September 29, 2013

Woolsey, Riesen top All-Tri-County softball team

Enid News and Eagle The Enid News and Eagle Sun Sep 29, 2013, 09:56 PM CDT

ENID, Okla. — Pioneer’s Carli Woolsey and David Riesen have been named the player and coach of the year in the Tri-County softball league. Woolsey was joined on the team by teammates Courtney Vaughn, Nicole Pendleton, Haley Innis amd Jessica Johnson.

Others honored by team were — Ringwood: Kaitlyn Randolph, Kenzie Johnson, Chezni Farrand and Brittany Wallace; Covington-Douglas: Callie Kaiser and Jessi Parsons; Chisholm: Megan Pettus, Kenzee Butler, Kammi Gruber, Caisha Boedeker and Alexa Pickens; Fairview: Karley Boyer, Sidney Hutchinson, Baylor Reese, Abby Smith and Sadie Mason; Waukomis: Aspen Smith, Ricki Hess and Brittany Bingham; Kingfisher: Shalyn Layn; and Hennessey: Rebekah Roberts.

The conference’s all-star game will be played at 6 p.m. Oct. 8 in Fairview.

August 11, 2013

Experience gives PHS optimism

By Bruce Campbell, Staff Writer Enid News and Eagle The Enid News and Eagle Sun Aug 11, 2013, 10:18 PM CDT

ENID, Okla. — With eight starters back from a  32-13 team, Pioneer softball coach Dave Riesen has high hopes for the 2013 season which begins Tuesday at Okeene.

“We have some talent to put out there,’’ Riesen said. “If the girls compete day in and day out, and continue to get better, I think we have at least a shot of making state.’’

Pioneer had six hitters bat over .300 last season, including third baseman Carli Woolsey (.615, eight homers, 60 RBI) and shortstop Jessica Johnson (.500).

Other position starters back are senior right fielder Cori Derr, senior catcher Nicole Pendleton, senior first baseman Haley Innis, senior left fielder Amanda Metcalf, and junior second baseman Paige Dennett.

Sophomore pitchers  Courtney Vaughn and Haley Roney are back in the circle and hold the key to the season.

“Offense is not a problem for us,’’ Riesen said. “We can score runs. I think our defense has to improve over last year. Our pitchers have to get ahead of hitters and throw strikes.’’

Both pitchers had a learning curve as freshmen. Riesen thinks PHS will be improved there.

“They both have a lot of ability,’’ he said. “It’s a big adjustment going from junior high to high school. I thought they did a good job, and I look for big things out of them.’’

Pioneer’s home opener will be Thursday against Waukomis.

 

 

August 23, 2011

Pioneer, Waukomis are set to meet in semifinals of Skeltur tournament

 

By Lee Coleman, Staff Writer Enid News & Eagle The Enid News and Eagle Tue Aug 23, 2011, 12:25 AM CDT

 

The Skeltur Conference fastpitch softball tournament got under way Monday at Kellet Park and there weren’t any surprises in the first day of action.

Top-seed Pioneer beat Dover 12-0 in a run-rule victory. Lady Mustangs pitcher Chelsey Allen pitched a no-hitter in the victory.

“She threw a lot of strikes and Dover struggled a little bit,” Pioneer coach David Reisen said.

Pioneer will battle Waukomis, a 6-5 winner over Drummond, 6:30 today at Kellet Park.

“I expect Waukomis to come out ready to play,” Reisen said. “This is a big rivalry so both teams will get after it.”

Waukomis scored five runs in the final two innings to record its first win of the season.

“I am glad we were able to play ball,” said Waukomis head coach Betsy Heasley. “We got the hits when we needed them.”

Pond Creek-Hunter hurler Riley Halcomb pitched a two-hitter to lead the Lady Panthers to a 4-2 victory over Garber.

“Riley was pretty dominant in the circle,” said Pond Creek-Hunter coach Arnie Smith.

Pond Creek-Hunter will meet Covington-Douglas today at 4:30  in the other semifinal.

Garber will play Cimarron today at 4:30 on the south field.

“We beat them by eight the last time,” said Garber head coach Phil Hoops.

“Their pitching has struggled and we have to win two in a row to get the consolation trophy.”

Covington-Douglas downed Cimarron 4-2 to advance to today’s semifinals against Pond Creek.

“Pond Creek is tough,” said  Covington-Douglas coach Nathan Pearson. “They are one of the best in our conference.”

 

August 21, 2011

 

Skeltur softball wide open 

By Lee Coleman, Staff Writer Enid News & Eagle The Enid News and Eagle Sun Aug 21, 2011, 10:40 PM CDT

ENID —



In the early  part of the high school fastpitch softball season, coaches seek out tournaments for competition and to get an early reading on the progress of their team.

One such tournament is the Skeltur Conference, which begins with games at 4:30 and 6:30 today at Kellet Park. Pioneer, Pond Creek-Hunter, Covington-Douglas, Waukomis, Drummond, Cimarron, Garber and Dover make up the field.

Since the tournament resumed in 2000, it has developed a reputation of being a competitive tournament where anybody can win.

No. 2 seed Pond Creek-Hunter (4-2), which beat Waukomis in last year’s finals, faces No. 7 seed Garber at 6:30 p.m. on the middle field.

“We’ve had some good practices and we’re ready to go,” Pond Creek-Hunter coach Arnie Smith said. “The defense has played very well and the girls are starting to come around on offense. We are optimistic heading in.

“We have to play our game against Garber (3-1). If we do what we’re supposed to do, we’ll be fine. Garber has been playing well and they are capable of scoring some runs.”

First-year Garber coach Phil Hoops has been a little surprised by the Lady Wolverines’ early results with wins over Drummond Cimarron.

“We are playing well,” Hoops said. “Our pitching and defense has kept us in the games. We have played solid. We haven’t committed any infield errors.

“We are getting the hits at the right time and getting girls on base.”

Hoops said Pond Creek-Hunter is the team to beat.

“They have some good athletes,” he said. “That will give us some  motivation going in. We are getting some confidence. We have to keep doing what we’re doing against Pond Creek and that is throwing strikes and playing defense.”

Top-seed Pioneer, 6-5, faces Dover (0-1) at 6:30 on the south field. Lady Mustangs coach David Riesen said defense is the key in the tournament.

“We will have a shot if we play good defense,” he said. “We have to try and be ourselves and not do silly things.

“Our freshmen are going to have to understand the speed of the game. If we play well, we’ll have a chance. We are going to take it one game at a time.”

For first-year Dover head coach Rowdy Cawlfield, the tournament represents a chance for his youthful team to gain some good experience.

“We are fairly young and we don’t have a whole lot of experience,” he said. “These girls don’t have a lot of games under them. It is a matter of putting work in, competing and playing hard.

“We want to compete. We are working on our pitching and throwing strikes and giving the defense a chance. I want us to continue to improve in all aspects of the game.”

No. 3 seed Covington-Douglas (3-2) faces No. 5 seed Cimarron at 4:30 on the middle field.

“The ‘Skeltur’ is always a tough tournament,” Covington-Douglas coach Nathan Pearson said. “We are starting to play more consistent, and as long we can play good defense, we’ll have a chance.

“If we get defensive consistency and the hits we need, we’ll be in this tournament.”

Cimarron coach Paul Martin has a young team that is making good prog-ress heading into the tournament.

“We are young but we are coming along,” Martin said. “Our pitching and defense is progressing and our hitting has been pretty good We have to play hard. We’re still growing.”

No. 4 seed Waukomis (0-2) faces No. 5 seed Drummond (3-1) at 4:30 on the south field.

‘I would like to see our girls pick up the level of play,” Waukomis head coach Betsy Heasley said. “We have some new players in new positions and we are moving people around to find the right combination.

“We just have to limit our mistakes and get the hits.”

Second-year Drummond coach Michelle Randolph is very optimistic about the tournament and the season with eight starters back from last season, including five seniors.

“I think we have a real good chance,” Randolph said. “We are playing well and we are doing better than what we’re seeded. We are stronger than most folks think.

“This is our second year together and the girls are more comfortable and really playing together. We are concentrating on teamwork and we have a strong group of leaders.

‘It will take hard work, determination and not giving up. If we play to our abilities, we can take the trophy home.”

Lamunyon hits and pitches Pioneer Lady Mustangs to 11-0 victory

Erin Lamunyon was strong at the plate and in the circle in carrying Pioneer Lady Mustangs to a 11-0 victory over Cimarron on Friday at Pioneer.

Lamunyon racked up four RBIs on three hits for Pioneer Lady Mustangs. Lamunyon doubled in the first and third innings and singled in the third inning. Pioneer Lady Mustangs' Lamunyon kept Cimarron off the scoreboard for all four innings she toed the rubber. She pitched a shutout, allowing no runs on two hits while striking out four. Eleven runs in the opening three innings allowed Pioneer Lady Mustangs to easily put away Cimarron. A two-run double by Lamunyon in the first inning and an error in the second inning fueled Pioneer Lady Mustangs' offense early. Pioneer Lady Mustangs built upon its lead with eight runs in the third. Lamunyon singled, bringing home Jessica Johnson to start the inning. That was followed up by Chelsey Allen's single, plating Lamunyon.

"Powered by Narrative Science and GameChanger. Copyright 2011. All rights reserved." Any reuse or republication of this story must include the preceding attribution.

Pioneer Lady Mustangs defeats Fairview after late game two-run home run, 5-4

Pioneer Lady Mustangs and Fairview volleyed the lead four times on Friday, but Pioneer Lady Mustangs came out on top for a 5-4 win on Friday at Newkirk.

Pioneer Lady Mustangs took the lead in the fifth inning and held on for the victory. Pioneer Lady Mustangs scored on a two-run home run by Haley Innis off Kay, bringing home Carli Woolsey.

Pioneer Lady Mustangs was led by a flawless day at the dish by Innis, who went 2-2 against Fairview's pitching.

The top of the second saw Pioneer Lady Mustangs take an early lead, 3-0. Pioneer Lady Mustangs' rally started when Lacy McCartney singled. Then scored Innis. The scoreboard lit up again for Pioneer Lady Mustangs when McCartney scored on an error and Pendleton scored.

"Powered by Narrative Science and GameChanger. Copyright 2011. All rights reserved." Any reuse or republication of this story must include the preceding attribution.

 

August 4, 2011

 

Skeltur softball set to begin

By Lee Coleman, Staff Writer Enid News & Eagle The Enid News and Eagle Thu Aug 04, 2011, 11:03 PM CDT

ENID —



The high school fast-pitch softball season begins Tuesday, but some teams won’t know their official classification until Aug. 15, the OSSAA deadline for potential co-op schools to decide on participation.

In the meantime, coaches in the Skeltur Conference are preparing their teams for opening day ahead of the Skeltur Conference Tournament Aug. 22-24 at Kellet Park.

• Reigning conference champion Pond Creek-Hunter opens play Tuesday at Newkirk in a three-way with Pawhuska.

The Lady Panthers finished 23-13 in 2010 after losing to Mooreland in the regional playoffs. Coach Arnie Smith lost six starters to graduation.

“We have some really good, young girls this season,” Smith said. “We are not as experienced but we have a strong sophomore class, talent-wise.

‘We have the hitting and the defense, so it will depend on our pitching. We will only go as far as the circle will take us. We have the potential to be a top eight team.

“The sophomores have to step up from being good backups last year to becoming really good starters this year.”

• Developing youth will be the key for 2010 conference runner-up Waukomis. The Lady Chiefs (26-10) lost four starters, including ace pitcher Cassidy Lamunyon.

Waukomis was ranked in the top 20 for much of last season. before losing to Leedey in the regional finals.

“We will be very, very young,” said veteran coach Betsy Heasley. “There will be a lot of learning for the team. There is a big difference between playing varsity and junior high school ball. It will be a learning phase so hopefully they’ll catch on fast. If we get some people to step up, things will click, but it is going to take some hard work.”

Without any seniors, Heasley is looking to Kaity Kokojan, Kacie Mack and Sadie Perry to lead the team. Perry will be out for three to four weeks because of an ankle injury sustained in a tournament last week in Kansas.

“We can see some bright spots but we can also see where we need some work,’’ Heasley said.

The Lady Chiefs are at Waynoka Tuesday.

• Over at Garber, new head coach Phil Hoops has only had a few days practice with his team, but is encouraged in the early going.

“We’ve only had three practices but I can already tell we’ll be competitive,” said Hoops. “I am expecting good things from this team. Our infield is solid and we have worked intensely on defense and hitting.”

The Lady Wolverines return senior first baseman Candace Ong, junior third baseman Krista Kimmell and sophomore catcher Stacia Bradford. Juniors Kaley Semrad and Bailey Alwert  will be counted on to contribute.

“The key for us is to throw strikes and keep the ball in play,” Hoops said. “We have to play solid defense and limit our mistakes.”

Garber will visit the Enid JV Wednesday before hosting Drummond in its conference opener Aug. 15.

• Covington-Douglas coach Nathan Pearson likes his team in 2011. After finishing 21-18, the Lady Wildcats won the district, but lost to Frontier in the regionals.

The ’Cats return five starters, including sophomore Calli Kaiser, senior Coy Stevens, senior twins Ciara and Savannah Newman and Wendy Wicker.

“We finished 12th in Class B last year and with everything we have coming back, we like our chances this year,” Pearson said. “A lot of our girls were part of the slow-pitch team that made it to the state semifinals this spring. We are looking forward to it. The key for us will be pitching and consistent offense.”

C-D will host Drummond and Glencoe at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

• Cimarron coach Paul Martin has some early concerns despite the return of seven starters.

“It is so hot, I’m more worried about the kids instead of playing,” he said. “The heat is hard on everyone. Why should we put kids under that kind of stress? Until the temperatures break 100 degrees, we should play all evening games. We can’t put kids in jeopardy.”

The Lady Trailblazers will be youthful with many freshmen and sophomores likely to see playing time, especially in the pitching circle. Cimarron will play in the Mooreland preseason tournament Thursday.

“It is too early to tell about this team,” Martin said. “We haven’t had everybody at practice.”

• At Pioneer, the Lady Mustangs lost to Fort Cobb-Broxton in last year’s regional final and hope to improve on the 22-15 season record in 2011. They will get their first test Tuesday whe they go to Okeene to play the Lady Whippets and Mooreland.

“I think we’ll be a little more athletic,” coach David Riesen said. “We have a lot of girls coming back. We will have a good freshman class coming in and competing for playing time.

“I think we’ll be as good as last year. The freshman will push the starters.”

Riesen said the early fall will be wide open.

“No one has a guaranteed starting spot,” he said. “We have 20 girls that are capable of starting. I like our pitching and we are quicker on defense because we are more athletic.

“We are a little behind on hitting, but it will come along. The more pitching we see, the better we’ll get. We are more suited to win a 3-2 game than a 13-2 game.”

• Drummond coach Michelle Randolph could not be reached for comment on the Lady Bulldogs.

 

 

 

 

• Pioneer HS senior Kayla Pendleton. (Staff Photo by BILLY HEFTON)

• 

November 9, 2010

Student athlete spotlight: Kayla Pendleton

 

By Lee Coleman, Staff Writer Enid News & Eagle The Enid News and Eagle Tue Nov 09, 2010, 11:44 PM CST

 

Kayla Pendleton, a senior softball player at Pioneer, has had one goal in mind throughout her high school career. Go to college and play softball.

Her goal was recently realized when Pendleton signed with Kansas Wesleyan to pitch.

“I went up for a visit and fell in love with the campus and Salina (Kansas),” Pendleton explained. “They had me pitch for them and I got along with the head coach and pitching coach. I told my parents it was going to be awfully hard to beat that.”

Pendleton also received an offer to play for Lyons College in Arkansas but it was Kansas Wesleyan all the way.

“It was an easy decision for me,” she said. “It was too good to be true. I fell in love with it and I definitely could see myself there.”

In addition to the signing, Pendleton was selected to the Small School B-2A All State team last week.

“I just wanted to jump up and down and scream,” Pendleton said when told of her selection to the team. “I thought I had an outside shot to make it but I also knew it was such a huge thing.

“I’ve always wanted to make All-State.”

Pioneer coach David Riesen wasn’t surprised by Pendleton’s selection.

“She has brought stability to pitching and first base this year,” he said. “She was the cornerstone of our offense and we are greatly going to miss her.

“We will miss her leadership. Kayla is more than an All-State softball player, she is an All-State person. She is All-State in every sense of the word.”

Pendleton, a lover of macaroni and cheese and the movie “Blind Side”, wants to study physical therapy but that program is not available at Kansas Wesleyan for the 4.0 GPA student.

“They have an athletic training program and one of the best athletic training facilities in the country for a college of that size,” Pendleton said. “They gear their athletic training program towards pre-physical therapy school.

“As long as I’m around athletics, I’ll be happy.”

Or in the classroom.

When asked how she managed to balance academics and athletics and maintain a perfect GPA, Pendleton didn’t hesitate in her answer.

“Study, study, study, study,” she exclaimed. “At home, it is come home and do your homework before you do anything else that night.

“As long as I’ve kept that in mind, I’ve stayed on top of my school work. I do a lot of my homework in the car traveling and sometimes late at night because I don’t like waiting until the day before on an assignment.”

A strong work ethic and a strong family unit has made the difference for the affable Pendleton.

“I’m very blessed,” she said as she sat in a chair in the school library accompanied by a pair of crutches needed after getting hit on the foot with a line drive over the weekend while playing travel ball.

“The fact that all my family is supporting me and to know that they are there for me makes me want to keep going and wanting to get better.

“I’m looking forward to the end of the year and seeing how everything unfolds. It’s nice to be on the top of the ladder instead of the bottom.”

And the chances are, she never missed a rung on the way up.

 

 

 

August 25, 2010

Pond Creek-Hunter romps to 11-3 win in Skeltur tournament

 

By Lee Coleman, Staff Writer Enid News &

ENID — It’s hard to ignore good old-fashioned exp-erience. Just ask the Waukomis Lady Chiefs softball team.

In the championship game of the Skeltur Conference softball tournament Wednesday night, Pond Creek-Hunter rode the collective back of its senior-laden team, dismantling Waukomis 11-3 for the title.

Waukomis kept the game close early but the offensive barrage exhibited by Pond Creek-Hunter and costly errors by Waukomis spelled the end for the Lady Chiefs. The Lady Panthers pounded out nine hits for the win.

“We hit the ball really well tonight,” said Pond Creek-Hunter coach Arnie Smith. “Our kids work hard in the cage and it pays off.”

Pond Creek-Hunter  scored single runs in the second and fifth innings and added three in the third, four in the fourth and a pair in the sixth. Trailing 1-0 in the third, Waukomis pulled ahead 2-1. Pond Creek-Hunter responded in the bottom half of the inning, pushing across three runs to regain the lead. The Lady Panthers never looked back.

“We have a heavy senior team and it is a process they have learned through the course of high school,” added Smith. “We’re reaping the harvest right now.”

Waukomis, coach Betsy Heasley knew going in her team would have to play nearly flawless ball to have a shot at the title. Her youthful team fought hard and never backed down but in the end, errors tolled the bell.

“We made way too many errors,” said a visibly disappointed Heasley. “My team is real young. I am proud of them. They did a good job.”

In other tournament action, Pioneer captured the third place trophy with a 4-1 victory over Covington-Douglas.

“Pitching and good defense made the difference,” said Pioneer coach David Riesen, “The pitching has been there for us and our defense has struggled but tonight we only made one error.

“We had to manufacture a couple of runs but we came up with some timely hits. The pitching was the key.”

August 24, 2010

Rain offers one more day of preparation for Skeltur Conference softball squads

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Lee Coleman, Staff Writer Enid News & Eagle

ENID — A fastpitch softball season clearly cannot be defined in the opening six or so games into the season. However, early season results can act as a litmus test of sorts in determining the collective pulse of a team heading into the meat of its schedule.

If the Skeltur Conference softball tournament currently underway at Kellett Park in Enid is any indicator, Waukomis, Pond Creek-Hunter, Pioneer and Covington-Douglas appear to be the teams to beat in the eight-team conference.

Mother Nature derailed Tuesday night’s championship and third-place game so all four teams will play at 7 p.m. tonight in the finale.

In the championship game to be played on Kellet’s middle field, Waukomis will battle Pond Creek Hunter for the trophy, Coach Betsy Heasley’s Lady Chiefs advanced to the big game by virtue of victories over Cimarron and Pioneer.

“We were able to practice [Tuesday] for two hours so hopefully the girls will go in and fight,” said Heasley, now in her ninth year at the helm of the Lady Chiefs. “We have to play good defense. We can’t make any mistakes and if we don’t make any mistakes, that will be huge for us.”

Playing good defense also is on the mind of Pioneer skipper David Riesen as his team prepares to lock horns with Covington-Douglas for the third place trophy on Kellet’s south field.

“We have made too many mistakes and errors in this tournament,” Riesen explained on Monday. “We have been hitting the ball good but we have hurt ourselves.

“I’ll tell you what though, the two best teams in the conference are playing for the championship.”

For Heasley, keeping her team focused on the big picture will be the key.

“I hope we can keep up with what we’re doing,” she said. “I want the girls to play well and be proud of whatever they accomplish this season.”

One thing is certain for all the teams in the Skeltur Conference. Only time and the end of September will tell for sure.

 

Pioneer faces Crescent in regional



Pioneer will have a challenge in its bid to reach the Class 2A state softball tournament.

The Lady Mustangs (22-9) will face host No. 18 Crescent (20-6) at 11 a.m. today in a first-round game of the regional tournament.

No. 1-ranked Washington (20-10) faces Wellston (18-10) in the other first-round game at 12:30. The losers play at 2 and the winners at 3:30.

“It’s a pretty tough regional,’’ said Pioneer coach Dave Riesen. “I’ve talked to several coaches and they’ve said Crescent plays good defense and the middle of its order swings the bats pretty good.’’

Wellston, the No. 4 seed, has a win over Crescent this season.

Taylor Innis leads the Pioneer attack with a .430 average. She’s stolen 40 bases and driven in 15 runs. Madison Howard is hitting .400 with 34 RBI and 31 stolen bases.

Kayla Pendleton is 13-3 on the mound with a 1.47 ERA. Chelsey Allen is 9-7 with a 1.67 ERA.
 

 

  Pioneer hosts Hennessey



Pioneer (20-9) will host Hennessey in a district tournament at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. today. The if game will be played Friday.

The Lady Mustangs swept the regular season series, 6-4 and 13-9 in a nine-inning affair.

“I think it’s a good draw for both teams,’’ said Pioneer coach Dave Riesen. “We know each other well. Either team has a chance to win. Which team plays the best will win.’’

Riesen is undecided between Kayla Pendleton (12-3, 0.97 ERA, 135 strikeouts) and Chelsey Allen (8-6, 1.53 ERA, 77 strikeouts) as his Game 1 starting pitcher.

Pendleton has thrown five straight shutouts.

Madison Howard (.390, 27 RBI, 27 stolen bases), Taylor Innis (.387, 14 RBI, 39 stolen bases) and Blaise Newman (.302, 15 RBI) have been Pioneer’s top offensive threats.

PHS has won 17 of their last 21 games after starting the season 3-5.

“This might have been as satisfying a season as I’ve had as a girls softball coach,’’ Riesen said. “The girls have exceeded our expectations. I’m extremely pleased with the way we have played.’’

 

 

Riesen has high hopes for Mustangs

 

By Bruce Campbell, Staff Writer

 

A 2-1 loss to arch-rival Chisholm hasn’t dampened the spirits of veteran Pioneer softball coach David Riesen.

“We got a ways to go,’’ Riesen said. “We have some girls who haven’t started before who have got some talent. Once the girls get some experience, I think we’ll have a chance to be pretty competitive at the end of the season.’’

The Lady Mustangs graduated four players who made the Enid News & Eagle’s All-Northwest Oklahoma team a year ago.

Pioneer has won nine straight district championships.

Sami Stiers has graduated, but her two understudies — Chelsey Allen and Kayla Pendleton — will form a potent 1-2 pitching punch.

Allen struck out eight and walked one in the Chisholm loss.

“I’m pretty comfortable with our pitching situation,’’ Riesen said. “The biggest key for us will be our defense, particularly in the outfield, because we have some new starters out there.’’

Allen and Pendleton will rotate between pitcher and first base. Where Pioneer will be the strongest defensively will determine which one will be on the mound at crunch time, Riesen said.

The Lady Mustangs are deep at catcher where Riesen plans to use Blaise Newman, Taylor Innis and Sadee Lewis all in.

Allen and Pendleton will be joined in the infield by Molly Whatley at second, Innis or Madison Howard at short and Howard or Lewis or Newman at third.

“We’re still trying to figure out what will be our strongest defensive team,’’ Riesen said.

The outfield will have Bailey Cummings in left, Haley Denker in center and either Lewis or Newman in right. Megan Corrigan is another possibility.

The Lady Mustangs will have a different personality from past seasons.

“We’re not nearly as fast as we have been in previous years,’’ Riesen said.

“We still have some speed with Howard, Innis and Lewis, but we’re going to have to manufacture runs in different ways this year.’’

Riesen calls 2009 a rebuilding season but has seen improvement from last season from his returning players.

“The more we play, the better we’ll get,’’ Riesen said.

Pioneer will host Hennessey at 4 p.m. Monday.

 

 

Carson bound for NWOSU

By Bruce Campbell, Staff Writer

Recruiting Pioneer infielder Tori Carson wasn’t a hard sell for Northwestern Oklahoma State softball coach Cody Hooper.

“I didn’t consider anyone else,’’ said Carson. “I was hoping to get a scholarship, but I was going to walk on anyway no matter what. It feels really good to get the scholarship.’’

She had chosen NWOSU because it was close to home.

“It’s going to be fun,’’ she said. “I can still go home and see my family, but I’ll be far enough away where I feel I’m on my own.’’

The scholarship, she said, is a reward for all the work she has put into the sport since T-ball.

She played on four district championship teams with the Lady Mustangs. Carson made the Enid News & Eagle’s All-Northwest Oklahoma team as a senior, hitting .313 with one home run and 17 RBI. She had an on-base percentage of .407.

“Softball has always been my main sport,’’ Carson said. “I really liked and I always wanted to be good at it. My dad has helped me out since I was little.’’

Carson played third, shortstop and second in her varsity career. She sees her versatility as a plus.

“I’ll play where ever he (Hooper) puts me,’’ she said. “I’m going to try my hardest to see if I can play as a freshman.’’

Hooper, Carson said, reminds her of Pioneer coach David Riesen. She, though, is prepared for a different type softball than she saw with the Lady Mustangs.

“Everything is going to be faster,’’ Carson said. “The practices are going to be harder. I’m going to have to get more done. It’s going to be more like a job now.’’

Carson will work out with Pioneer’s summer fastpitch team to get in shape for NWOSU.

“I’m ready to get back into it,’’ she said.