HEARTLAND PRIDE QUALIFIES FOR THE WORLD NATIONALS

The Heartland Pride certainly has a lot for which it can be proud.

The local under-14 fastpitch softball team, has qualified for the World Nationals to be held Aug. 3-8 in Joplin.

The team has won four of the five tournaments in which it has entered, including a four-team U.S.S.S.A. event which qualified it for the World Nationals.

The squad has also won the seven-team Jackson Invitational, the seven-team SEMO Fastpitch Association Invitational and the eight-team Anna Invitational.

The squad, which boasts a 35-9-2 record, has players from Cape Girardeau, Illinois and even one from St. Louis.

The team has been playing together for three years and succeeded in its first attempt at qualifying for the national tournament.

"We just wanted to expand and go further than the past," said manager David Ford. "We felt we were ready."

Ford is assisted by Bobby Jones, Steve Essex and Greg Jameson.

The team's top pitchers are Ashley Jones and Holly Schnurbusch. Jones is also among the top hitters, which also include Sara Essex and Tara Ford.

Approximately 200-300 teams are expected to compete in three age divisions at the World Nationals.