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Expectations remain high for Fort Scott softball
FORT SCOTT, Kan. -- Alvin Metcalf isn't bragging when he says that he expects his Fort Scott High School softball team to go back to the State Tournament this season.
It's simply that, during his time as assistant coach -- and now in his second season as head coach -- the bar has been raised that high.
"In the eight years I've been here, and especially for the last three, the expectations are high because we've set the bar high for ourselves," Metcalf said Thursday morning.
The expectations are so high after back-to-back Class 4A State Tournament appearances -- a championship in 2005 followed by a third-place finish in 2006 -- prior to last season's rain-shortened 11-4 season that ended with a first-round loss to Pomona-West Franklin in the first round of Regionals.
The Tigers begin their 2008 season Tuesday afternoon with their annual season-opening four-team tournament. Metcalf says that the Tigers should play Parsons at 4:30 on Don Hewett Field while Pittsburg and Girard square off on the smaller south field across the road. Following those games, the third-place game will be held on the smaller field while the championship is played on Don Hewett Field.
"Parsons has good athletes," Metcalf says. "Girard is bringing everyone back but (pitcher) Ashley Curran. But they have pitching, offense, defense and speed. Pittsburg, you can't take away the fact that they won the SEK away."
The Tigers only played three-fourths of their scheduled games last season because of the rain-plagued spring southeast Kansas had. And so far this spring, they've had trouble getting in outdoor practices because of the rain. Thursday, in order to keep their home field in good shape, they scrimmaged at Ellis Park by Fort Scott Middle School, which was somewhat drier.
"The rain has actually helped us," Metcalf says. "We've had more time to go over the little things about hitting. Jim (Barrows, assistant coach) and I went to a couple of clinics and picked up some ideas. The girls have listened to what we're telling them and we're hitting the ball well."
The Tigers lost five starters from last year's team but return some players with two and three previous years of varsity experience. Seniors Joce Allen and Katelyn Simpson will bat first and second, although what order has yet to be determined. Allen moves to shortstop after playing third base last season while Simpson is a pitcher and center fielder.
Senior Hannah Hawkins, who played first base last season, moves to catcher and is expected to bat third. Senior pitcher/left fielder Afton Gray will bat fourth. Erica Davis, a pitcher and third baseman, will bat fifth. Erin Coffman can play several positions. She will bat sixth and play mostly third base, according to Metcalf, but can also catch or play outfield.
Amanda Bowles bats seventh and plays right field while also backing up second base, which is manned by Elise Nation, who bats eighth. Jamie Collins will play first base and bat ninth.
Metcalf has structured this batting order to mix speed and power in difference places, rather than stack all the power hitters in the middle. Collins, essentially, is a second cleanup hitter.
"We've got a nice mixture of speed at the top of the lineup and power hitters," Metcalf said. "Then we come back with a couple of more good base hitters and more power with Collins."
Reserves who will travel with the varsity are Laura Stuckey, a middle infielder and outfielder; Sammi Therwanger, a center fielder and middle infielder, and Brittney Holt, whom Metcalf says can do anything but pitch.
One of the keys for the Tigers is bringing back three experienced pitchers in Simpson, Gray and Davis. On top of that, Therwanger and Bowles can also pitch. Most other teams have two pitchers -- if they're lucky.
"It's something you can smile about as a coach," Metcalf says. "All three pitchers back. That's 85 percent of the game. Good pitchers make your defense better and vice versa.
"Erica's been throwing all winter with her dad. Afton and Katelyn are getting into after playing basketball. But I won't have anyone getting too tired."
The four returning seniors have been involved in the Tigers' two trips to State in some way, whether as players or just by being there and cheering their teammates on from the bench. Additionally, all four were members of the State-qualifying basketball team this year. That experience will be counted on this season.
"The seniors have great leadership," Metcalf said. "They've had to do it on the basketball court and I think that's carried over."
Pittsburg, as noted earlier, is the defending Southeast Kansas League champion. The Tigers had won at least a share of the previous two titles -- sharing with Columbus in 2005 and winning it in 2006 -- before finishing second last season. Columbus was third. All three are expected to contend again.
"If you overlook one opponent, it will come back to bite you," Metcalf says. "Columbus lost no one from last year. Independence, year-in and year-out, is just flat tough. Iola has come on in the last three years. And you never know about Coffeyville. Chanute has a new coach but they have good players, so we'll see what they've got. The SEK is tough."