SHS hoping for solid softball season

SIKESTON -- The move from spring to fall has been hard on the Sikeston High School softball team.

The squad won three games in '99, went 1-16 in 2000, then finished with a record of 2-14 last season. This year a new crop of young players joins the team, and head coach Jenny Hobeck is hoping it brings a new end result.

"The freshmen coming in, and some of our other girls, are playing a lot more summer ball," said Hobeck. "They're playing on traveling teams and coming in with a lot more experience now. I hope that will be to our advantage."

The team opens the 2002 fall season today at Twin Rivers. The first home game will be on Friday against Poplar Bluff.

"We hope to have a pretty good season," said Hobeck. "We have a lot of young talent out that looks pretty good, and we've got some seniors returning that are good leaders."

The team's top two pitchers return -- juniors Jessica Owens and Kayla Crocker. Freshmen Molly Brinkmeyer and Allison Blurton will also pitch some, as well as play the infield. Blurton plays a lot at shortstop and Brinkmeyer is a quality third baseman.

Senior catcher Misti Clark returns, as does senior first baseman Kerri Jones. Paige Silverthorn is a strong sophomore capable of playing several positions.

"All around, we've got a really good looking team," said Hobeck. "Our freshmen are looking good defensively as well as offensively. They all look pretty strong with the bat."

The outfield will consist of speedy sophomore Julie Annesser, junior Caroline McClung, freshman Beth Ziegenhorn and freshman Hailey Davis.

"My main concern is our defense," said Hobeck. "In the past, we've had to rely on Owens alone on the pitching, and just on Clark alone on the catching. Now we have some kids that can step in and relieve them some."

Sikeston's district will stay the same, with Jackson, Cape Central, Poplar Bluff and Farmington.

"I would like to have at least a .500 season," said Hobeck. "I would like to see us play more competitively with teams from Notre Dame, Kelly, Cape and Bluff. In the last few years, those teams have walked over us a bit. I would really like to see us hang more with them."

BENTON -- At Kelly High School, it seems like every softball season is a season to remember. But that wasn't the case last fall.

The Lady Hawks didn't win the 2A District 2 title...for the first time in 15 years. Since that loss, members of the team have been looking to settle the score. First Kelly took it out on other teams in the spring season, unmercifully dominating schools around the area.

Then over the summer, several members of the team took the fight outside the state, eventually placing second in the Softball World Series. Now the time has finally come for Kelly to redeem itself.

"We're coming back with a solid team this fall," said coach Rhonda Evans, who is back with the fall team after a two-year layoff. "The senior girls now played for me when they were freshmen. It may take a little while for them to get back to my style of coaching, but they're good athletes and will be able to adjust."

The Lady Hawks will have experience at nearly every position. There are six pitchers on the roster, most notably senior Dana Essner.

Other top senior players include catcher Allison Johnson, first baseman Andrea Kluesner, and outfielders Christy Kluesner, Cara Scherer and Sara Essner.

"Those girls make our practices run smooth," said Evans. "I expect big things out of them, and I told them that. Our goal is always to head to state."

Other returning standouts include third baseman Monica Senciboy, second baseman Ashley Kern, shortstop Whitney Beggs and utility player Kelly Essner.

"We're just focused on taking one game at a time and learning in our regular season games," said Evans. "We want to take it step by step all the way to state."

Kelly will open the 2002 fall season on Sept. 5, hosting Cape Central.

DELTA -- Last year Delta went 9-9, reaching the state quarterfinals under the direction of Laura Brown. The Lady Bobcats return a good group of players from that team, raising expectations for the upcoming fall season.

Top seniors include Rebecca Below, Rebecca Cook, Sarah Cook, Andrea Dohogne and Alexis Nussbaum. Other key players are sophomore Jenny Dannenmueller, sophomore Ashley Elliot, junior Tiffany Johnson, junior Ashley Martin, sophomore Krystal Burnett and freshman Kasey Seabaugh.