Sikeston softball set to open the season Aug. 27 at Rockwood Summit Tourney

SIKESTON, Mo — After finishing four straight seasons below the .500 mark, the Sikeston Lady Bulldogs enter the upcoming year hoping to buck that trend with a wealth of returning talent.

Leading that charge will be first-year head softball coach Jacob May, who should be a familiar sight to Sikeston’s sports fans having served as an assistant wrestling coach for the Bulldogs in recent years.

“I’m super excited about this group of young ladies we have,” May said. "I am gifted with having a great assistant in Lisa James who has been with the program for years and brings a lot of knowledge to the table.

New Sikeston softball coach Jacob May talks to his team during practice Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021. (David Jenkins/Standard Democrat)

New Sikeston softball coach Jacob May talks to his team during practice Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021. (David Jenkins/Standard Democrat)

“This is a team that people can get excited about and get behind.”

One thing May’s team won’t lack is experience.

The Lady Bulldogs bring back a large chunk of last year’s squad, including seniors Kaylee Pipes and Sydney Burton at centerfield and third base respectively.

Junior duo Nayla Bonner and Hailey Cantrell will once again make up the primary pitching/catching battery while their classmates Sarah Keller will also see time in the circle while also playing second base.

Sophomore Bailey Brown comes back with experience at first base as does Abigail Deshaney in left field.

May also expects freshman Dakota Thompson to see significant time in right field while fellow freshman Chloe Hamby will contribute at pitcher and at first base.

The girls' work ethic is something May noticed early in his time with the team.

“Practice has been going really well,” May said. “The girls have worked their tails off for me. We had them coming in two days a week this summer, lifting one day and drill work the other.

“You can tell the girls are hungry and want to make some noise this year.”

Bonner will hope to improve on a strong sophomore season where she earned SEMO Conference First-Team honors.

She finished last year with a .377 batting average, driving in eight runs and scoring 13. She hit for a .444 average with runners in scoring position and had a .914 on-base-plus-slugging percentage.

Bonner also started 13 games in the circle where she finished with a winnings record, 7-6, with a 3.85 ERA and 87 strikeouts.

“I really feel like one of our strengths is the fact that the girls are very competitive,” May said. “They all play really competitively in the summer and a lot of them have played together for years. Our biggest weakness is our situational awareness.

“We kind of get rattled when put into certain situations but have done a really good job of starting to overcome that.”

Sikeston looked ready to break their streak of three-straight sub-.500 seasons last year when they put together a two-game winning streak, over North County and East Carter, late in the regular season to move to 7-8.

Back-to-back losses heading into the playoffs, however, were followed by a 10-0 loss to Hillsboro in the Class 4, District 1 Tournament to end the year 8-11.

“My goal for us this year is I want us to compete each and every time we step on the field,” May said. “We play some really good teams and start the year in the 18-Team Rockwood Summit Tournament that features teams from all over the state.

“Ultimately I want us competing and winning a district title and making a deep run in the playoffs.”

Schedule

8/27-28 @Rockwood Summit, TBD

8/31 Naylor, 4:30 p.m.

9/2 Poplar Bluff, 4:30 p.m.

9/7 @Perryville, 4:30 p.m.

9/8 Saxony Lutheran, 4:30 p.m.

9/13 Twin Rivers, 4:30 p.m.

9/14 @Cape Central, 4:30 p.m.

9/17-18 @Festus Tournament, TBD

9/20 @Notre Dame, 4:30 p.m.

9/21 @Neelyville, 4:30 p.m.

9/23 @Chaffee, 4:30 p.m.

9/25 @Jackson Tournament, TBD

9/27 Jackson, 4:30 p.m.

9/28 @Fredericktown, 4:30 p.m.

9/30 Kelly, 4:30 p.m.

10/4 North County, 4:30 p.m.

10/5 @East Carter, 4:30 p.m.

10/6 @Farmington, 4:30 p.m.

10/7 Doniphan, 4:30 p.m.

10/13 @Class 4, District 1 Tournament, TBD