By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Branson softball faced a season of challenges in 2023.
The young and relatively inexperienced Pirates posted a 15-20 record, falling to West Plains in the district tournament.
Entering his seventh season at the helm, head coach Josh McKee believes last season’s struggles will pay significant benefits this fall in the form of battle-tested experience.
“We played a tough schedule all throughout the season and had some big wins along the way, head coach Josh McKee said. “We had some kids that really stepped up last year and were newcomers to the varsity level, and they helped fit in and make the adjustments that were needed to give us a chance to compete every day.”
An even bigger reason for optimism is the fact Branson returns eight starters to the lineup, including four-year starters Jocelyn McQueen and Sadie Lampe.
McQueen, a senior all-conference and all-district shortstop, hit .331 last season and scored 39 runs.
“Jocelyn is one of the best defensive shortstops that I have coached, she is always in the right position and leads by example on the field,” McKee said. “She helps direct traffic on the field and makes sure everyone is where they need to be.”
Lampe, a senior all-conference and all-district third baseman, hit .382 last season with a .481 on-base percentage and 27 runs batted in.
“Sadie is very consistent with her play on defense,” McKee said. “At the plate is where she really shines. She is a good hitter with great pitch recognition. She should be one of the top hitters in the area.”
The pair are joined by pitcher and classmate Kaleah Morrison, who hit .309 last season.
“Kaleah has been a three-year starter,” McKee said. “In the circle, she is going to give you a chance to win every time she steps onto the field. She has a tremendous work ethic and always is going to compete for you. Her offense sparked last year, and she was a solid hitter in the lineup.”
Junior centerfielder Savi Engel, junior pitcher/utility Kallie Hall, junior second baseman Brooklyn Davis, junior outfielder Bailey Glenn and sophomore catcher Jaidah Schwark also return for the Pirates.
“We have everyone returning from last year’s squad and we will be adding 10-12 freshmen to the mix, as well, this year,” McKee said. “We have one junior making the switch from volleyball to softball, Taylee Wilkerson, who is extremely athletic and played softball in our youth organization when she was younger.”
In the circle, Branson will look to Morrison and Hall to help anchor the defense and keep opposing hitters off balance.
“Morrison has grown into a great pitcher and that is due to her work ethic,” McKee said. “She works extremely hard at whatever she does and in turn she has grown into a really good pitcher. Every night she is going to give us a chance to compete.
“Kallie Hall has two years of varsity pitching under her belt and has shown tremendous growth during the off season. We look for Hall to take some of the load off Morrison to keep them both fresh for the whole season. Hall has tremendous upside and is really athletic in the circle. They are both completely different pitchers, which will give us a nice 1-2 combination during games.”
At the plate, McKee has continued development with both swings and mindset, which will allow his team to place constant pressure on opposing defenses.
“Offense has always been one of our strong suits,” McKee said. “We should be able to put some runs up on the board and to make it hard on opposing teams by challenging them on defense. This year’s club has above average speed and they all have seen varsity pitching for a couple seasons now.”
In the field, McKee believes additional experience will improve his squad’s chemistry and consistency throughout the season.
“On the defensive side of the ball, we have an infield that has been together for three seasons and is a lot of fun to watch,” McKee said. “We have more speed this season on defense than we have in the past. This will help us shrink the field on opposing teams when they are on offense. If they can just make the routine plays and stay clean throughout the game they will be able to have a chance to win every night.”
Following a home jamboree, Branson opens its season Aug. 30 in the Aurora Tournament.
