By Pat Dailey (For OzarkSportsZone.com)
Cassville welcomes Jordan Savage aboard as its new head coach, after Lori Videmschek resigned from her post with the Lady Wildcats while remaining Purdy’s coach.
Savage enters his eighth season coaching. He has head coaching experience in softball and baseball during stints at Gainesville and East Newton and was an assistant coach in both sports at McDonald County the past two years.
“I am grateful and excited for the opportunity to take over at Cassville,” Savage said. “Being in the Big 8 for the past seven seasons and competing against Cassville, I have had an outsider’s view. But I am ready to start working for the Wildcats.”
He’s been pleased how his intro to his new players went over the summer.
“The girls have been outstanding,” Savage said. “We have an older group that has really set the tone and shown the underclassmen how to work both in the weight room and on the field. I’m really excited to see them continue to buy into the program and work to get better every day.”
Cassville had just one senior graduate from last season’s 16-win team. Returnees include Kyler Hayward, Kalee Lowe, Hadley Moore, Lauren Sparkman, Aubrey Stoufer, Kyla Bowling, Kierstan Fare, Joei Blankenship, Elly Ramaeker, Tomi Blankenship, Tyra Sturgell, Navaeh Johnson, Aleigha Bryan, and Hailey Bryan.
Handling the pitching duties will be Stoufer, Tomi Blankenship and Joei Blankenship. Freshmen Lili Naugle, Madi Yockey and Brianna Still give the Lady Wildcats plenty of depth in the center circle.
A year ago, Stoufer threw 132 innings and compiled a 3.18 ERA and 179 strikeouts. Opponents hit only .240 against her. Tomi Blankenship had a 3.04 ERA over 27.2 innings.
“Aubrey handled most of the innings last season and it is something she is ready to do once again,” Savage said “She has worked to improve her craft this summer and is ready to be even better this fall. Tomi will be looking to make a bigger impact in the circle for us this season. She threw some valuable innings as a freshman last season and is ready to take on a more regular role. Joei will be ready to prove herself in the circle this season by continuing to build off a strong summer.”
Infielders include Hayward, Sparkman, Lowe, Ramaeker, Bryan, Stoufer, Blankenship and Joei Blankenship, Naugle, Madi Yockey and Still.
Outfielders are Bowling, Moore, Sturgell, Johnson, Fare, Bryan and Alex Holycross.
Savage thinks his infielders and outfielders may overlap.
“We have a lot of players practicing in both infield and outfield spots, so we can find the best lineup on a daily basis,” he said. “This is something that has helped them develop their fundamentals and skill. By the time the season rolls around, I will be looking for this group to be both fundamentally sound and ready for any situation.”
Sparkman batted a team-high .403 last season, while Stouffer hit .375 and Bowling .344. Sparkman and Stouffer both topped the team with 23 RBIs. Bowling swiped a team-best 18 bases.
Cassville won nine games in a row on its way to the Class 3 District 6 championship last season. During that stretch, the Lady Wildcats scored in double figures in five games on their way to finishing with an average of 4.9 runs a game.
Savage hopes the offense will pick up where it left off and then some.
“Our main focus this summer has been to improve on the offensive side,” he said. “The girls have worked extremely hard in the cage, and I believe it will show this season. We have really worked to cut down on our swing and miss percentage to put as much pressure on the defense as possible. Our goal is to be a team that plays fast and understands how each situation calls for a different approach at the plate.”
Savage thinks Cassville should be gunning for plenty more success this season.
“As always, I look for the Big 8 to be competitive from top to bottom,” he said. “We will have to come ready to play each and every game in order to put ourselves in the best position at the end of the season. Our goal of course is to be in position to take home the Big 8 title. Working toward that goal is what we are focused on right now.
“Expectations will be high,” he added. “They have shown up each day ready to work and they have dedicated the time to get even better for this season.”
Cassville will jamboree at Branson on August 27 and will open at the Morrisville Tournament Aug. 30-31.
