By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
2023 proved to be a magical season for Mt. Vernon softball and continued a decade-long trend of dominance.
The Mountaineers posted a gaudy 37-1 record en route to the Class 2 state championship, which marked a second title and fourth final four appearance for head coach Matt Schubert’s juggernaut.
“We knew that we had the chance to compete for a state championship,” Schubert said. “The girls worked extremely hard and put themselves in that position and then played extremely well down the stretch to accomplish that goal.”
While the team loses a pair of graduated all-state senior honorees in Harley Daniels and Allie Schubert, Mt. Vernon’s cupboard is far from barren.
A whopping four additional all-state selections remain on the roster in Payge Evans, Rae Downing, Molly Daniels and Cheyenne Bieber.
Evans hit a team-leading .589 last season with 1 home run, 28 RBI and 25 steals. The senior infielder is on pace to not only move into the state’s top five rankings for career hits, she could move into the top spot by matching last season’s hit total.
“Leadoff hitter with great bat control and great speed,” Coach Schubert said of Evans. “She set the Missouri single-season record for hits with 76.”
Downing, a junior catcher, hit .491 in 2023 with 5 home runs and 38 RBI.
“Good defensively and still improving,” Coach Schubert said of Downing. “In 215 innings caught, Rae had only 3 passed balls, threw out 19% of runners and had 3 pickoffs.”
Daniels, a junior shortstop, hit .469 with 37 RBI last season.
“Very steady defensively will continue to hit in the second slot in the order,” Coach Schubert said of Daniels.
Bieber, a junior outfielder, hit .440 with 1 home run and 48 RBI.
“Great defensive center fielder with great range and a very plus arm,” Coach Schubert said of Bieber. “Will step in as the No. 2 pitcher this year.”
Senior outfielder Ally Burk (.313 BA) also returns for the ‘Neers, joining a pair of juniors in pitcher Ava Bellis (8-0, 1.00 ERA, 33 K, .328 BA, 26 RBI) and infielder Maddie Schubert (.263 BA).
Sophomore Lily Burk and Hali Stokes (.440 BA, 4 HR, 42 RBI) round out Mt. Vernon’s returning core.
“This year’s team will be a bit different,” Coach Schubert said. “We must rely on a new No. 1 pitcher for the first time in three years, and we must find the right leadership to replace the seniors we lost.”
Coach Schubert also expects a host of varsity newcomers to step in and compete for playing time this season, including Madison Rinker, Hallie Bamburg, Mya Bray, Myah Niemeyer, Jayden Massie and Shaunta Evans.
A strong freshman class could also make an impact at the varsity level this season.
After losing its No. 1 arm over the past three seasons in Daniels – who compiled a 29-1 record in 2023 with 229 strikeouts – Mt. Vernon will reload with Bellis moving into the ace role.
“We only have three pitchers in our program this year, so we will be looking to build some inning eaters once we start practice,” Coach Schubert said. “It will be really important for (Bellis) to keep walks to a minimum and let the defense make plays for her. She has a good mix of pitches to keep hitters off balance and tends to get a lot of ground balls.
“Cheyenne Bieber will get some time in the circle. She did not pitch any varsity last year but was 4-4 as a freshman, pitching while Ava was dealing with some injuries. She is a different style from Ava, as Cheyenne throws a little harder and pitches up in the zone and gets a lot more fly balls. Our third pitcher is freshman Emily Schubert. She is a mix of the two styles and can pitch both ways, up or down. She may have to help us by pitching some varsity innings.”
At the plate, the ‘Neers will feature depth, talent and experience with seven of nine hitters returning this season.
“We have quite a few girls who have some speed and some who have some thump,” Coach Schubert said. “We will look for our returners to try to better their production from last year, which will be tough, as they were very good. We will look for two more bats to fill in the bottom of the lineup and give us a deep lineup again. Our lineup set a few state records last year and were in the top three of several others.”
For Mt. Vernon to make another deep postseason run, its defense will have to set the tone early in the season while the pitching staff continues to develop. Limiting scoring opportunities will be vital as his staff works to find its way in the circle.
“They have played in a lot of games and a lot of high intensity games, so they should not be phased by anything,” Coach Schubert said. “We will look to improve in the circle as we have less experience there than any other spot. All three of our pitchers will have to work hard to give us the best chance to win.”
Following a March 8 home jamboree, Mt. Vernon opens its season March 15 in the Joplin Area Tournament.
