Ozark, Mo. (For Ozarks Sports Zone)  -- With a wealth of experience coming back from last year’s Class 4, District 11 softball championship team, it’s no wonder Ozark softball head coach Yancey Little is feeling good about the 2012 season.

“I’m really excited about this season than any other year,” said Little, who’s in his ninth year as head softball coach.

The team will have six incoming seniors from the 2011 squad that went 21-8, including Sam Dexter, who will be a four-year starter for the team.

To top it off, all-state outfielder Hailee Vigneaux is just a junior – meaning teams will have to figure out a way to stop her for two more seasons.

Beyond that, Little said he’s got some talented freshmen and sophomores that will push his juniors and seniors on the practice field and beyond.

Even with their success last year, Little says the team has some things to work on if they want to get back to state.

“We’ve got to be able to hit the best pitch that’s out there,” he said. “You have to be able to beat an ace pitcher when it’s all said and done and that’s something we haven’t been able to do. We haven’t been able to score a lot of runs."

Little points to last year’s 1-0 loss to Webb City in sectionals. In fact, the Lady Tigers lost three times to Webb City last year: 2-1, 2-1 and the 1-0 loss in sectionals. “They’ve always had quality pitching; it’s always been that way,” Little said.

Otherwise, Little feels confident in his team’s defensive fundamentals. “We’ve got our pitching intact and I think we’re solid in every position,” he said.

His sophomore pitcher, Brittany Nimmo, is expected to once again be a nightmare for hitters.

“She’ll be one of our main pitchers on the mound, plus she can play the infield and hit the ball well,” Little said.

Ozark Activities Director Mark Caballero said he’s also excited to see the team in action this season.

 “Yancey has built probably one of the state’s best softball programs,” Caballero said. “He’s got a good team this year. … You know in girls softball it’s all about pitching; we should be pretty good there.”

The team’s first game is Aug. 22 at Lebanon. They’ll face crosstown rival Nixa to open conference play Aug. 28.