By KELLY TERPSTRA, Courier sports writer
May 20, 2008 11:57 pm
—
OTTUMWA — The future of Ottumwa softball is now.
Rebuilding is a term that Frank Huston seldom mutters, if at all. He’ll send a whole new stockpile of talent out onto the ball diamond in 2008 when his Bulldogs start the season at Fort Madison tonight.
Gone will be familiar faces like Caitlin Davis, Morgan Olson and Khyia Lewis. Nine seniors — eight of them starters — from Huston’s third-place team at state have graduated. Stars like Ali and Karie Downing — all-state performers for the Bulldogs that played in two state tournaments and won 120 games.
That’s a big void to fill, but the Bulldogs should be up to the challenge.
“I think the people that have marked us on the calendar as an easy mark because we’ve lost a lot are going to be surprised at the ability of our team,” said Huston, who enters his 35th season of leading Ottumwa and 42nd season overall.
Ottumwa is ranked 13th in the Class 4A Preseason Poll released by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union. The Bulldogs played to a 40-12 record in 2007. That impressive record is another pile of wins for Huston that has him within seven wins of 1,500 victories in his Hall of Fame coaching career.
Huston is a legend in his sport where he is the second all-time winningest prep softball coach in nation. He also sports the state’s best highest winning percentage (.811).
In order to fulfill the always high expectations his teams face every season, he’ll have to get it done with numerous fresh faces and rely on three key senior leaders in McKenzie Cason, Tricia Bix and Whitney Reber.
“The successful experience that Bix, Cason and Reber have is just a plus — a big plus,” said Huston.
Cason will be making a position switch. She started as a freshman at second base on the 2005 OHS state squad and will move from third base to centerfield this season. Cason broke the state record at last year’s state tournament with five RBI in one game. She has a strong arm and will be a speedy baserunner on a squad that Huston mentioned isn’t exactly sporting serious speed.
Cason has signed on to play at Indian Hills Community College.
Bulldog senior Tricia Bix will replace Cason at third base. Like Cason, Bix has started in six state tournament games. She started at shortstop her freshman year at state.
A big source of Ottumwa’s power will come from lefthanded hitting senior first baseman Whitney Reber, who was mainly a designated hitter a year ago.
“Reber is a legitimate power hitter. You better back up,” said Huston.
Huston’s other senior is Kaity Peden, who split time catching with Jeanie Stice last year. Two strong hitting prospects in sophomore Lindsey Evans and freshman Liz Cason — McKenzie’s sister — will also vie for time behind the plate. Peden started roughly a third of the season for Ottumwa in 2007 and is the only catcher back with defensive experience at the varsity level.
Ali Downing’s presence won’t be able to be replaced inside the pitcher’s circle this season. She was an Elite all-state selection her senior year and has the fifth-highest total of career wins at OHS. Also missing from this year’s roster is Kassie Heckart, Huston’s game-two starter, who graduated.
In the pitching mix this year is sophomore Missy Staloch and fellow 10th-grader Courtney Klyn. Freshman Courtney Wagner will also pitch many innings for Ottumwa. Staloch returns with the most varsity experience.
“Our three pitchers this year are not strikeout pitchers per say. They have good movement, control and change speeds. You’ll see a different style of pitching,” said the Ottumwa head coach.
Ottumwa’s defense up the middle will be tested. Huston will have a junior, freshman and an eighth-grader manning those positions at second base and shortstop.
Junior Courtney Heller (2B), freshman Megan Bix (2B-SS, Tricia’s sister) and eighth-grader Paige Schreiner (SS) will log plenty of innings in the infield. Freshman Liz Cason will also play third base.
“A mixture of experience and youth in the infield should be very solid for us,” Huston said.
The rest of Ottumwa’s outfield will be comprised of Klyn in right, sophomore Kelsey Luthi and Evans when she’s not catching.
“We have capable people, real capable,” said Huston.
Ottumwa’s top reserves are sophomore Marissa Barton and freshmen Jessie Black and Amy Albertson.
Huston mentioned the CIML Metro is as strong as ever as Des Moines Roosevelt, Hoover and North are ever-improving. The Metro also boasts ranked squads in sixth-ranked Des Moines East — one season removed from a state championship — and 12th-rated Des Moines Lincoln.
Bulldog softball fans are used to attending Huston’s pioneering event — the Ottumwa Classic — in or around the first week of July. That’s when Huston’s junior varsity squad will wrap up its season due to a controversial rule change this year implemented by the IGHSAU.
Games will be limited from 50 to 40 this year and the state tournament has been moved up from the first week of August to July 15-19.
“It’s just unreal that our junior varsity program is going to be done on July 3,” said Huston. “There is a lot of summer left. We usually think as July as a softball time. Unless you’re really advanced, it’s not going to be.”
Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.