By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
2024 turned out to be a magical run for Ash Grove softball and head coach Austin Tipton.
The second-year head coach led the 24-9 Pirates all the way to a Class 1 second place finish in the state tournament.
“Our goal last year was to win districts as it had not been done in a long time for our program, so we met and went above our expectations for the season,” Tipton said. “It was the first time our program had made the final four as well.”
Heading into the spring campaign, Tipton will look to field replacements for a talented class of graduates, including four all-state honorees.
“The main attribute we lose outside of statistics is veteran leadership from this group,” Tipton said. “They came in ready to work and get better every day last season.”
A pair of seniors return to lead the Pirates in Myah Johnson and Marissa Andrus.
Johnson, a first baseman, hit .302 last season with 1 home run and 26 runs batted in.
Andrus, an all-region outfielder, hit .333 with 1 home run and 17 runs batted in. She will miss the season due to an injury.
“Myah will be our big bat this year, she made big strides at the plate last season and was big for us especially in clutch moments,” Tipton said. “Marissa will bring us leadership while she is recovering from injury.”
Sophomore outfielders Abby Stevens and Samantha Schindler also return for Ash Grove, rounding out the Pirates’ returning corps.
“These are our oldest players on the team now, being around for the deep run we had last year and gaining experience from practice and games will help them lead our team as well as the work they have put in during the off-season,” Tipton said. “Abby and Samantha bring speed, good defense, and strong arms to our outfield.”
With so many graduates, a host of varsity newcomers will step in and compete for open roster spots this season, including Brooke Nicholson, Lacey McCullough, Jaelynn Daniel, Oakley Downling, Kristen Hawkins, Reese Roberts, Brooklyn Rowden, Brylee Bartlett and Lillie Carter.
“We have a lot of newcomers we are hoping to make an impact this season as we only return three healthy players,” Tipton said. “They bring a lot of athleticism to the team as well as a lot of competitiveness. A lot of them will play early and often, I believe they will make the adjustment this year. They will just have to get acclimated to the new speed of the game.”
In the circle, Ash Grove will turn to Johnson and McCullough to anchor the staff.
“We have two main pitchers and two more that will see innings,” Tipton said. “Our main two pitchers, Myah Johnson and Lacey McCullough, will be relied upon by filling up the zone and missing barrels. We are hoping to let our defense work this season and to back up our pitchers well.”
At the plate, Tipton expects things to be a work in progress with so many new faces looking to fill new roles on the team.
“The lineup has a lot to replace from last year as seven of our bats from last year are gone,” Tipton said. “Our lineup has good speed and good contact skills. There will be different orders early this season to see what clicks best for us. For being young though, quite a few of our girls play a lot of softball and I expect multiple to step up and be key cogs in our order.”
While young and relatively inexperienced, Tipton believes his team will adjust quickly to the varsity game and develop into a competitive squad by the time postseason tournaments roll around.
“Being so young, I expect a lot of growth through the season,” Tipton said. “I think we have what it takes to be a good young team. As long as the development comes along through the season and we stay healthy, I expect us to be able to make noise in our conference/district.”
Following a March 18 home jamboree with Fair Grove and Stockton, Ash Grove opens its season March 21 at El Dorado Springs.
