Sports are filled with transitions. Missouri State University softball is no exception.
After head coach Holly Hesse retired at the conclusion of her 36th season in 2024, the team faced its biggest change heading into 2025.
On June 5, 2024, MSU hired former associate head coach Kasey Griffith to replace Hesse. Since the players already knew Griffith as a member of Hesse’s coaching staff, this move flowed quite nicely.
“The transition was pretty smooth,” Bears sophomore catcher Alexis Perales said.
Two-way player McKenzie Vaughan agreed. Pointing out that Hesse’s shoes must have been difficult to fill, the senior star spoke highly of the way Griffith executed her job in her first year.