Having to replace 11 players who have been key contributors for four years from last fall’s senior class, the Park Hill South softball team will look different this season.
With only three returning starters from 2021 – Curstin Todd, Erin Stewart and Madeleine NeSmith – the Lady Panthers will be less experienced than in the past. Park Hill South only has one senior, Aadyn Rhodus, and 22 total players.
Park Hill South senior Madeleine NeSmith will be the Lady Panthers’ top pitcher heading into the fall.
“It’s going to be tough; we’re going to be very young,” Park Hill South head softball coach Josh Walker said. “It’s not going to be easy to reload, but they’ve been working in practice so hopefully we can get them going and see what we can do.”
NeSmith will be the Lady Panthers’ most reliable pitcher, while sophomore Emalee Taylor and freshman Maddie Smith will share some time on the mound. Park Hill South has only had one losing season in the last decade when it was 13-14 in 2016.
“I think it’s safe to say that we are rebuilding and seeing where we are at. I think we have some good girls, and we will have to prove ourselves,” Walker said.
The Lady Panthers started off slow last fall but picked up the play in the back end. Park Hill South lost four of its first five games and had a losing record at the midway point before ending 16-13.
“I hope that we can start a little faster, but the way we set things up is that districts is the most important thing, so we need to play our best ball at the end. If we have to sacrifice some wins at the beginning of the year to make sure we get that experience early on, we will not hesitate to do that, so by the end of the year we are in position to win a district title,” Walker said.
Park Hill South plans on playing tough defense and executing on offense. The sophomore and junior class are similar in size and will be who the team relies on this fall.
“Even though we are rebuilding, our goals are always the same. We’re going to try and compete for a conference title and for a district title. We might fall short of those goals, but I feel that with our program, we can at least do those things,” Walker said.