By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Republic softball enjoyed another successful season in 2023.
The Tigers finished with a 19-14 record, falling to Nixa in the district tournament.
After dealing with some ups and downs throughout the season, longtime head coach Lee Dishman believes the valuable experience gained will prove invaluable heading into the fall campaign.
“We had some key injuries during the year that hurt us but allowed for some younger girls to step up,” Dishman said. “I think last year we learned how to handle adversity. We were able to get some younger girls some varsity time that in return will pay off this year.”
With seven starters returning to the lineup, the Tigers have reason for optimism.
Leading that charge will be junior pitcher Piper Dishman.
An all-conference and all-district selection, Dishman posted an 11-6 record in the circle last season with a 2.41 ERA and 140 strikeouts. At the plate, she hit .330 with 21 runs batted in.
“Piper has been our number one in the circle since her freshman year,” Coach Dishman said. “She also hit in the three hole for us last year. She is a left-handed power pitcher and a left-handed hitter that hits with power. Once again, she will be looked upon to control the circle and the middle of the lineup.”
A quartet of seniors also return to lead the Tigers in Lilli Richerson, Addison Walker, Annabelle Gerhardt-Hobbs and Sammi Watson.
Richerson, an all-conference and all-district catcher, hit .341 with 21 runs batted in as a junior.
“Lilli has been a three-year starter behind the plate for us,” Dishman said. “She is one of the best defensive catchers in the area. She will once again be in the middle part of our lineup.”
Walker, an all-conference third baseman, hit .284 last season with 5 doubles.
“Addison has been a three-year starter at third for us but will be transitioning to short this year,” Dishman said. “She will be looked upon to fill the void in the leadoff hitter in our lineup. Addison has the ability to hit the ball in the gap to produce extra base hits. She is very athletic and quick.”
Gerhardt-Hobbs, a first baseman, hit .269 with 21 runs batted in last season.
“Annabelle has been another three-year starter at first base for us,” Dishman said. “She had a huge sophomore year but battled through some things last season that caused her numbers to be slightly down. She will hit in the four hole for us and has the ability to hit with some really good power. We are hoping she will remain healthy this season and look for her numbers to be back up.”
Watson, an outfielder, returns as a three-year starter.
“Sammi played center field for us last year and will do so again this year,” Dishman said. “Sammi does a great job of going to get fly balls and has a strong arm. She will hit 6th or 7th in our lineup this season. She is a tremendous baserunner with good instinct.”
Juniors Paige Elsenraat, Addie Brown and Kara Goeke also return.
Elsenraat, an all-conference and all-district outfielder, hit .337 last season with 3 home runs.
“Paige has started in the outfield since her freshman year,” Dishman said. “She has continued to get better and better at the plate. She will hit second in our lineup and add some speed to the top of the order. In the outfield Paige tracks the ball well and carries a good arm.”
Brown, an outfielder, returns to the lineup following an injury prior to her sophomore season.
“Addie is another player that has started for us since her freshman year,” Dishman said. “Last year she was never 100% healthy after breaking her leg during the summer. I expect Addie to have a big year for us this year. Addie is a strong outfielder that can hit with power. She continues to show signs of how high her ceiling really is.”
Goeke, a pitcher, will provide an additional arm in the circle for Republic.
“Kara really got her first real taste of varsity softball last year,” Dishman said. “She showed signs that she can be a good varsity pitcher. She is a right hander that can get ground balls and mix speeds. She will get plenty of innings this fall in the circle.”
Dishman also expects a quartet of varsity newcomers to compete for playing time this season in senior third baseman Cassidy Ellison, senior second baseman Ashland Schaumann, senior first baseman Brooklyn Reed and junior outfielder Vivi Deken.
“This will be the first time in some years that we will have mostly juniors and seniors playing at the varsity level,” Dishman said. “Most of these girls have been starting since their freshman year so I would call ourselves a veteran team. I think a big difference maker for us will be the fact that these girls have experienced varsity softball for two to three years now. They know what to expect and how to prepare for a tough schedule. This can be tough for young players to handle so, hopefully, they are prepared for it.”
With a lineup loaded with depth, experience and talent, it’s no secret Republic’s expectations are high heading into the season.
“We return 7 of our 9 hitters from last season,” Dishman said. “We are very fortunate to have that many returners. We will be a good combination of speed and power in our lineup. If we can keep our strikeout numbers down we have the potential to score some runs.
“I think our biggest challenge will be keeping everyone healthy. We have some depth in our program but if we can avoid the injury bug that will keep us competing. We had a couple key injuries last year that made it really tough on us.”
Following an Aug. 23 home jamboree, Republic opens its season Aug. 30 in the Morrisville Tournament.
