By Pat Dailey (For OzarkSportsZone.com)
After Ava averaged 10.7 runs a game while winning 18 games last season, coach Rex Sawyer isn’t taking it for granted that the Lady Bears can put up big numbers offensively again this season.
“We lost two big sticks,” Sawyer said, referring to .525 hitting Dailyn Stanifer and .429-hitting Lilli Honeycutt. “Scoring runs this year is the question to be answered (and) scoring runs when runners are in scoring position.”
Ava’s lineup will revolve around the trio of Hunter Strunk, Makenna Coonts and Hannah Forrest.
Coonts batted .475 last season and was an All-South Central Association First-Team selection. Strunk and Forrest joined Coonts as an All-SCA First-Team picks. Forrest hit .379 and Coonts batted .362.
“All three will be competitive with their bats,” Sawyer said.
Ava also has returning starters in seniors Matilynn Goss, Melody Premer and Paris Henry, junior Myley Jones and sophomores Abby Fortner and Autumn Cudworth.
Henry received All-SCA honorable mention recognition after hitting .423. Cudworth batted .328, Premer hit 308, Fortner .304 and Jones .271.
In the field, Sawyer values the leadership of Struck and Coonts. Strunk returns as the Lady Bears’ No. 1 pitcher, after compiling an 18-7 W-L record and 3.91 ERA last year.
“The battery of Hunter and Makenna, plus good solid defense will be our strength,” Sawyer said. “Hunter is very competitive. She is not overpowering, but spots the ball well.”
Freshman Mae Henry and sophomores Samantha Thompson and Chylynn Johnson are also vying for playing time.
Mae Henry, Emma Donley, Lexie Swearengin and Shaylee Wilkerson are newcomers.
Sawyer’s hopes are for the Lady Bears to be a contender.
“(We expect) to be competitive and play good solid defense every game,” he said.
Ava will scrimmage at Forsyth on March 14, along with the host Lady Panthers, Buffalo and Southwest.
The Lady Bears will take part in the SCA Tournament, Buffalo Tournament and Salem Tournament.
Watch out for Ava at home. The Lady Bears were 7-0 on their home field last year and over the past three seasons are 18-3 at home.
