By Chris Parker
Cassville softball will be young this year, as the Lady Cats look to bounce back from a four-win season a year ago.
One senior returns in Second-Team All-Big 8 infielder Kyren Postlewait. Postlewait, who plays shortstop, is the team’s lead-off hitter. Last year, Postlewait hit .408 with 24 runs scored and 21 stolen bases. All were team-highs.
“She (Postlewait) is our go-to person. She is our leadoff hitter. She is pretty much our all-around best player on our team,” Cassville head coach Lori Videmschek said. “She is pretty deadly when she gets on the bases. She is so fast that people have a hard time catching up with her and keeping the ball ahead of her.”
She is also a key leader for the young Cassville players.
“She is actually pretty quiet, but she leads by example. She gets up there and plays the game the right way. She hustles every play out and just has an overall great attitude. The kids follow her. Especially with our team as young as we are this year, those freshmen and sophomores are following her,” Videmschek said. “She is not a real vocal kid, but she will do the right things at the right time. She just does everything, as a coach, the way you want them done.”
Last year was a struggle for Cassville after starting pitcher Isabelle Edwards went down with an injury early in the year and was unable to throw. She is back this year as Cassville’s power pitcher. The other pitcher for Cassville will be Exeter transfer Alyssa Whisenhunt. Whisenhunt doesn’t throw as hard as Edwards, but spots the ball well.
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“They (Edwards and Whisenhunt) are a good combination together because they are so different from one another,” Videmschek said. “If you get a team that starts hitting you can switch them out. It may be one pitcher throws three innings and the next pitcher throws four innings. It is going to be a combination between those two.”
The two will also trade off at first base.
Kavery Postlewait could also see time pitching.
Junior MaKenzie Dilbeck returns at catcher. She hit .271 with 12 RBI last year. Emily Mann (second base) and Ashlynn Bryan (third base) round out the infield. Mann was second on the team with 22 runs scored with a .319 batting average last year. Bryan hit .307 with 15 runs scored.
The outfield will be comprised of Ryleigh Burnette (right field), Kaylee Arthenton (center field) and Maci Walker (left field).
One key for Cassville to improve on last year’s record is perseverance.
“(We need to) keep battling and don’t give up. We have a tendency that when things get bad they don’t know how to fight through it. I saw this summer that we are getting over that hump a little bit. They are believing that they can fight through things and really work hard and get there,” Videmschek said. “That is one thing we really talk about at practice is not giving up and keep working. Keep grinding those pitches and at-bats. One thing we have really worked hard on is controlling the bat at the plate and being able to put bunts down when we need to.”
Cassville opens the season on Aug. 31 at home against Carl Junction.
“We had a good summer. The kids really worked hard. They want to get better. They want to have a winning season. That is one of our goals to be above .500 this year,” Videmschek said.
