Sanders enjoying return to Stonewall softball

Shanna Sanders is back in the saddle again for the Stonewall High School softball team.

Sanders took over the head coaching duties after former SHS coach Chase Tidwell left town to accept a position as the head baseball coach at Cyril High School.

Sanders is back after leaving Stonewall for some much-needed family time following the spring of 2023 season. She’s excited to be back at the head of the Stonewall softball program.

“It’s been fun getting back out there and being around the girls. The upperclassmen I had when they were freshmen and sophomores, and some of our younger players I had coached while they were in middle school,” Sanders told The Ada News. “It was nice to come back and see the growth and maturity these girls have made in the softball field and life.”

The Lady Longhorns won four straight games to begin the 2025 slowpitch season — including victories over Class 5A clubs McLoud and Bristow. Stonewall has now lost its last three games to Class 4A Valliant, who is off to an 8-2 start and Class 3A Wright City, a team that won 18 games and dropped a pair of one-run games to be eliminated in regional tournament action last spring and Class 3A Wilson, who ended the season at a Class 3A Regional Tournament with an 18-6 record a year ago.

“We got off to a pretty good start this season. There’s only been one game I thought we should’ve won, but didn’t. We’ve played some good competition early and we’ve been pleased with what we are seeing at this point in the season,” Sanders said.

Sanders hopes that by the time the playoffs roll around, the Lady Longhorns will be a tough out for anyone they happen to match up with.

“This group has the potential to go as far as they want to. We’re still figuring things out as a team, but when everything starts clicking, I think we will be able to compete with almost anybody,” she said.

SHS senior star Lilly Wyche is off to an unfathomable start to the 2025 season. Heading into this week, Wyche was 18 of 19 at the plate — that’s a .947 batting average for those trying to do the math at home — with seven home runs, a triple, three doubles, 16 RBIs and 16 runs scored. She also hasn’t made a single error at shortstop.

“I can’t say enough good things about Lilly. She is a great player and an even better person,” Sanders said. “She’s off to a great start this season and she’s the one that gets this team going. I’m excited to see what the rest of this season has in store for her.”

Sanders and the Lady Longhorns are now preparing to host the 2025 Beast of the East Tournament, which kicks off Thursday at the top and bottom softball fields in Stonewall. The bracket is full of some of the best teams in the state again this year, including eight local squads.

“As always, it’s full of teams who are going to be in the state tournament or competing to get there. It’s going to be three days of good softball,” Sanders said.