Mustang softball once again has eyes on state tournament

The Prairie City-Monroe softball team graduated 16-game winner Rachel Freland and two of its top two hitters in Molly Vignovich and Makenna Van Veen from last year’s 23-11 team.

The middle of the batting order and two other hitters who hit better than .300 do return, and that’s who coach Whitney Plein will lean on as the Mustangs begin another season that has state tournament on the minds of the players and coaches.

“Expectations are always very high,” Plein said. “We want to create an environment that is always playing at a high level no matter the competition. Every year, no matter the team, we look to make a run at state. This year is no different.”

Vignovich hit a team-high .364 and scored 24 runs last year, while Van Veen batted .345 and was second on the team with nine doubles. Both are gone.

The good news is third basemen Jayci Vos and junior shortstop Katie Vande Wall are back from last year’s regional final team that lost to eventual state champion Solon.

Vos was second behind Vignovich with a .362 batting average and second in runs scored (29) and first on the team in RBIs (24), doubles (14) and stolen bases (12).

Vande Wall hit .339, led the team with three home runs and 33 runs scored and hit nine doubles and drove in 19 runs.

“Returning the middle of the lineup from the year before is always nice,” Plein said. “They have worked hard this offseason, and we are hoping to see that same production this year.”

Catcher Courtney Bridges is back after hitting .303 last year. Kayla Jennings also batted .303, while junior outfielder Abby Waddell hit .299.

“I feel like our lineup will be a thorn in everyone’s side,” Plein said.

Freland struck out 129 batters and had an earned run average of 2.87 last year as the Mustangs’ No. 1 pitcher. Jennings, who was slowed early in the season by an arm injury, returns and looks to build off a strong finish.

Jennings went 5-2 and had an ERA of 1.17. It is expected that she will throw much more than the 42 innings she tossed last year.

“Kayla is going to put in a lot of innings,” Plein said. “However, there are other pitchers we have as well who are going to help with innings as well. There is no set schedule for pitching but to put our best foot forward every game.”

Other pitchers who Plein expects to see innings include Chelbie Gillespie, Maya Hegwood and Kenzie Johnson.

The replacements for Vignovich and Van Veen at second and first base, respectively, is still getting figured out. Darian Drake and Camryn Wignall are battling at second base, while Gillespie, Madison Foster and Jennings — when she isn’t pitching — are competing for time at first base.

Plein returns all parts of her outfield. Several players are battling for playing time, including Waddell, Jaiden Rogers, Johnson, Lauren Pendroy, Avery Stock and newcomers Brooke Nicholson, Allison Wood, Alex Inskeep and Katlyn Witte. Nicholson transferred from Colfax-Mingo after starting two seasons for the Tigerhawks.