Sitting at 6-4 to start the spring softball season, the Labette Cardinals have shown early signs of promise.
Labette has a pair of wins over Division I Pratt, went 3-1 at a showcase in Branson and split a home series with NEO A&M.
“Our schedule doesn’t get much easier,” Labette head coach Ryan Phillips said. “We’ve got a lot of quality opponents. We may end up below .500 going into conference, but we’re going to face the teams we need to and be prepared. We’re playing well right now. In the games we’ve lost, some mistakes have just snowballed.”
After losing one of the nation’s deadliest hitters, Jaden Jordan, to graduation, Labette’s offense shifts back to a smallball, speedster approach.
“That’s what I enjoy,” Phillips said. “It’s not easy to get players like Jaden — the big hitters — consistently. But we can consistently excel in the short game with our offense. We have great speed, so we have some great opportunities this year. We want to manipulate defenses and still be able to swing away.”
The dreaded injury bug has struck Labette’s pitching staff.
Lily Beery, a sophomore from Labette County High School, will miss the season with a hip injury.
“As of right now, her plan is to come back next year,” Phillips said. “She threw well for us in the fall. She had some issues with her hip and they’re planning on having surgery in the middle of the spring.”
Transfer Maddalynn Romo, who played at NCAA Division II Newman last year, will miss around a month with a leg injury after looking like the Cardinals’ ace to start the spring. In three appearances, Romo went 2-1 with a 2.93 ERA and 21 strikeouts.
“She’s got some appointments this week to give a better timeline,” Phillips said. “We’re hopeful she’ll be back in mid-to-late March. Right around the time conference play starts. It could be more severe or less. But we’re just waiting.”
Laney Taylor is one of two healthy pitchers on staff. A win over NEO A&M on Thursday was her best outing as she went all six innings with just three hits allowed.
“Laney’s just getting back after missing the fall,” Phillips said. “She had hip surgery right at the end of last school year. She wasn’t fully released until Christmas. So she’s still getting back to full speed. She does a great job of changing speeds. If and when we get Madi Romo back, she’s a good differential in the type of pitcher she is.”
Offensively, sophomore Grace Strecker has set the tone as the Cardinals’ leadoff. Through 10 games, she’s fourth in the nation with 21 stolen bases.
“We moved her to third base and that’s what she was initially recruited for,” Phillips said. “She’s just a natural third baseman. She’s got great speed offensively. She can put a lot of pressure on teams.”
Sophomore Karly Loftis is currently hitting .400 and maintains a team-high .600 on-base percentage.
“She just does a great job and she’s one of the quietest kids I’ve ever coached,” Phillips said. “She just locks in. You don’t have to worry about her. She’s just as hard on herself as the coaches are and she expects to be good. She’s come a long way defensively and she’s a great contact hitter for us. That’s why she’s in our two-hole.”
Caitlyn Suhrie is a true utility for the Cardinals, hitting in the top half of the lineup while also burning innings in the circle.
Labette’s diamond in the rough is freshman shortstop Reese Gorman from Uniontown.
“I just ran into her at a regional in Oswego,” Phillips said. “I went to watch a 2027 pitcher from Colgan and Uniontown was playing. Reese made a couple of plays on the run, so I went to talk to her. She had no offers. It was mind-boggling to me.”
Labette was picked to finish fifth in the KJCCC preseason poll. Johnson County was tabbed as the conference favorite, followed by Cowley, Kansas City Kansas, Neosho County, Labette, Allen, Cloud County, Coffeyville, Highland, Independence and Fort Scott.
“Fifth is about where I would’ve put us going into the year,” Phillips said. “I don’t disagree, especially with us bringing in so many freshmen. But I definitely think we’re better than that. Fifth place is a starting point. We’re a top 10 team in the country when we’re healthy.”
