By Brennan Stebbins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Only one school managed to beat Diamond’s softball team last spring, and they weren’t even from the state of Missouri.
The Wildcats won their first 31 games, lost at Frontenac, Kansas, and then won seven more to finish as the Class 2 state champion with a 38-1 record after knocking off Kennett 8-5 in 8 innings in the title game. Diamond also won Class 2 in 2022.
“Last year was a lot of fun,” said head coach Kelsey Parrish. “It obviously ended with a really good final ending. That one loss still burns a little bit but I guess it’s a good sign that it burns. I’m just super proud of my girls for last year’s success and hopefully we can take that momentum and roll into this year.”
The Wildcats return seven of their nine starters and will replace first team all-state catcher Grace Frazier and first team all-state outfielder Caitlyn Suhrie, who also pitched 109 innings with 175 strikeouts.
Senior Lauren Turner returns after garnering first-team all-state honors as an infielder. She plays shortstop and pitches and is now a three-time all-state honoree.
“She’ll be our leader this year,” Parrish said. “She is the most softball-smart kid I’ve ever coached and a hard worker. I think she’s played almost every single position on the field and does an excellent job. She’s going to play softball at Pittsburg State next year and her talent speaks for itself.”
Turner was a .535 hitter who totaled 15 doubles, three triples and nine home runs and led the team with 66 RBI’s and was second with 56 runs scored. She logged 35.1 innings on the mound with 48 strikeouts to four walks and a 1.78 ERA.
Senior Sara Roszell returns in right field and will also pitch more this season. She was a .301 hitter last year with seven doubles, a home run, 25 RBI’s and 26 runs. She logged eight innings on the mound and struck out six.
Senior Kabrie Parmley returns in the outfield, too. She played primarily left last year but will probably play in center this year. She batted .330 with five doubles and two triples and drove in 15 runs while scoring 31.
Returners in the junior class are Talyn Daniels at first base and Aubrey Ball at either second or in the outfield. Daniels batted .257 with four doubles and a homer and drove in 20 with 24 runs scored. Ball, who served as a utility player last season, was a .397 hitter with 10 doubles, a triple, 24 RBI’s and 34 runs scored. Marrisa DeJager, last year’s starter at third, will miss this season as she recovers from injury.
Sophomore Taelyn Reeder, a first team all-state pitcher as a freshman, returns after batting .461 with 14 doubles and three homers. She drove in 33 and scored 34 runs. She pitched 78 innings with a 2.42 ERA and 127 strikeouts. She can also play middle infield.
“I have several girls who are eager and hungry to fight for open positions,” Parrish said. “Some of those include returning juniors Paige Marbough and Kenzie Cook. I have like 13 other girls returning or coming in so we’ve got lots of bodies to fill positions and create some competition.”
After feeling a lot of pressure last spring as the Wildcats chased an undefeated season, Parrish said the team will try to take things a little easier this year.
“Obviously we want to be competitive and have a good program, and the girls are definitely hungry for another state title,” she said. “We’ve got to beat a lot of good teams to get there. There are a lot of good teams this year in Missouri. We’re going to step back and focus on hopefully chasing the state championship again but also reminding ourselves what really matters and what softball is really about.”
Diamond will participate in an 8-team jamboree at Sarcoxie on March 17, playing Sarcoxie, Liberal and East Newton. All proceeds from the event will benefit Camp Quality in Neosho, which serves children with cancer.
The Wildcats open the regular season with the Purdy tournament and the Mt. Vernon tournament. In April they’ll face out-of-area teams Versailles, Warsaw, West County and Houston in action at Mt. Vernon. There’s also a rematch with Frontenac on the schedule.
Last year’s theme for Diamond was “iron sharpens iron” and this year Parrish said the team will focus on “a narrow path.”
“So many want that gate opened for them rather than taking the path that might not be as easy but it’s more rewarding at the end,” she said. “The obstacles and things you might come across on that narrow path makes it that much more rewarding. We’re trying to teach a life lesson with the game of softball.”
