The Helias Lady Crusaders enter the Class 3 softball Final Four with nine losses, the most of any of the four teams.
But you don't get anything for a great record, everybody's 0-0.
Brandon Foster reports from Springfield
[Follow News Tribune sports reporter https://twitter.com…">Brandon Foster (@BFoster91) on Twitter for updates during this game., https://twitter.com…">Brandon Foster (@BFoster91) on Twitter]"Forget the records, they don't mean anything," Lady Crusaders coach Dan Campbell said as Helias (21-9) prepared to take on Warrenton (26-2) in the semifinals at 2 p.m. today at the Killian Softball Complex in Springfield. "You just go to the fundamentals, the things you do well and make sure you don't beat yourself."
The Lady Crusaders have done a lot of things well this postseason. Helias won three straight one-run decisions before breaking out in an 18-7 quarterfinal win Saturday against Logan-Rogersville.
"We made our own breaks and got it done," Campbell said.
Helias trailed in that game 2-0 after two innings before putting up nine runs in the top of the third.
"We'd been down 2-0 before, we just needed to keep battling," Campbell said.
The Lady Crusaders started to believe this could be a Final Four team early in the season when they captured the title at the Battle Tournament.
"I saw the potential and if we could put things together, this might happen," Campbell said. "We've matured, there are seven great seniors who have led us this far. It's been fun to watch."
A big question entering the season was the defense. But Helias has been good with the gloves.
"Our defense has come along as the season has gone on," Campbell said. "The girls have gotten more confident."
At the plate, Helias is averaging 6.6 runs per game with strong bats throughout the lineup.
Abbi Pringer, a freshman, will lead off. She started the season in the No. 9 hole and announced her presence with a three-hit game in the opener. She is batting .390 this season, scoring 31 runs and totaling 21 RBI.
"We didn't want to put too much on her at the beginning, so we moved her up from No. 9 to No. 7 and finally all the way up to the leadoff spot," Campbell said. "We couldn't be happier with her."
Julie Harris, a senior, had five hits from the No. 2 spot against Logan-Rogersville. Harris is hitting .427 with 22 runs scored and is a threat to steal a base any time she's on.
"She has really turned it on in the postseason," Campbell said.
Lauren Morrow, another senior, will hit third. Morrow has a single-season school record eight home runs this season to go along with 29 RBI and a .490 average. She also is Helias' career home run leader with 17.
"She's been a great hitter for four years," Campbell said. "She's got tremendous bat speed."
Those three often set the table for the rest of the Lady Crusaders.
"We've gotten a lot of big hits throughout the lineup," Campbell said. "Even if the top of the lineup doesn't get on, we're confident we can get things moving."
Grace Dittmer is batting .406 with 26 RBI in the cleanup spot. She is followed by Kaylie LeCuru (.392, 20 RBI), Jordyn Nappier (.304, 20 RBI), Abby Masek (.350, 13 runs scored), Haley Kempker (.292, 11 runs) and Lindsey Steinbeck (.298, 12 RBI).
"We've faced a lot of good pitchers this year, it won't be anything new for us in the Final Four," Campbell said.
Steinbeck will get the start today in the circle. She is 15-6 this season with a 3.53 ERA in 137 innings. Pringer has taken over as the No. 1 reliever for the Lady Crusaders, posting a 2.33 ERA in 21 innings.
"We'll just keep doing what we do, if Lindsey gets into trouble, we know we have Abbi behind her," Campbell said.
Warrenton will bring an impressive offensive attack to the Final Four. The Warriors are averaging 10.5 runs per game and have run-ruled 17 of their opponents this season, including a 17-2 victory against Incarnate Word in the quarterfinals.
The Warriors do not have a starter hitting less than .338 and all nine in the lineup have driven in at least 19 runs.
"That's pretty impressive," Campbell said.
Facing that potent attack, playing good defense should be at a premium.
"We have to give them three outs an inning, anymore than that could be a problem," Campbell said.
This is Helias' first trip to the Final Four since winning the Class 4 state title in 2005.
"We're not going to go down there and be intimidated, that's for sure," Campbell said. "We've played a lot of good teams and the schedule has prepared us well for what's ahead."
Cape Girardeau Notre Dame (26-3) and St. Joseph Lafayette (22-7) will meet in the other semifinal. The third-place game is slated for 7 p.m. today, with the championship game set for 4 p.m. Saturday.
In case of rain, the games will shift to Saturday and the third-place contests will be eliminated.
Follow News Tribune sports reporter Brandon Foster (@BFoster91) on Twitter for updates during this game.