Chaffee softball team undergoes big turnaround in final four run

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- There weren't many people who foresaw the Chaffee softball team embarking on a historic run in 2015, but there were a few, namely Hannah Seyer.

The senior right fielder knew that seven freshmen were going to give the Red Devils a big boost and even predicted a run at a state title.

"It happened," said Seyer, who's one of three seniors on the team. "It's just awesome. The experience is awesome, especially my senior year. We're just trying to get as far as we can. We go into games knowing that anything can happen, but no matter what, we don't give up."

Chaffee has suffered plenty of bumps and bruises since AJ Horn took over the Red Devils' softball program in 2013, accompanied by assistant coach Joe Hendrix. Chaffee was 17-31 during Horn's first two seasons, and the only postseason success it had to show was a 2-0 win over Van Buren in a Class 1 District 1 semifinal last year.

The program never had a team reach the state semifinals until this season when the Red Devils claimed the district title as a No. 3 seed and continued their march with a 2-0 win over Norwood in a state sectional and a 10-7 victory over Van-Far in a state quarterfinal.

Chaffee's Madeline Hendrix, left, and Hannah Seyer celebrate after winning a Class 1 quarterfinal against Van-Far last weekend in Vandalia, Missouri. (Ben Striker ~ Special to the Southeast Missourian)

"When Coach Hendrix and I started, we really talked about changing how things are done here at Chaffee," said Horn, whose team will take on DeKalb in a Class 1semifinal at 11 a.m. Friday at the Killian Softball Complex in Springfield, Missouri. "We really wanted the kids to get back to fundamentals, be aggressive and also just do the things you're supposed to do to win ballgames. When we first got here we didn't necessarily do that. ... Our main goal when we came here was to build a program and help our kids be successful."

It all began in the offseason, during which Horn said his players compete at summer softball camps hosted by Division I colleges. His players also play on travel teams and are heavily involved with the school's weight training program in the winter and into the summer.

"We work hard," senior third baseman Julia Sutterfield said. "No one sees the work we put in during the offseason and at practice. We just really get after it day in and day out, and it pays off.

"Our key is we didn't give up after our first season. We didn't give up after our second season, and now we have talented freshmen and upperclassmen who know how to lead and know how to get the job done."

Those freshmen have given the team plenty of spark. Seven of Chaffee's 17 players are freshmen, including five starters.

Bridgette Swinford leads the group as the No. 1 hitter and is a fixture in center field while Bailey Wiseman bats in the No. 2 spot and is a starter in left field. Sydney Walker is the team's cleanup hitter and a starter at shortstop while Madeline Hendrix and Carlie Milz start at second and third, respectively. Freshmen Shana Burden and Brittany Wood have also contributed in limited roles.

"They have really brought talent, and those kids have really played a lot of softball since they were 8 years old. ... They've been around, and they've been taught really well about the game," Horn said. "When you mix that in with a little experience, it normally leads to success on the field."

Chaffee also benefited from playing a grueling schedule that featured only two regular-season games against Class 1 teams -- district foes Naylor and Van Buren. The Red Devils' opponents were a combined 278-196-1, and they played three games against Class 2 semifinalist Portageville and two games against Notre Dame, a Class 3 semifinalist.

"We want our schedule to be tough, and we're actually looking next year to add more tough teams because we feel as we go on in the state playoffs that playing a tougher schedule, seeing those tough teams, seeing bad situations happen, it teaches your kids what to do in those situations when they arise again," Horn said.

Chaffee started its postseason four games below .500, but Sutterfield believes the team has only grown stronger by playing against tough competition.

"There's nothing we're going to see that we haven't already seen," Sutterfield said. "That prepared us a lot for this postseason. I can't thank our coaches enough for pushing us every day and letting us play those big teams to get us ready for games like this because we're going in knowing there's nothing we haven't seen."

A 9-4 win over Naylor upstarted the Red Devils' postseason, followed by a 2-0 victory over Van Buren in the district championship. Chaffee advanced to its first state quarterfinal after knocking off Norwood 2-0 at home, then cruised to the final four last weekend with a 10-7 win over Van-Far.

Despite being the only team in the Class 1 final four with double-digit losses, the Red Devils don't lend themselves to the underdog role, according to Horn.

"We don't show up to lose, and with that family aspect, they believe in each other," Horn said. "They know that someone is going to make the play behind them. They know that someone is going to pick them up on offense, especially our pitchers if they make a mistake. They know their infielders and outfielders are going to try to make the plays they can make."

Team chemistry has also carried Chaffee a long way.

Horn said his players really came together during the summer while playing on travel teams and attending similar camps.

"We work as a family really well," senior pitcher Carleigh Burnett said. "In all my summer teams and my four years of high school, I've never clicked with a team like I've clicked with them. I've never had a team that worked so well together."

Burnett has a 2.04 ERA and has pitched the bulk of Chaffee's innings this season. She is 10-7 in 103 innings with 96 strikeouts and 45 walks. Seyer has also contributed in the circle, throwing 40 strikeouts and 22 walks with a 3.53 ERA in 71 1/3 innings.

"They're kind of equal to me," Horn said about his pitchers. "They both throw strikes. They have different types of pitches. ... When they throw strikes and they hit the spots they're supposed to hit, our defense has a chance to make plays."

Walker is batting .418 with 22 RBIs and 11 doubles to pace the Red Devils offensively while Sutterfield is hitting .378 with 14 RBIs and 36 runs scored. Swinford is batting .323 and leads the team with 103 plate appearances.

The community has also lifted up its team. Horn said his players were escorted into town after winning the district championship and again after last weekend's win over Van-Far.

"It's been amazing, and it's really exciting to see these kids bond even more," Horn said. "... The community has really gotten behind these kids. We've always had good parental support, but it's great to see the community rally behind them."

The winner between Chaffee and DeKalb will face the winner of the other semifinal between Norborne and Canton in the Class 1 state championship at noon Saturday. The third-place game is scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday.

Seyer said Horn and Hendrix have been determined to change the face of the program since arriving a little more than two years ago.

Establishing new traditions comes with any coaching change, but it takes results to validate those efforts. Two wins this weekend in Springfield could go a long way to changing the face of the Chaffee softball program.

"We want to be able to go in and have the will to win," Seyer said. "We want to have the heart for it, and I think that's the big thing that he's tried to instill in us, how lucky we are to be able to be here and to be able to be playing."