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Softball preview: Oran hoping for playoff repeat with new faces
ORAN -- Coming off a deep postseason run that had them just an out from a Class 1 final four berth, the Oran Lady Eagles will have to have some fresh faces step up in they want similar success in 2014.
Boasting a much younger squad this time around, Lady Eagles head coach Jim Eftink hopes to use his squads tough regular season schedule to have them battle-tested come playoff time.
"The main thing right now is we want to be competitive," Oran head coach Jim Eftink said. "We're one of the last of the small schools around southeast Missouri so everyone we're playing is going to be Class 2, 3, and 4.
"We want to be able to compete with them and if we can by the end of year, we'll be able to go into our district be prepared."
Oran fans still likely remember the heartbreak that came with last year's 10-inning loss to Walnut Grove in the Class 1 quarterfinals. Then junior Aubrianna Jones had a no-hitter through five innings and battled out of late jams until her team took the lead in the top of the ninth.
Two-out errors by the Lady Eagles in both the bottom of the ninth and tenth, however, gave Walnut Grove the 7-6 win and ended Oran's otherwise impressive season at 13-5. In the compete game loss, Jones managed to strikeout 15 hitters.
"I was kind of disappointed with the way things ended," Eftink said. "We didn't play our last game like we'd played all year. We made some errors that cost us that game, but all-in-all we had to be pretty pleased with how far we did go."
With the loss came the end of the careers of many Lady Eagles who helped define the program recently, including four-year starters Addie Kielhofner, Chrissy Sauceda and Taylor Nenninger.
In all, Oran lost seven seniors to graduation, including five starters.
Among those coming back hoping to provide veteran leadership is Jones, now a senior. She'll be joined by her battery mate and fellow senior Allie Cummins and junior third baseman Tatum May as returning starters.
"I've told them all year that pitching and defense will be what either makes or breaks our season," Eftink said. "That's what we concentrate on in practice. Tatum, I expect some big things out of her on the mound too. She's a hard throwing right-hander. Look for her to make a name for herself as a pitcher, just like Aubrianna did last year."
Perhaps Oran's biggest question will be at the plate where veteran bats such as Kielhofner and Sauceda anchored the top of the order.
While Eftink likes what he's seen in practice, he knows it will take in-game experience to see how the lineup shakes out.
"Kielhofner and Sauceda will be big bats we have to fill," Eftink said. "These younger girls, I don't know what they'll do at the plate. At practice they've hit well, but you never know when the seasons starts and you get in game situations how they'll do.
"Facing a girl like (Portageville pitcher Taylor Tiffany) is totally different than facing a girl at practice when there's no pressure."
Oran starts their season Thursday, Aug. 28 on the road against East Prairie at 4:30 p.m.