Lady Panthers work to extend postseason streak

Despite heavy graduation losses, Heber Springs’ Lady Panthers are aiming for a fourth consecutive trip to the Class 4A State Tournament this softball season. Dusty West enters his second year atop the program after a sterling debut season that saw the Lady Panthers finish 25-11, win the 4A-2 District Tournament, finish runner-up in the Class 4A East regional and reach the quarterfinals of the Class 4A State Tournament. “We’d like to get back to where we were last year,” West said, “but we graduated six from last year’s squad and have just one returning starter.” But that one is a good one. Junior Abbi McBroome, who has been a captain since her freshman season, batted .375 as a sophomore with an on-base plus slugging percentage of .875, a slugging percentage of .464, a stolen base percentage of .833 and a fielding percentage of .900. West said several colleges are looking at her. “Otherwise, we’re going to have a lot of new people,” West said. “We’ll have sophomore Nicole Rackley pitching and freshman Kylie Bangert catching, and we’ll have a few girls who played minor roles like running or pinch-hitting last year playing a lot.” He said those include junior Maddison Copeland in center field, junior Emeli Bish in left field, junior Keeley Cresswell in right field and Lana Milton, the team’s only senior, at third base. “Maddison Copeland will probably bat leadoff,” West said. “She has good speed and is probably our best athlete altogether. Keeley Cresswell was kind of a pinch hitter last year; this will be her first real go-round. Lana Milton is our best power hitter and will bat cleanup. Last year was her first year to play, so she’s really new, too, even though she’s a senior.” So how do the Lady Panthers return to the state tournament for a fourth consecutive season? “We’re definitely going to have to take the first part of the season and use those games as learning situations,” West said. “Playing good, quality opponents will benefit us in the postseason. The main thing is getting out there and getting reps, putting them in situations so they can learn from them.” While the obvious team weakness is inexperience — “We’ve got a lot of question marks,” West said — strengths include athleticism and intelligence. “They know the game and know what to do,” West said. “And they don’t ever really get stressed out. The moment is never too big. They’ve been with girls who have had success, so they’ve seen it firsthand.” Heber Springs is seeking its fourth consecutive conference championship. The Lady Panthers have finished runner-up in the regional twice in the past three years.