By Chris Parker
College Heights has posted three consecutive 18-win seasons.
Five starters return led by a pair of four-year starting seniors in Maddy Colin and Kloee Williamson.
Colin is a two-time Ozark 7 Conference Player of the Year, three-time all-district and all-region selection and a 2023 second-team all-state pitcher last season.
“She has a variety of pitches she throws with pinpoint accuracy,” College Heights head coach Mike Howard said. “She does a great job of keeping batters off-balance by mixing up her pitches and location. She has pitched in several big games and is very poised on the mound. She should eclipse 1,000 career strikeouts this season. She has been a catalyst for our team the last three years and keeps us in every game we play.”
Last season, Colin struck out 270 batters with a 1.03 ERA. At the plate, she hit .416 with 33 RBI.
Williamson will anchor the defense at shortstop. She is a three-time first-team all-conference, all-district and all-region infielder. She earned first-team all-state honors in 2021.
Howard on Williamson: “Very quick leadoff hitter who has never hit below .500 in her career. Kloee is a slap hitter and is very disciplined at the plate. That is evident by her low number of strikeouts. She makes contact on 97% of her swings for her career. She is our best base runner as she steals bases at a 96% rate for her career (77/80). She is also a strong fielder. She has a 90% fielding percentage for her career. She will be called upon to lead the infielders.”
Sophomore Whitney Lawrence will be at first base.
Howard on Lawrence: “Whitney shared time last season at first base but played very well defensively when called upon. She posted a .939 fielding percentage in 33 total chances. She will step in as the day one starter this season and will be a vital piece in our success.”
Senior Kate Moss will be behind the plate at catcher.
Howard on Moss: “Katie caught mostly JV games last season as standout Jayli Johnson graduated. She has been working with Maddy a little bit over the summer and will continue to grow every day.”
Second and third base will be up for competition. Candidates include sophomores Elise Welch, Lilly Plassman and Teagan Martinez along with freshmen Anna Heltzel and Isabella Gilligan.
Sophomore Allie Stout will anchor the outfield in center field.
Howard on Stout: “Allie was a pleasant surprise in her freshman campaign. She had never played softball before, but because of her athleticism, she picked it up exceptionally fast and quickly became one of our best players. She hit .325 with 25 hits, 15 RBI’s, and 10 stolen bases. In the field, her speed allows her to track down balls with precision. She was an honorable mention all-conference outfielder. I have no doubt she will continue to grow as she becomes more familiar with the game and will be a huge part in any success we have this year.”
Avery Shumaker (senior), Kallie Spencer (junior), Kinley Marsh (junior) and several newcomers will battle for time at the corner outfield positions.
College Heights opens the season on Mar. 18 at the Mt. Vernon Tournament.
“The overall expectations are the same as with any other year,” Howard said. “We want to compete day in and day out and put ourselves in a position to contend for conference and district titles. We may have some growing pains at the beginning of the year due to the fact we will be fairly young in some spots. However, we have strengthened our schedule this year to better prepare ourselves for the toughest district in the state. We have added the Mt. Vernon Tournament where we will play Mt. Vernon, Forsyth, Strafford, and Buffalo. Then we added a triangular with Skyline and Buffalo. Playing these strong teams in the beginning of the season will help us grow and be better prepared for districts.”
