By Pat Dailey (For OzarkSportsZone.com)
Buoyed by a 16-17 2024 campaign that saw Willard start a combination of eight sophomores and freshmen each and every game, the rising Lady Tigers are counting on their experience to pay big dividends as soon as this season.
“We definitely knew there would be some growing pains,” coach Ashleigh Williams said of last year’s dramatic youth movement. “Some of those sophomores saw significant playing time as freshmen. But it is a completely different feeling when everyone is now relying on you to step up and be the leader. We had some great moments where we saw tremendous growth and improvement. But we also had some pretty low times and took our licks with it.
“I think the players as a whole absorbed last year in a way that made them stronger mentally, physically, and emotionally,” she added. “They attacked this off-season determined to have a better showing in 2025.”
Willard carried momentum into the off-season from its impressive play in a 11-6 Class 5 District 5 loss to second-seeded Ozark. Willard was within 7-5 of the lead in the fifth inning.
“We had a great end to our season last year and went into districts really believing we had a shot at upsetting Ozark,” Williams said. “The girls did everything we asked and more. They definitely left it all on the field and I couldn’t have been more proud, even though the result isn’t what we hoped for.”
“I think by the end (of the season), the girls realized they have the potential to continue to build this program and compete for district championships,” she added.
Williams feels her players are now expecting more of themselves and are willing to put in the work.
“Our players have always shown up and worked, but their demeanor has been different, more determined,” she said. “They have been through it and know how difficult a varsity season is and what it takes to really compete with the elite teams both in southwest Missouri and statewide.”
In the center circle, Willard features Callie Ebert, DeLaney Dixon and Emily Barr. Each threw between 50-64 innings last season, with Barr compiling a 6-4 W-L record and 3.70 ERA, Ebert was 4-2 with a 3.90 ERA and Dixon was 6-11 with a 6.20 ERA. Ebert had a team-high 58 strikeouts.
“Dixon struggled with control throughout the year, but was also battling various injuries,” Williams said. “We’re hoping she can stay healthy and regain her confidence and control in the circle. She does a great job of mixing her pitches and keeping hitters off balance. Ebert delivered a good season in her first varsity season. She has put in the work to gain ‘velo’ and control the zone more this season. She pairs well with Dixon. Barr gives us a different look in the circle. We’re excited to continue to see her growth. Barr threw a few innings her freshman year, but saw her load increase dramatically last season. Similar to Dixon, Barr works to keep hitters off balance and get themselves out. She had the best control of the three last year and looks to keep that going this year.”
Williams appreciates her pitchers’ teamwork.
“All three are extremely selfless and take on important leadership roles both in the circle and out,” she said. “They work to help each other prepare for games and keep charts to make necessary adjustments in real time. I’m excited to watch them compete this year and continue to improve.”
Willard still is relatively young. The Lady Tigers feature one senior, nine juniors, three sophomores and seven freshmen.
They’re used to winning.
“We have a great group of kids,” Williams said. “(They) were very successful in middle school and have that drive to see that success continue on through the next level. All the players are competitive and want to be that “dude” out on the field. It made the off-season a lot of fun watching them compete and battle it out in certain areas. We definitely have our experience in the juniors to anchor our lineup, but we have plenty of talent coming up that could challenge them as well.”
Willard has seven returnees who hit .300 or better a year ago.
First baseman Paxtyn Piper burst upon the scene by hitting .318, with a team-high five home-runs and a team-high 28 RBIs.
“‘Pax’ came out of nowhere last year,” Williams said. “We were looking for another outfielder and she had played a lot of first as a freshman but outfield on her travel ball team. After the off-season she put together with her first few weeks of practice, she won the job and didn’t look back. By far our biggest power threat, ‘Pax’ has continued to improve her swing and look at decreasing her strikeouts. She’s had another great off-season and has always been a beast in the weight room.”
Corner infielder Payton Hicks batted .393 with 24 RBIs as a sophomore. Shortstop Jaylee Menditto hit .375 with 11 extra-base hits. Ebert batted .367 with a team-high 26 RBIs. First baseman/outfielder Emily Barr hit .316 with three homers. Catcher Reagyn Leeper hit .303 as a freshman. Outfielder Neela Motlagh batted .300 with 18 runs scored and eight stolen bases.
“(Payton) has a great glove and the ability to move around the infield to help us where we most need her,” Williams said. “She is one of our most consistent and reliable hitters. Jaylee has gotten stronger and worked on her reaction time this off season. She has a great arm and is going to be looked at to be one of our leaders this year.
“Callie worked this off season to add more extra-base hits to her resume. When she’s not in the circle, she’ll get innings at first or DP,” Williams added. “Emily has always had a ton of potential offensively and definitely showed that last fall. She continues to work and grow her game. Neela does a great job of getting to almost every ball and making sure it doesn’t touch the grass. With her speed, she is dangerous at the plate and on the bases.”
Dixon batted .282, while providing intangibles Williams values.
“DJ dealt with a lot physically last fall that took a toll on her. She battled through it and never made excuses, but was never 100 percent,” Williams said. “She’s one that teammates look up to and look to when things aren’t going well. She’s a great teammate and values everyone else’s successes more than her own. Even though she didn’t have the season she wanted, she was always willing to do whatever would help the team win. Couldn’t be more excited to watch her bounce back this year.
Second baseman Kynlee Inman returns after starting as a freshman. She pitches at the jayvee level.
Alivia Arauz is in comeback mode, after missing all of last season due to injury.
“(She) had surgery last September and hopefully is able to get back to the starting lineup in some capacity,” Williams said. “She has great pop and would be a big RBI person in the middle of the lineup.”
Challenging for starting jobs are outfielder Kallie Reiber and infielder Callie Wilken, along with freshmen Riley Shank, Hannah Kelley and Kinsley Shipman. Shank is a strong-hitting catching prospect while Kelly and Shipman are speedsters
Willard averaged 6.5 runs a game last season, despite 75 percent of hits being singles. Williams is optimistic the Lady Tigers are on their way to hitting for more power.
“Last season we focused on lowering our strikeout rate,” she said. “The players worked at executing every game plan to the best of their abilities. This year, the girls are older, stronger, and more experienced, so we’ve spent the off-season trying to gain more power and turn some of those singles into doubles and doubles into home runs. We have an extremely balanced lineup capable of causing damage.”
Another pre-season focus is defense.
“We had a below average season on defense, both in the circle and playing behind them,” Williams said. “We’ve worked a lot to try and better prepare these girls and hope we can lean a little more on the pitching and defense and not solely rely on scoring runs.”
Williams has lofty goals in place for the Lady Tigers.
“We expect to post 20-plus wins (and) compete for a district championship,” she said. “We’ll go through our tough times like every team does, but I expect them to face it head on and fight their way through. At the end of the day, I want them to be healthy, win softball games, and have a little fun doing it.”
