Just one senior returns to the Lady Tigers softball team this season, but that doesn’t mean they’re inexperienced. Republic started four freshmen for most of last season, and those players will return to a lineup that’s fueling high expectations for coach Lee Dishman.
“We’re at a good spot in our program, where we’re young with a lot of talent,” Dishman says. “It’s just getting a little experience under their belt, and getting a little focus and confidence in themselves, and they’ll be all right.”
The Lady Tigers’ lone senior, Danielle Shelton, will play first base and anchor the middle of the lineup. And she’ll play an important role off the field, too.
“She’s taken on a great leadership role so far. It’s going to be key for her to take the young girls and make them realize how important it is, and keep them focused. So far this summer, she’s done a real good job of that,” says Dishman.
The summer was successful for the Lady Tigers. They put together a 13-1 record in a league at Ozark. They also participated in a team camp at Centralia, with their only loss coming to the defending Class 3 champs, the Lady Panthers.
Last year’s team struggled to score runs at times, but an additional year of experience figures to help the offense. Dishman says he expects two all-conference returnees to be part of that offensive improvement.
“Abby Norris will play in the outfield. She has a lot of power, she’s great in the outfield, and she’ll just be the leader in the outfield,” Dishman says. “Angel Serles came out of nowhere last year and was killing the ball. We’ll expect a lot out of her.”
Don’t expect the Lady Tigers to sit still, either on the base paths or in the field.
“Our biggest strength right now is our speed. Throughout the whole lineup, in the field, we’re very strong speed-wise,” he says. “And just athletic ability. We’ve got a lot of girls who are just athletic and can do things right.”
One big hole to fill for the Lady Tigers is in the pitcher’s circle, where they’ll need to replace Stephanie Eckhoff. There are two candidates to pick up all the innings Eckhoff threw last season before graduating.
“We have a junior left-hander, Molly Zinecker, that will battle for time,” Dishman says. “We’ve got an incoming freshman, Rachel Rook, that throws the ball well. She’s just going to have get her feet wet. She’ll have her lumps and some games she struggles with, but she’s going to have to be a pitcher, rather than just a thrower. She’s going to have to figure out how to get girls out.”
Other contributors will include Emily Hall, Taylor Gold, Caty Eby, Morgan Cantrell, and Lauren Strobel, among others. Dishman says he thinks his Lady Tigers have a chance to do some damage in one of the strongest conferences in Missouri.
“I’m very excited,” he says. “We’re going to have the usual contenders in the COC with Webb and Ozark, but to be honest, I think we can compete with them.”
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