By Pat Dailey (For OzarkSportsZone.com)
Reeds Spring coach Troy McPherson enters this spring optimistic the Lady Wolves can carry over the momentum they gained from last season, when they tripled their win total from the year before.
Moving from the fall season to the spring for the first time last year, Reeds Spring finished 12-14, following a 4-22 2023 fall season.
“The girls had to adapt to the spring schedule and all the craziness it entails,” McPherson said. “The season is very fast-paced, with almost 30 games in less than 50 days. That type of schedule requires a real love of the game and an ability to learn on the fly because practice time is very limited. All things considered, the season was a success and helped lay the groundwork for the success we hope to have this year.”
If the Lady Wolves can post their program’s first winning season since 2019, a big reason why figures to be catcher Chloe Clevenger. She’s coming off a banner freshman season in which she hit .429 with a .486 on-base percentage, three home runs and 35 RBI. What’s more, she threw out 15 would-be base stealers. She was rewarded with a Mid-Lakes Conference First-Team selection.
“Chloe is the definition of a hard-nosed player,” McPherson said. “Her personality is very quiet, polite and reserved. She’s anything but that on the field. She is only getting better with experience. Chloe is incredibly humble, extremely thankful for every opportunity and is a true joy to coach. She’s the kind of kid you wish you had on every team.”
Pitcher Cami Lee returns as Reeds Spring’s lone senior. She posted a 4.23 ERA and 102 strikeouts. Offensively, she hit .383 with a team-leading .592 on-base percentage.
“We look for her to be a leader in the circle and at the top of our lineup,” McPherson said. “When she’s not in the circle, we expect Cami to be a key defensive contributor in the infield and outfield. She’s a very versatile player and we are extremely excited to see what her senior season has in store.”
Newcomer Bristol Welch will also pitch.
“When she’s not in the circle, Bristol looks to primarily help in the infield, but can play anywhere she’s needed on the field,” McPherson said. “We expect her to hit in the middle of our lineup.”
McPherson feels his pitching is on the upswing.
“Cami has worked this year to be more consistent with her off-speed pitches. She’s doing a much better job of moving the ball and we are hopeful that will translate to more strikeouts and weak contact,” McPherson said. “She’s a tremendous kid with a great head on her shoulders. With her experience, we expect her to really help this team take a step in the right direction.
“Cami pitched over 90 percent of our varsity innings, which takes its toll. This year, we expect Bristol to ease that burden and get several starts,” he added. “Bristol has good ‘velo’ and is a consistent strike thrower. We hope to see her continue to work on her movement and off-speed pitches in order to be able to consistently find outs. I fully expect her to be one of the best pitchers in our district and our conference in the very near future.”
Other returnees include shortstop Grace Chastain, outfielder Alexa Weber and first baseman Brenley Johnson
Chastain hit .320 last year and was 10/10 on stolen-base attempts. She will move from batting leadoff to the middle of the order. Weber batted .306 a year ago.
“Lex was very consistent for us and seemingly always came up to bat in big moments. We look for her to take a more vocal leadership role this year and hope her levity and positivity will permeate our team,” McPherson said. Brenley used her speed to cause havoc on the bases at times last year. We look for her to do much of the same this year.”
Reeds Spring’s freshman class compiled an 11-1 record and won the Mid Lakes Conference Tournament championship a year ago. That class includes Brynlee Halford, who will serve as a utility player, Chloe Rader, who will be in center field and Ellie Hembree, who will be an outfielder and first baseman.
“I’m very excited for our freshman class,” McPherson said. “They all had a great amount of success in our summer season, and we expect them to continue that this spring.
“We expect Brynlee to be near the heart of our order this year,” he added. “Chloe is long and quick and can cover a great deal of ground in the outfield. Offensively, she was the biggest surprise of our summer season. She’s developed a great amount of pop in her bat. Ellie is a very talented athlete and has a great softball IQ.”
McPherson felt Reeds Spring’s lineup was too top-heavy a year ago. He doesn’t think that will be the case this season.
“Offensively we are much more balanced and deep 1-9 than we were last season,” McPherson said. “Last year, the top of our order was very good, but we didn’t support them enough in the
bottom half of our lineup. This year, I expect our 5-9 hitters to be more consistent run producers to better support our 1-4 hitters.
“In addition, I believe we have a higher overall softball IQ,” he added. “That will allow us to wreak more havoc on the bases with bunts and steals. We hope to stress our opponents and force them to play good defense.”
Reeds Spring finished in February having turf installed on its softball and baseball fields, as well as replacing scoreboards and lights.
“When all is said and done, I believe we will have the best facility out of every spring softball school in the state,” McPherson said. “We are greatly appreciative of our district’s willingness to step up to ensure that our students have access to the very best resources in all athletic and academic areas.
“Our practice and game schedule will no longer be at the mercy of the unpredictable spring weather,” he added. “Our hope is that we will get to have a few more home games and hopefully host some post-season games in the future.”
McPherson feels if his players are relaxed, they can reach their goal of a winning season.
“At times last season, we let the stress of the moments weigh us down and cause one mistake to compound,” he said. “Our team plays our best ball when we are having the most fun. It’s our hope that by supporting one another, being a little rowdy in the dugout and being very vocal on the field, we will bring the energy to the field and play our best.”
