SPRINGDALE -- Ask Emily Stockalper how her senior year in softball is going and a frown may appear on her face.
Springdale Har-Ber has had problems getting onto the field because of rainouts, spring break, and a game that was canceled because the umpires failed to show. The cancellation at Fayetteville was preceded by a game at Bentonville, which started three hours late because of the lack of a full umpiring crew.
Profile
Emily Stockalper
SCHOOL: Springdale Har-Ber
CLASS: Senior
HEIGHT: 5-6
POSITION: Pitcher
NOTABLE: Four-year starter who can also play first base and outfield when she’s not pitching. … Batted .367 last year and struck 42 with a 2.13 ERA as a pitcher. … Beat Mount St. Mary as a freshman in the Class 7A state tournament. … Sister of Kenny Stockalper, former Fayetteville standout in football and basketball.
Har-Ber has played only two 7A-West Conference games, losses to Rogers High and Bentonville, entering tonight's home game against Fort Smith Southside.
"Because it's my senior season, I really wanted to jump into it and get going," Stockalper said. "But with all these rainouts and things, it's definitely been a struggle."
Stockalper's eagerness for more action is understandable. She's a four-year starter and the top pitcher for the Wildcats, who finished 21-9 last season. As a team leader, she also hopes to prove doubters wrong about a young Har-Ber team (3-4, 0-2 7A-West) that isn't expected to do much.
Har-Ber finally got some extended action over the weekend in a tournament at Van Buren. Stockalper had 29 strikeouts in four games for the Lady Wildcats, who went 3-2, including an 8-5 loss to Bentonville.
"Emily, she's a diamond," Har-Ber coach Lynn Lawson said. "She's a great kid character-wise and with her personality. She wants to do nothing more than get into the circle and throw her best game."
Stockalper stuck out 42 and posted a 2.13 ERA as a junior. She's also developed into a reliable hitter who batted .367 last year.
Stockalper's emergence with the bat has been significant since her freshman year, when she was routinely replaced by a designated hitter.
"You can see a drastic change in Emily at the plate," said Morgan Neal, a Tulsa signee and the Lady Wildcats' top hitter. "Even during summer ball, when we play together, they didn't let her hit and you could tell that kind of upset her. But she's really worked hard on her own to where she's a good hitter and a good pitcher."
Stockalper faces added responsibility this year as one of only three Har-Ber seniors, along with Neal and catcher Tiffani Ray. There's also a big drop-off in the circle from last season, when Stockalper and Gracie Bogle shared pitching duties.
Bogle is a freshman pitcher and first baseman at Butler County Community College in El Dorado, Kan.
"Last year, I had two very good pitchers and that competition made them better," Lawson said. "If one was having a rough day, the other could come in and save us. Emily will probably stay in the circle a little longer this year than she's ever been."
Stockalper has shown she can handle added pressure, starting with her freshman year when she was thrust into the spotlight during the Class 7A state tournament. Stockalper beat Mount St. Mary 13-3 then faced unbeaten Bryant, which was closing in on its consecutive state championship.
Har-Ber lost 7-0 to Bryant, which finished 34-0, but Stockalper showed she had a place on the biggest stage in Class 7A.
"Bryant had one of the best teams this state had ever seen," Stockalper said. "I was so young and I remember just jumping right in. That experience showed me what it was going to be like and made me realize I needed to step up my game."
Rick Fires can be reached at rfires@nwadg.com or on Twitter @nwarick
Sports on 04/07/2015