By Chris Parker
We are a week away from the start of district play for the area’s spring softball teams. Below is a look at the area’s teams who are either ranked in the top 10 or receiving votes in the most recent state polls as compiled by the coaches.
CLASS 2 STATE RANKINGS – CLICK HERE
CLASS 1 STATE RANKINGS – CLICK HERE
Class 2
MT. VERNON is No. 1 in the Class 2 state rankings for good reason. The Mountaineers are 29-1 on the season with the lone loss coming to defending state champion Diamond on Mar. 22. That includes 13 wins over teams currently ranked or receiving votes in the state polls.
The Mountaineers are elite in all facets of the game. At the plate, head coach Matt Schubert called this year’s team “the best hitting lineup we have had in the 10 seasons of softball at Mt. Vernon”. They are hitting .447 as a team. In the circle, they have two strong pitchers who can shut down any opposing lineup. The biggest strides have been made defensively. Mt. Vernon averaged almost five errors per game over the first 12 games of the season. Since then, Mt. Vernon is averaging one error per game.
Things start with the team’s two seniors Harley Daniels and Allie Schubert.
Daniels is the team’s primary pitcher with a 21-1 record and a 1.22 ERA. She has struck out 174 over 132 innings. At the plate, Daniels hits cleanup with a .557 batting average, 17 doubles, three triples, two home runs and 31 RBI.
Schubert is hitting .391 with 11 doubles, 36 RBI and 30 runs scored. She is a strong situational hitter and defender. She has committed two errors in 118 chances.
Leadoff hitter Payge Evans, who plays second base, sets the table well for Mt. Vernon with a .600 batting average, five doubles, six triples, one home run, 21 RBI and 46 runs scored. Once on base, she is a threat to move up with 18 steals on the season.
Sophomore shortstop Molly Daniels joins Evans in the middle of the infield. At the plate, she is hitting .495 with 13 doubles, four triples, 33 RBI and 41 runs scored while stealing 18 bases.
Rae Downing handles the catching duties in her sophomore season. Her arm strength has been key in shutting down opposing running games with five would-be base stealers thrown out. She is strong at the plate with a .465 batting average, 10 doubles, six triples, four home runs, 30 RBI and 32 runs scored. Downing has great speed as well with 10 stolen bases.
The outfield features Cheyenne Bieber (centerfield), Ally Burk (right field) and Addie Hall. Bieber is the top hitter of that group with a .476 batting average, 16 doubles, six triples, one home run, 39 RBI and 34 runs scored with 14 stolen bases. Hall has made an impact after not playing softball in the past few seasons. She brings good arm strength defensively.
Hali Stokes is holding down third base in her freshman year bringing a .419 batting average with six doubles, three triples, four home runs, 33 RBI and 23 runs scored.
Ava Bellis serves as Mt. Vernon’s second pitcher with an 8-0 record and a 1.00 ERA across 35 innings pitched. She has a 33-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Mt. Vernon will face No. 2 ranked Diamond for the third time this season on Friday. The Mountaineers open up Class 2 District 6 play on May. 6 as the No. 1 seed against Southwest. Diamond is the No. 2 seed in the district.
Defending state champion DIAMOND sits at No. 2 in the Class 2 state rankings with a 21-7 record. The biggest pierce the Wildcats had to replace from last year’s title team was all-state pitcher Madi Bentley.
Diamond turned to Caitlin Suhrie and Lauren Turner in the circle this season. Turner threw 60.2 innings with 99 strikeouts and a 2.54 ERA. Suhrie has taken over as the full-time pitcher since an injury forced Turner from the circle. Suhrie has thrown 112.1 innings with 179 strikeouts and a 2.24 ERA. The all-stater is an outstanding outfielder and has made the switch to pitching seamlessly this season. She is the team’s top hitter as well with a .566 batting average and 1.688 OPS. Her power has been on display with 11 home runs, two triples and 16 doubles with 49 RBI and 39 runs scored. On the bases, Suhrie has swiped 16 bags.
Turner is just behind her with a 1.527 OPS, eight home runs, 34 RBI and 36 runs scored. She has 21 stolen bases.
Junior Grace Frazier has been a rock behind the plate at catcher and has brought her bat as well. Frazier is hitting .484 with a 1.527 OPS including 10 doubles and a team-high 42 runs scored. She has also stolen a team-high 25 bases.
Kabrie Parmly has stepped up to play centerfield and is a strong defensive presence.
Head coach Kelsey Parrish is also getting key contributions from a group of freshmen including Talyn Daniels, Marrisa DeJager, Sara Roszell and Aubrey Ball.
The Diamond offense is a threat to leave the yard up and down the lineup with six different players accounting for 24 home runs.
The Wildcats finish out the season with a rubber match against No. 1 Mt. Vernon and district foe College Heights. Diamond is the No. 2 seed in Class 2 District 6 and opens play on May 6 at 4:15 in Mt. Vernon against Lamar.
No. 3 SPARTA has been playing like a team on a mission all year. The Trojans are 21-4 and the No. 1 seed in a tough Class 2 District 5 which features five teams with winning records. Sparta fell 2-0 to Clever in the district title game last year. Coming up just short of a district title has served as motivation all season.
Three Rivers commit Natalie Wilks is the team’s unquestioned leader. In the circle, Wilks has struck out 158 over 99 innings with a 1.13 ERA. At the plate, she is hitting .514 with a .588 on-base percentage. She has six home runs, five triples, 18 doubles and 47 RBI. Her slugging percentage is 1.153 with 29 of her 37 hits going for extra bases. Her OPS stands at 1.741. Wilks eclipsed 600 career strikeouts in her last game, which is even more impressive considering her freshman season was canceled.
Catcher Madeline Brown has emerged as a strong offensive threat hitting .471 with an on-base percentage of .559 and 26 RBI. Her defense has been strong with six would-be base stealers thrown out.
Junior first baseman McKenzie Wilson is peaking at the right time after an early-season slump. She is hitting .382 with an on-base percentage of .494, 31 RBI and four home runs.
Junior second baseman Averi Leyland has been a strong defender and reliable bat with a .397 batting average and .487 on-base percentage.
Mya Fulton and Layne Forgey lead the outfield. Fulton has been at the top of the lineup with a .328 batting average and a .539 on-base percentage. Forgey has helped feed the top of the lineup from the bottom with a .431 on-base percentage and 24 RBI.
The Trojans are 17-2 in the month of April with five wins over state-ranked teams.
SKYLINE is at No. 7 in the state rankings. The Tigers have the experience and tradition to make a deep run in the postseason with back-to-back state championship game appearances. They won the title two years ago and finished runner-up to Diamond last year.
This year’s team sits at 15-5 with four regular season games remaining before opening play in the Class 2 District 7 tournament as the No. 2 seed.
Skyline is hitting .384 as a team with five players over .400. Strong pitching has helped keep games low scoring.
The Tigers will face Conway in the first round of district play at 4:30 pm on May 5. The top seed in the district is host Fair Grove. Skyline lost 7-0 to the Eagles on Mar. 30.
WARSAW is No. 8 in the state rankings, but has a pitcher in Brylee Brewster capable of leading the Tigers to the No. 1 spot when the season is over. Brewster has pitched 106 innings with 212 strikeouts, exactly two strikeouts per inning on average. She has thrown all but six innings this season posting a 2.30 ERA.
Tanna Howe leads the team with a .554 batting average including 21 singles, 10 doubles, six triples and four home runs.
Adison Sherill is hitting .500 with Haylee Cobb (.492) and Brewster (.413) just behind her.
The Wildcats have a 15-6 record overall but have shown they can compete with the best in the state falling by just one run to Mt. Vernon last Saturday.
Warsaw is the top seed in Class 2 District 8. The Wildcats open district play with the winner of Stover and Smithton at 4 pm on May 8 in Cole Camp.
FAIR GROVE is No. 9 in the state rankings behind Skyline, but No. 1 where it matters most in the district seedings. The Eagles are the No. 1 seed in Class 2 District 7 ahead of Skyline at No. 2.
They have posted an 11-4 record so far this season with two of the losses coming to No. 1 Mt. Vernon and No. 2 Diamond. Fair Grove has quality wins over Skyline, Strafford, Pierce City and Ava along with the Pleasant Hope Tournament championship.
Jaelah McDannald leads Fair Grove in the circle with an 11-3 record. She has a 1.93 ERA and 96 strikeouts. At the plate, McDannald is hitting .373.
Catcher Brooke Daniels leads the team offensively with a .419 batting average and .472 on-base percentage.
Minna Morris, Brenna Boatright and Faith Klindworth are all hitting over .300 to give the lineup good depth.
Fair Grove opens play in the Class 2 District 7 tournament at 6 pm on May 5 against El Dorado Springs.
STRAFFORD’S record won’t jump off the page at 13-8 overall, but a deeper look shows why the Indians are ranked No. 10 in the state. Five of the eight losses have come against the top three teams in the Class 2 state rankings in Mt. Vernon (twice), Sparta (twice) and Diamond. The other three losses are to ranked Skyline and Fair Grove and a Sarcoxie team that is receiving votes.
Catcher Evelyn Comstock leads the offense hitting .388 with 23 RBI, 21 Runs scored, three home runs and eight stolen bases. She has 26 total hits against just three strikeouts this season.
Lauren Jones has also been a steady force at the plate, hitting .342 with 27 runs scored and 20 stolen bases while playing a solid shortstop defensively.
In the circle, Natalie Gannon has thrown 113 innings with 85 strikeouts and a 3.33 ERA. She put together a string of good outings down the stretch.
Strafford is the No. 2 seed in Class 2 District 5 and will face Hollister at 5 pm on May 5 at Forsyth to open up postseason play.
HOUSTON, which is receiving votes in the Class 2 state poll, has quietly been going about its business this season on the way to a 12-2 record with losses to a Dixon team that is a fall program and a Willow Springs team with a 13-4 record.
The Tigers have a strong core of seniors leading the team in Aliyah Walker, Katie Chipps, MacKenzie Bryan and Karlee Curtis.
Walker is 10-2 with 67 strikeouts and a 1.67 as the team’s primary pitcher. She also bats leadoff hitting .432 with five doubles, eight triples, one home run, 18 RBI, 24 runs scored and nine stolen bases.
Chipps is one of two players on the team hitting over .500 with a .529 batting average. She is also the team’s top power hitter with five home runs, three triples and eight doubles. The senior is a defensive force behind the plate with a 42.9% caught stealing percentage.
Bryan is hitting .444 with four doubles, three home runs, 16 RBI and 13 runs scored.
Curtis is the leader in the outfield covering a lot of ground in centerfield. She is hitting .390 with three triples, two home runs, 10 RBI and 26 runs scored. Her speed is evident on the basepaths with 11 stolen bases.
Junior Kelsey Pritchett, a utility player who sees time pitching, is the team’s second-leading hitter with a .529 batting average. She has eight doubles, three triples, five home runs, 35 RBI, 16 runs scored and six stolen bases.
Freshman third baseman Katy Evans has made an immediate impact in her first season hitting .391 with five doubles, three home runs, 14 RBI and 12 runs scored.
SARCOXIE has worked its way into the state rankings conversation after a rough start. The Bears opened the season 2-6 including six straight losses to Diamond, Mt. Vernon, Purdy and a pair of Kansas schools. Since then, Sarcoxie is 10-2 and getting votes in the Class 2 state poll. The two losses were to Class 2 No. 1 Mt. Vernon and Class 1 No. 2 Purdy.
The biggest win for Sarcoxie was a 7-2 decision over No. 2 Diamond. The Bears also hold wins over state-ranked Strafford and Miller and defending Class 1 state runner-up Jasper.
Kylee Walters has been key for Sarcoxie in the circle by piling up strikeouts. She has struck out 202 over 110.1 innings pitched on her way to a 12-7 record and 3.87 ERA. Walter is one of the area’s top power hitters as well with 13 home runs and 37 RBI backed up by a .407 batting average.
Catcher Maci Garrison hits second, one spot in front of Walter in the order, and is excelling in the spot. She has a .459 batting average with 19 RBI.
Leadoff hitter Emma Plybon is hitting a team-high .486 with 13 RBI. Jocylin Benito is hitting .382 with 19 runs scored while playing a solid second base. Third baseman Lauran Brooks is hitting .33 with two home runs and 13 RBI.
As a team, Sarcoxie is hitting .345 with 16 home runs.
The Bears are the No. 3 seed in a tough Class 2 District 6 where the top four seeds are all either ranked or receiving votes in Class 2. Sarcoxie opens postseason play with a game against East Newton at 2:30 pm on May 6 in Mt. Vernon. A third matchup with Diamond looms in the semifinals if seeds hold.
COLLEGE HEIGHTS (with McAuley Catholic) is 15-2 and receiving votes in Class 2 but is the No. 4 seed in an incredibly deep district featuring Mt. Vernon (Class 2 No. 1), Diamond (Class 2 No. 2) and Sarcoxie (Class 2 receiving votes) as the top three seeds.
The Cougars’ only losses have been by one run each to Houston (receiving votes in Class 2) and Jasper (receiving votes in Class 1 and defending state runner-up).
If College Heights is to make a run through Class 2 District 6, it will be on the strength of Maddy Colin’s pitching. Colin has thrown 97.2 innings with an incredible 200 strikeouts averaging over two per inning. She has a 0.65 ERA and 0.63 WHIP with a 200-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio. At the plate, Colin is hitting .453 with a team-high 26 RBI.
Jayli Johnson is the team’s top hitter with a .551 batting average and 1.371 OPS. Her speed sets her apart with 31 stolen bases on her way to 31 runs scored.
Kloee Williamson is just behind Johnson in the hitting categories with a .500 batting average and 1.235 OPS. She has scored 29 runs and swiped 21 bases.
Both Johnson and Williamson boast on-base percentages over .600. Johnson has a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 14-2 with Williamson at 15-3.
Lauren Ukena is a third College Heights player with double-digit steals at 18. She has scored 22 runs and driven in 13.
College Heights will face Pierce City at 12:45 pm on May 6 in Mt. Vernon to open up postseason play.
Class 1
PURDY sits at No. 2 in Class 1 with a 21-8 record. The Eagles have played a difficult schedule featuring nine games against Class 2 opponents who are either state-ranked or receiving votes.
The Eagles have used a two-pitcher approach this season with Gaberila Groomer and Hadley Hughes combining to throw every inning. Groomer has thrown 82 innings with 169 strikeouts and a 0.85 ERA. She is also a key piece of the offensive lineup with the team’s highest OPS at 1.364 driving in 32 runs and scoring 42. Hughes has pitched 55 innings with 68 strikeouts and a 3.82 ERA.
Offensively, Jessi Hoppes sets the table well as a leadoff hitter with a .419 batting average and .510 on-base percentage. She hits for good power with two home runs, five triples and eight doubles which has her OPS at 1.207. Hoppes leads the team in steals with 12.
Rylee Stanford has the team’s second-highest batting average at .466 with 32 RBI and 41 runs scored. She has also swiped 10 bases.
Rosa Schad, who plays shortstop, has driven in 20 runs while scoring 28 behind a .384 batting average and 1.091 OPS. Right fielder Raely Henderson is the team’s leader in RBI with 33. She has scored 28 runs and posted a .929 OPS.
Catcher Zoey Webb is the fourth Eagle who has scored at least 40 runs on the season. Brooklyn Bunch is hitting .333 with 17 RBI and 22 runs scored.
Seven different Purdy players are hitting .333 or better and eight have driven in at least 16 runs.
Purdy is the No. 1 seed, and host, in Class 1 District 5. The Eagles open up postseason play on May 5 at home against Hurley.
FORDLAND rose to No. 8 in the latest Class 1 state rankings with a 12-6 record. The Eagles have battled adversity to post the team’s best record since 2011. Senior pitcher Shelby Rowan tore her ACL six games into the season. She was hitting .385 when she went down.
The team has rallied behind a deep offense featuring eight players hitting over .300.
Sophomore second baseman Lily Kindall leads the offense with a .467 batting average including 28 total hits and 28 RBI. She also leads the team with 16 stolen bases.
Senior first baseman Mikah Suter is hitting .438 with 21 hits and 15 RBI. Lexis Friesen has 23 hits and 20 RBI on her way to a .442 batting average. Freshman pitcher/infielder Kaylee Mastroanni is the fourth Eagle hitting over .400 at .444 with 16 hits and 18 RBI.
Sophomore catcher Miranda Johns (.340, 17 RBI), junior outfielder Emma Trotter (.304, 19 RBI), junior outfielder Riley Rippee (.310, 13 RBI) and sophomore outfielder Britton Suter (.343) are all also hitting over .300 for Fordland. Justine Justice has also been a factor both at pitcher and catcher.
Fordland is the No. 1 seed in Class 1 District 4. The Eagles open postseason play at 2 pm on May 5 in Dora.
MILLER shocked the state last season by winning a district title with a 6-17 record. This year, the Cardinals are not sneaking up on anybody. They have a 14-5 record and sit at No. 10 in the latest state rankings.
The team has gotten production from a group of six seniors backed up by a strong freshman group.
Senior shortstop Hailey Mart, Miller’s leadoff hitter, is hitting a ridiculous .712 with 14 doubles. She is a consistent all-around player with a .929 fielding percentage. Classmate Haylie Schnake hits second and plays centerfield. She is hitting .500 .
Freshman catcher Rachel Nunez has been strong behind the plate and even stronger standing next to it with a bat. She is hitting .625.
Loghann Leivan has made an immediate impact as a freshman both at the plate and in the circle pitching. She has hit five home runs this season while striking out 87 as a pitcher.
Miller is the No. 2 seed in Class 1 District 5 where Purdy is the No. 1 seed. The Cardinals upset Purdy in the district semifinals last season on the way to their improbable district title.
Miller opens its district title defense at 3:30 pm on May 5 against Wheaton.
EXETER finished district runner-up last year. This year, the Tigers are sitting at 11-5 and receiving votes in the state poll with a young squad finding ways to win.
The Tigers use freshman Zeanndrea Brown and sophomore Dawnee Sorensen as the primary pitchers with Madison Crumpler coming in to finish off some games.
Offensively, four players are hitting .477 or better with two more at .370 or better.
Junior catcher Natalie Crumpler leads the team offensively with a .537 batting average and .648 on-base percentage. Her OPS is a ridiculous 1.629 with three home runs and 21 RBI.
Sorensen has an OPS just behind Crumpler at 1.444 while posting a .511 batting average and 16 RBI.
Freshman utility player Shea Hilburn, who is coming off an injury, gives Exeter a third player hitting .500 with a .579 on-base percentage and 1.446 OPS.
Kaylyn Weiser, a sophomore outfielder, is hitting .477 with a .549 on-base percentage and a 1.254 OPS.
Brown and Emma Sorensen are each hitting over .370 as well.
Exeter is the No. 3 seed in Class 1 District 5 at Purdy. The district features Class 1 No. 2 Purdy and No. 10 Miller as the top two seeds. The Tigers open district play at 5 pm on May 5 at Purdy.
If it is possible for a defending state runner-up to fly under the radar, JASPER might be doing it. The Eagles are receiving votes in Class 1 behind a 17-9 overall record. A deeper look at the schedule shows seven of those nine losses coming to Class 2 teams with the other two coming to Miller and Liberal.
They are led by first-team all-state pitcher Grace Osborne. Osborne has struck out 195 batters in 145.1 innings this season.
The lineup brings a good mix of on-base skills and power.
Livia Dumm has scored 49 runs in 26 games with an on-base percentage of .545 and 24 stolen bases. First baseman Emmy Bass leads the team with a .602 on-base percentage and 32 RBI. Shiloh Storm plays shortstop while hitting .455 with 25 RBI. She has 37 assists on defense. Brie Haddock joins Storm up the middle at second base also with 37 assists. She has a .412 on-base percentage and 24 RBI.
Third baseman Mercadez Scott and left fielder Alevia Roberts bring the power. Scott has three home runs and 19 RBI. Roberts has hit four home runs with 20 RBI.
Chloe Storm (centerfield) and Taylor Hinds (right field) round out the starting outfield. Hinds has 29 RBI and a .398 on-base percentage. Addi Atnip and Madelyn Hatfield have also played key roles.
Jasper is the No. 2 seed, and host, of the Class 1 District 6 tournament. The Eagles will play Golden City at 3:30 pm on May 8.
