Last year’s Warrenton softball team proved you don’t need Final Four experience to capture a state championship. This year’s edition is showing us, however, that it might make you better. Eight …
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Last year’s Warrenton softball team proved you don’t need Final Four experience to capture a state championship.
This year’s edition is showing us, however, that it might make you better.
Eight players returned from last year’s championship team, and Head Coach Trevor Hibbs had a good idea about his lineup before the season.
He replaced Abby Meyers with sophomore Hope Roetemeyer behind the plate, and senior Kaylee Anderson took over for Taylor Nordwald as the team’s No. 1 pitcher.
Everyone else filled in around the field and the Warriors loaded up their non-conference schedule as they tried to get better.
And after losing to Bowling Green in extra innings in the third game of the season, Warrenton (25-1) hasn’t lost since.
The team has posted 12 shutouts and won by double digits 13 times.
Anderson has a 0.72 earned-run average in 107 innings, and teammate Jenny Jansen has given up one earned-run in 41 innings.
The Warriors are undefeated against Class 3 and 4 opponents, and haven’t played in a one-run game since August.
“Our goal all season was just to get back to Springfield and in the Final Four again,” Anderson said. “We just kind of expected it. We knew we had to take it one game at a time but we knew we had a really good chance at going back.”
Hibbs continued his “one game at a time” mantra following his team’s 15-0 win over Incarnate Word Saturday in the Class 3 quarterfinals, but admits that last year’s experience should benefit his players.
“It helps a lot because you know what to expect,” he said. “We didn’t know what we were doing last year, but now we kind of know.”
Warrenton will face Smithville (21-8) Friday at 1 p.m. in Springfield.
Cape Girardeau Notre Dame (23-5) squares off with Sullivan (21-10) at the same time.
Warrenton beat Notre Dame in last year’s championship game, 12-2, and won the rematch in August in Warrenton, 3-0.
Anderson pitched a complete-game shutout for the Warriors, striking out six.
Vehlewald picked up two of Warrenton’s three hits, and many fans expect a third meeting Saturday afternoon.
“We’re obviously going in there to defend our title, but we’re going to go and try to enjoy the ride and play our last two games with all we’ve got,” Jansen said.
In last year’s title game, senior Erica Rugh surprised everyone with her first home run of the season.
Hibbs wouldn’t be surprised to see something similar this weekend.
“They get a little more energy, it’s just amazing,” he said. “Kids will step up who don’t normally, and anyone in this lineup is capable of stepping up.”
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