New Fredericktown softball coach Jeff Keener is confident that 2022 will be a big season for the Freddies.
Keener hopes to build on last season’s third-place conference finish and sectional tournament victory. The Freddies tied Danville with a 9-5 record in the KMAC and finished the season 15-12 overall.
“We have very high expectations, and we would like to compete for a KMAC championship and win the district for starters and then go from there,” Keener said.
Keener comes to the program with extensive experience in baseball and softball.
“I played college baseball and then coached high school baseball for four years,” Keener said. “And then (I) started my softball coaching career during the summers and over the past 30 years at all levels.”
Fredericktown’s new coach has a simple coaching philosophy that applies to all levels.
“You have to do the little things to win softball games and care for each teammate,” Keener said. “You can not give any opponent four, five, six outs an inning.”
The new coach has high expectations and looks forward to the upcoming season
“I'm very excited to lead these ladies on the diamond. I think they are going to be fun to watch, and the sky is the limit,” Keener said. “We are very talented, and the quicker we can bond as a team and family, the quicker we will start doing positive things and winning.”
In 2021, Fredericktown followed up a 9-4 win over Marion Pleasant in the Division III district tournament with a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to West Jefferson to end its season. Key losses from last year's squad include Alyssa Perkins, who was 4-2 on the mound and hit .438; catcher Sydney Sansom, who batted .438 with 26 RBI; and Tayler Overholt, who batted.380 and scored 28 runs.
Fredericktown’s roster is stocked with seven experienced seniors and five sophomores. Returning is senior Lainy Partington, who batted .364 with 32 hits and seven doubles in 2021 while playing infield and outfield positions. In addition, a pair of sophomores who made big contributions as freshmen bolster the lineup. Jessenia Montalvo scored 31 runs and added 20 RBI last season, while Miranda Payne posted a 4-2 record with 104 strikeouts in the circle.
“We are trying to build a winning championship program at Fredericktown to compete every night,” Keener said.
Keener believes the process will yield results.
“Little things will win you ball games, and I guess my motto is: 'Show Me,'" Keener said. “Every night and every day, the players know that they need to show me that they belong and can get the job done on both offense and defense for us to be successful.”
Fredericktown has a quick start to its schedule. The Freddies open at home against KMAC foe Danville on April 1. They then take to the road for a double-header at Ashland Crestview on April 2 and a single game at Danville on April 4.
