No team or coach is better prepped for C1 SB State Finals than Holcomb, Casper

It remains to be seen how the Holcomb High School softball team does in its quest for an MSHSAA Class 1 state championship over the next two days. However, there isn’t a program or coach better prepared to tackle the daunting task than the Hornets and their leader, sixth-year coach Matt Casper.

Holcomb (25-4) will face Concordia (28-2) today at 1:15 p.m. in a semifinal at the Killian Softball Complex in Springfield, and it will third such trip to the Final Four for Holcomb, and Casper, in the past four seasons.

“Coach Casper is a great coach,” Hornet senior Jasmine White said recently. “He is always on his players to be the best that they can be.”

That has proven to be an effective strategy, regardless of the sport.

Casper has led the Holcomb softball program to three District titles, as well as a couple of trips to the MSHSAA State Finals, finishing third in 2022 and second in 2021. He has also led the school’s volleyball program to three District titles in the past six seasons.

“He is very strict,” White continued. “He wants his players to be at their top academic-wise, or on the (softball) field or the (volleyball) court. He has been a big help to this program to get us started.”

In the six springs prior to Casper taking over the Hornet softball program, Holcomb won a total of 41 games and no District titles. Since he was hired prior to the 2018 season, Holcomb has won 132 of its 151 games.

“We have come a long way since he started with (this senior class) in our freshman year,” White said. “We’ve been thankful for his coaching and his knowledge, in all sports that he has coached.

“He is a great coach.”

The Holcomb program doesn’t have a bigger piece to its puzzle than senior Maleigh Lemings.

The shortstop and power hitter will play at East Central Community College in Mississippi next year and holds MSHSAA records for most RBI in a single season, as well as most runs scored in a single season.

“Maleigh is a special player,” Casper said recently. “She’s a special athlete. She is probably one of the best athletes, boy or girl, that I’ve coached.”

Casper praised Lemings for her work ethic, but Lemings said she wouldn’t be where she is without the drive taught by Casper.

“He really pushes us on and off the field,” Lemings said. “He wants us to get better every single day, every single practice.

“He doesn’t want us to take anything off. He wants us to go 100 percent in everything.”

At the same time and place as Holcomb’s semifinal is being held, Bernie (22-9-1) will play Ash Grove (23-8) in the other Class 1 semifinal.

The championship game will be on Tuesday at 1:15 p.m. while the third-place game will be today at 4:15 p.m.

Kennett (24-8) will face Lone Jack (15-9) today at 11 a.m. in the Class 2 semifinal.