Purdy softball sees success in youthful year




BY KYLE TROUTMAN ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com
The Purdy softball team had three major goals this spring, taking aim at a trio of trophies in a year with only three seniors.
Emerging with SouthWest Central League regular- season and tournament titles, as well as its first district championship since winning Class 1 state in 2021, Coach Lori Videmschek said this was one of her favorite seasons in 25 years of coaching softball.
“I’ve coached a lot of games, and this spring was one of the most enjoyable years,” she said. “The kids all got along and worked hard, and we had a lot of fun. You don’t see all that together very often.”
Videmschek said the seniors — Rosa Schad, Zoey Webb, and Brooklyn Bunch — were a driving force for the program, as they were still in middle school the last time the Lady Eagles won the district.
“These seniors really wanted one,” she said. “Rosa was our manager in 2021 when we won state, and she was really pleased we won districts this year because she’d never won one.”
Purdy saw few downswings this season, dropping three games in a row once, but ending the campaign on a 10-game win streak culminating in a 5-2 win over Exeter in the Class 1, District 5 title bout. The season ended eight days later with a loss to Class 1 runner-up Lockwood, 8-0.
“We started the season with a loaded schedule,” Videmschek said. “We lost twice to Diamond, twice to Mt. Vernon, and once each to Lamar, Lockwood and Skyline. We played some really tough teams, and the majority of our opponents are Class 2, and good Class 2 teams. That set us up to be successful.”
With nearly half its squad comprised of freshmen, Videmschek said early on the season would depend on their ability to mature — and they impressed their 500-plus win coach.
“We saw great improvement in hitting in critical situations with runners in scoring position,” she said. “We didn’t do it in the first part of the season, but by the end, we were able to do some situational hitting. That was a key to winning the district, as well as playing good defense.
“Our big thing against Exeter in that championship was to go out and get on top early, and we did that, then got through the adversity of them making a run back at us.”
Videmschek said moving onto the Class 1 state bracket challenged the Lady Eagles mentally, but that experience is primed to shape their future.
“I wish we’d played better in that quarterfinal; our youth showed a little bit,” she said. “But, we only had three or four kids with varsity experience coming into this season, and all the others were new players or new varsity starters.”
Returning 8 of 11 players, including incoming senior pitcher Gabriela Groomer, will put Purdy in a winning position next season, Videmschek said.
“I hope these freshmen this year pick up where they left off, and I think we can be even better next year than this year with Gabriela coming back and us moving our third baseman to catcher, which is her natural position.
“Gabriela has to have a great year on the mound, but hitting-wise, we have the bulk of our offense coming back.”
Videmschek said goals for 2026 are not yet determined, but there is a mountain of potential.
“We take a break over the summer and the girls play their travel ball, then we’ll get together and start working some before official practice starts,” she said. “The big thing is we need to be hungry with a drive to win. These girls want a chance to go to state, so we’ll have to see how they develop with kids in key situations in spots they are most comfortable.”
Further down the line, next year’s crop of eighth-graders, Videmschek said, also have a great deal of potential.
“It will be fun to see how they develop, getting stronger in the gym and working on their footwork,” she said. “It’s not all about throwing and catching — it’s doing all the other little stuff well that makes you really good.”