MSU-WP Grizzly Softball enters new era
WEST PLAINS, Mo. – The Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Softball program opens the 2025 season Feb. 20 with a new coaching staff and a renewed focus on development, culture and long-term success.
Brie Brooks will lead the Grizzlies in her first season as head coach, joined by assistant coach McKenzie McCullen.
Brooks arrives at Missouri State-West Plains after three successful seasons at Alton High School, where she guided the Comets to back-to-back conference championship appearances, including a conference title in 2024. She earned Big Spring Conference Coach of the Year honors that season.
Brooks brings a diverse collegiate coaching background that began in 2011 as a student assistant at Jacksonville University, where she also played. Her experience includes stops at Eastern Illinois University, Bucknell University, Southeast Missouri State University and Covenant College, where she served as both an assistant and head coach.
McCullen joins the program after serving as a graduate assistant at D’Youville University. She previously worked at Appalachian State University, where she played collegiately and earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology. While at Appalachian State, she also served as director of softball operations and a game operations assistant.
Together, the coaching staff is energized by the opportunity to move the program forward while establishing clear standards and expectations for Grizzly softball.
“This team is incredibly resilient,” Brooks said. “Many of our athletes were recruited by one coach, then coached by an entirely new staff, and are now entering the season with another new staff. This fall, we focused on building trust with our sophomore group and are approaching the year with a true growth mindset.”
That mindset carried into the fall season, as the Grizzlies competed against several strong NAIA programs and four-year universities. Brooks said those challenging matchups were valuable for team development and for providing athletes exposure and opportunities to continue their softball careers at the next level.
That approach paid off as sophomore pitcher Kennedy Ross gained exposure and earned the opportunity to continue her softball career at Missouri Valley College.
In the circle
Sophomore Kennedy Ross is expected to play a key role in the circle this season after logging 137 innings as a freshman. She will be joined by sophomore Amelia Jenkins and freshmen Makayla Hill and Miley Estes, giving the pitching staff both experience and depth.
Jenkins returns after an injury-limited fall season and is healthy heading into the spring after pitching 79 innings last year. Hill and Estes add a different look and pitching style to the staff, providing increased flexibility in the circle.
At the plate
A blend of youth and experience will be central to the Grizzlies’ offensive approach this season. The lineup returns six sophomores in the field, complemented by 11 incoming freshmen. The sophomore class will lean on last season’s experience to provide leadership.
Abigail Fancler returns after leading the team offensively last season with 10 home runs, 28 RBIs and a .372 batting average. She will be joined in the lineup by fellow sophomores Trista Simpson, Camryn Elliott and Hadley Wilson.
Wilson appeared in all 50 games last season, finishing with a .275 batting average and 38 hits, including eight doubles and four home runs, while driving in 26 runs. Fancler and Simpson are expected to anchor the left side of the infield, with Fancler at third base and Simpson at shortstop.
The freshman class includes Miley Estes, Makayla Hill, Emma Tinnin, Lily Kindall, Elizabeth Havens, Kylie Rudd, Grace Bell, Macie Botsch, Kerri Botsch, Molly Hasslett and Matilynn Goss.
Ready for a challenge
The Grizzlies faced weather-related challenges last season that impacted home-field availability and forced additional road competition. The program also moved up to Division I of the NJCAA.
“Our schedule will be challenging once again, especially with a young roster,” Brooks said. “But we are continuing to grow together as a team, and our focus is on improving throughout the season and peaking at the right time.”
Missouri State-West Plains will open the season Friday, Feb. 20, at the Branson Turf’s Up Classic at the Branson RecPlex. The Grizzlies will play five games over two days against McCook Community College, Arkansas State-Newport, Eastern Oklahoma State College, East Central College and Union College.
The following weekend, the Grizzlies will travel to Arkansas for a doubleheader against Arkansas State-Newport before returning to Branson for the Branson Grand Slam Challenge, where they will face Elgin Community College and Iowa Western.
Region play begins March 7 with a doubleheader against North Central College. The Grizzlies’ first home doubleheader is scheduled for March 12 against Northeast Iowa Community College, with games set for 2 and 4 p.m., marking the final nonconference matchup of the season.
The Region 16 schedule is expected to be highly competitive, with several strong programs ensuring every series presents a challenge.
“This team is motivated to prove who they are and what they are capable of,” Brooks said. “Watching them learn to trust themselves and fall back in love with the game of softball has been extremely rewarding. Their growth, both individually and collectively, has been exciting to witness.”
For more information on MSU-WP Grizzly Softball, visit MSUWPGrizzlies.com
Missouri State University-West Plains empowers students to achieve personal success and to enrich their local and global communities by providing accessible, affordable and quality educational opportunities. Missouri State-West Plains offers associate degrees and credit and non-credit courses and serves as a delivery site for bachelor’s and master’s degrees offered by Missouri State University in Springfield.