Experienced core returns for Tiger softball

There are 39 girls out for softball this season at Fort Scott High School. But head coach Alvin Metcalf has known for quite some time now that two of them are likely to miss the entire season. However, there are four All-Southeast Kansas League picks coming back from last year's team, which won the Southeast Kansas League championship and finished third at the Class 4A-Division I State Tournament with a 17-8 record.

The 26th season of Fort Scott High School softball begins Thursday with their home tournament at Don Hewett Field. The Tigers will take on Ottawa, a new entrant, in the first round while Baxter Springs and Spring Hill face off on the south field at Fisher Park. Both games get underway at 4:30. The third-place game follows on the south field and the championship will be held on Don Hewett Field.

Metcalf, entering his seventh season has head coach with a 108-52 record, emphasized how much work goes into being a championship-calibre softball team.

"We'll have a good mixture of young and older and in-between players this year," he said Monday afternoon. "We'll have freshmen on the bench, sophomores, a couple of juniors and good seniors.

"I still see a lot we have to work on. It's the small things. We're breaking it down even smaller than we have done in the past. That's just to get back where we were at. And I've said to them, 'Give me 110 percent at every practice and we will get better.'"

The swings have been broken down in detail. There are 10 drills the players go over each day. Coaches oversee two or three stations each. And the more experience players help out the newcomers.

All-SEK First Team pitcher Kyenne Wade and outfielder Katie Gorman return as do Second Team sophomore outfielders Taylor Krokroskia and Karlee Stanley. Add in shortstop Bailie Brown, a junior, and there are five returning starters. There will also be three seniors who have been biding their time the past three seasons and will finally get a chance to crack the starting lineup.

Wade (12-6 last season), who has signed with Avila University in Kansas City, Mo., will be doing the bulk of the pitching. Senior Meghan Guss and freshman Lane Bohlken may also see time inside the circle this season.

"Kyenne has worked hard for four years," Metcalf said. "She's become one of the best pitchers. Bohlken can step in and she's worked really hard. If we want to save Kyenne some innings, we can throw her in. And I think she can do a great job."

Guss will more often be the starting first baseman and she can also serve as a backup catcher. Wade can play first herself if Guss goes in to pitch. Freshman Audrey Arb and sophomore Hannah Coombs can also catch.

Gorman or senior Emily Bowman are the candidates to play second base with Brown returning at shortstop. Senior Abi Keating is expected to step in and start at third base. Bohlken can also play third base if needed.

Gorman was a starter in the outfield last season as were Kroroskia and Stanley. Sophomore Emily Hale, who also had to rehabilitate a knee injury, could see time in the outfield as well.

Metcalf had praise for every player named. In fact, reprinting what he had to say here would force this preview to become a two-part article. He's very happy with what he has.

Junior pitcher Hannah Geneva and junior catcher Abby Denton might not play at all this season. Geneva, who also missed several games last season with an injury, will have ankle surgery in April. And Denton injured her knee just moments into the start of the past basketball season. Ironically, Denton had to step into the lineup last season when then-senior Maddi Allen injured her knee during Sub-State basketball.

Fort Scott has won its last 25 league games but last season the Tigers didn't win a game outside the league between the first game of their tournament and the first round of the State Tournament. The non-league schedule consisted of Spring Hill, Louisburg, Girard and Paola -- the latter two lost only once last season, Paola getting stunned by Louisburg in Regionals. The Tigers could face Spring Hill again in the tournament on Tuesday and will play each of the other three again this season. Then with Ottawa replacing Pittsburg in the home tourney, the schedule gets a bit tougher.

A tough schedule reaps rewards. The Tigers lost to Louisburg twice in the regular season but beat the Wildcats in the third-place game at State. And that win came a week after Louisburg upset previously-unbeaten Paola in the Regional tournament. Girard was 21-1 last year.

Metcalf expects Independence and Chanute to be the teams to beat in the SEK this season.

"Both of them have half their squad back," he said. "Independence made their Regional finals. Chanute gave us a run in the (Regional). They have a good nucleus and good coaches.

"Pittsburg lost a pitcher and their shortstop but can build back up. Parsons has lost some players but coach (Tom) Schibi does a good job. Labette County has its best pitcher graduate mid-term. Coffeyville is building their program. Eventually, they'll be there."

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2015 FORT SCOTT HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL

Bold -- Southeast Kansas League games.

All events begin at 4:30 p.m. unless indicated.

(Radio) -- Games to be broadcast on KOMB/KMDO and Fort Scott TV.

March 31......FORT SCOTT TOURNAMENT(Radio)

April 2.........................at Girard

April 7.........................LOUISBURG

April 9...............at Pittsburg (Radio)

April 14...........................PARSONS

April 21...........at Independence (Radio)

April 24.................at Labette County

April 27...............COFFEYVILLE (Radio)

April 30.............................PAOLA

May 14..................at Chanute (Radio)

May 18-20........................Regionals

May 27-28............................State

JUNIOR VARSITY

April 6.......................INDEPENDENCE

April 7...........LOUISBURG (Fisher south)

April 10.........................at Girard

April 13.........................PITTSBURG

April 27.....LABETTE COUNTY (Fisher south)

April 30..............PAOLA (Fisher south)

May 2.........at Pittsburg Tourn., 10 a.m.

May 8...........................at Parsons

May 12......................at Coffeyville

May 14..........................at Chanute

More JV games may be added.