Jays will play in the Purdy jamboree on March 13 along with Pierce City and Exeter. They open the season with the Mid-Lakes Conference tournament in Strafford on March 18, host Marionville March 27 in the home opener, and will participate in the Buffalo Lady Bison Invitational, Forsyth tournament and Shelby Estep Memorial tournament in Marionville.
