By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
In a season overshadowed by the continued Covid-19 pandemic, Republic’s softball program got to experience a brand new set of challenges, according to head coach Lee Dishman.
The 16-9 Lady Tigers fell in the district semifinal to Carthage.
“We got put in Covid quarantine about halfway through the season and, when we came back, we played a ton of games in a short amount of time,” Dishman said. “This hurt us because our girls were just physically and mentally exhausted. Overall, with the circumstances we faced, I believe our girls did a great job.”
A quartet of graduates move on from the program, including a pair of all-conference, all-district and all-region honorees in shortstop Kaitlyn Ragsdale and third-baseman A.J. Fenske.
Pitcher Avery Romans and second-baseman Emma White round out Republic’s graduates.
Romans departure opens the door for senior pitcher/designated player Mara Lakey (.500 BA, 41 RBI, 7 HR).
With high expectations, Dishman believes his team’s success will be determined by success in the circle.
“Pitching will be a deciding factor on how we do,” Dishman said. “Mara Lakey will handle the bulk of the innings and, if she can do her job, we can have a chance. We have a senior, a junior and three freshmen pitchers. We will figure out throughout the season who wants the ball come district time.”
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Senior third baseman Jaci West (.258 BA), junior catcher Ella Tattershall (.344 BA), junior first baseman Emi Essary (.347 BA, 23 RBI, 6 HR), sophomore shortstop Jenna Belcher (.347 BA) and junior outfielder Ella Young join Lakey in the Lady Tigers’ returning lineup.
“This season will welcome some new faces to the lineup,” Dishman said. “We have to get those girls ready to step up and contribute at the varsity level. With this group, they are going to have to figure out how to make a splash in our program. We have some depth with a very talented young group that will push the older girls.”
At the plate, Republic will feature a little bit of everything, according to Dishman.
“Our lineup will be a mixed bag of speed and power, I believe,” Dishman said. “We will have some speed at the top and bottom with a little bit of power in between. We will just have to be aggressive and try to get runs that way.”
The Lady Tigers have a host of players competing for playing time in the field, and Dishman expects the competition to yield favorable results as the team heads into the season.
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“Defensively we are still up in the air in many positions,” Dishman said. “We have some older girls that are going to get their shot but once again the younger girls will be pushing them for a spot. Nothing is guaranteed at this point. It will come down to who can help us both defensively and offensively.”
With new faces adjusting to the varsity level of play, Dishman believes his team will need to be prepared to deal with outside factors, as well.
“Once again I feel like a big obstacle will be just being able to handle the grind of playing and maybe dealing with Covid issues,” Dishman said. “Cases are on the rise and I am sure teams will still be dealing with it this year. Our biggest X-Factor going into this year will be how our pitching does and how our younger girls develop. If both of these things come together we could have a good season.”
Following a home jamboree Aug. 20 with Nixa, the Lady Tigers open the season Aug. 27 with the Morrisville Tournament.
