By Pat Dailey (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Mountain Grove welcomes aboard a veteran coach in Allison Klock to work with a group of Lady Panthers with a wealth of experience.
Klock is in her 17th year coaching softball, having previously served as an assistant at Maysville and a head coach at Cabool and Knob Noster. This is her second go-around at Mountain Grove, with her first tenure with the Lady Panthers being from 2014-2016.
She takes over a team that was 13-12 a year ago.
“I am excited to have been given the opportunity to coach the Lady Panthers this spring and have high expectations for my girls,” Klock said. “I have a talented group of athletes that have a lot of ability and diverse skills that will allow us to be able to do a lot of great things both offensively and defensively.”
Mountain Grove features six returnees who hit .300-plus last season, including two who hit above .400.
Landry Golden was an All-South Central Association First-Team choice as a junior a year ago. Payton O’Connor and Stella Benson were All-SCA Second-Team selections.
Golden hit .455 with five home runs. O’Connor hit .453, with a team-high 27 RBI. Benson batted .359.
Golden is the team’s lone senior. Klock likes all she can offer.
“I am looking forward to her being a strong leader and voice on the field,” Klock said. “Landry can play a lot of different positions, I am looking at her splitting some time on both corners. She is a beast at the plate and hits for power.”
O’Connor will pitch and play first base and third base.
“Payton is a student of the game, she is smart and leads by example,” Klock said. “She is a consistent hitter that can get the job done at the plate and I look forward to her showing growth offensively this season.”
Benson is one of Mountain Grove’s best defenders and fastest players.
“Stella is quick and gritty,” Klock said. “She did an amazing job in the outfield last season. I am hoping she will get some time this season as a middle infielder, as well. Offensively, Stella can do a lot. Having her versatility at the plate opens a lot of opportunities for the team and her speed on the bases is impressive.”
O’Connor will share the pitching duties with freshman Hannah Dowden.
“O’Connor will be back in the circle and I am looking forward to seeing how her off-season work helps (her),” Klock said. “Hannah is a hard worker and has put in a lot of time during the off-season to improve her speed and pitches. I am excited to see her begin her high school career. Having both pitchers in the circle opens doors for our team defensively to be able to change up our game. Both girls have different pitches and speed that will help us keep hitters on their toes.”
Other returnees include juniors Chloe Slagle and Makenzi Schober and sophomores Hadley Driskell, Gabby Miller, Sophie Peterson and Sadie Schober.
Peterson’s freshman season saw her hit .360 with four home runs, while Schober also hit .360 as a freshman, with a team-high 24 stolen bases. Miller batted .350.
Klock values their versatility.
“These girls are gifted players and can play anywhere on the field,” she said. “I am expecting them to be able to play different positions defensively and have different roles offensively. They all know the game and have played for several years. They are great athletes.”
Aubrey Gerla joins Mountain Grove as a transfer.
“She is going to be a big help to our team,” Klock siad. “She has shown a lot of potential and growth during the off-season both offensively and defensively. I am excited to see how she can help us behind the plate. She has a strong bat, with power that will truly help our team offensively.”
Klock expects freshmen Lyla Golden and Aubrey Owens to make an immediate impact.
“I have a strong freshman class,” Klock said. “They have all played ball for several years and are good athletes. Lyla and Aubrey are two freshmen that have a lot of ball knowledge and experience at a higher level. Lyla, like her sister, has an incredible bat and hits for power. She is smart at the plate and will bring depth to our lineup. Aubrey is a very versatile player with both infield and outfield experience. She can do a lot of different things at the plate and brings speed to the game.”
Overall, Klock likes Mountain Grove’s combination of speed and power and is looking for the Lady Panthers to show improvement in the field.
“Our strength is athleticism and versatility,” Klock said. “This group of girls bring a lot to the table with their knowledge of the game and ability to do a lot of different things. Offensively we will be able to do a lot of different things, I have a lot of power and speed to mix into the lineup.
“I truly feel all of my players are able to play any position on the field and they take pride in that,” she added. “Knowing all of the positions helps make quick decisions and improves our speed of the game. I hope this season we can cut down on errors defensively and be able to make plays up the middle better.”
Klock is counting on the repeated reps the Lady Panthers gain in practices to carry over to games.
“My overall expectation is to see growth in our game both offensively and defensively, for every player to understand the game and know how to make quick decisions,” she said. “Our game is speed and consistency. I want them to be fluid players that make the game look easy. Having discipline and desire to play for each other will be a crucial part of our success. I want them to work hard and have fun playing the game for each other.”
Mountain Grove will not jamboree and will open its season by entertaining Eminence March 25. The Lady Panthers will host the South Central Association Tournament and also take part in tournaments at Sparta and Salem.
