:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/SUZGYPLVNCHABLNVA5UJB3X3YA.jpg)
The high school softball season is on hold for now, but that won't stop us from taking a look at what teams will look like. Here is a preview of area teams.
BATAVIA BULLDOGS
Coach: Torry Pryor
2019 record: 14-16-1
Top Players
Name Year Pos.
Noelle Chaney sr. P/1B
Hanna Mackowiak sr. C
Cassidy Carby jr. 3B
Betsey Thayer jr. P/OF/IF
Alex Klein jr. SS/OF
Kaitlyn Collazo jr. IF/OF
Taily Kledzik jr. OF
Leah Karel jr. C
Lucy Lisberg so. IF
Sarah Stasell jr. OF/IF
Morgan Day jr. P/OF
Liz Faron sr. IF/OF
Caroline Thomas jr. IF/OF
Outlook: The Bulldogs graduated Allison Bahlmann and Peyton Sachse, but return 11 players this spring. Leading the way will be Chaney, a Charleston Southern commit who won 10 games last season, and Carby, who hit .388.
"With incredible team chemistry, the Bulldogs cannot wait to see what they can accomplish together again this year," Pryor said.
BURLINGTON CENTRAL ROCKETS
Coach: Scott Richman
2019 record: 18-11
Top Players
Name Year Pos.
Alisyn Catenacci sr. P/1B
Reili Gardner sr. CF
Kate Snow sr. 2B/OF
Peyton Curtis sr. C
Rylie Duval so. SS
Lauren Kneif so. 3B/OF
Outlook: The Rockets are in the rugged Fox Valley Conference this spring, a league that includes defending Class 4A champion Huntley. Gardner, an Illinois State recruit, should be one of the league's top players. She hit .469 with 30 RBIs and was 14-for-14 in stolen bases as a junior. Catenacci, who will play collegiately at Goshen College, is another top returner.
"Our goals are high because the athletes work hard at practice every day and I expect the same on game days," Richman said.
GENEVA VIKINGS
Coach: Annie Plackett
2019 record: 18-12
Top Players
Name Year Pos.
Sam Keller sr. SS
Emily Viebrock sr. 1B
Madison Femia sr. 2B/C
Carissa Bomardiere sr. 3B/OF
Shelly Diesz jr. P
Delyla Mroz sr. OF
Bella Watson jr. 2B/3B
Outlook: It will be a completely new look in the Vikings' dugout this spring. Longtime coach Greg Dierks has retired after 30 seasons, his last year being Geneva's memorable run as a 14th seed to its first sectional title. But the cupboard is far from bare for first-year coach Plackett. Leading the way is Winona State recruit Keller, who hit .486 with a .589 on-base percentage and six homers, 14 doubles and four triples as a junior. Viebrock led Geneva with 30 RBIs, and hit .376 with eight doubles, two triples and two homers. Diesz was clutch on the mound during Geneva's stunning playoff run. Femia is back as her batterymate behind the plate.
"With the main focus on being competitive in what appears to be a shortened season, our girls are still looking to make a deep run in the state series," Plackett said.
KANELAND KNIGHTS
Coach: Mike Kuefler
Last year: 30-7
Top players
Name year position
Rose Roach jr. SS
Donatela Somessi, sr., 2B
Emilee Erickson, sr., P
McKenna Ryan, jr., P
Cassidy Motyka, sr., CF
Lillie Lindgren, sr., C
Olivia Ortegel, jr., 1B
Emma Bachio, sr., OF
Outlook: Auburn recruit Roach, who hit .543 with eight homers, 47 RBIs, 55 runs scored and 33 stolen bases from the leadoff spot, leads 11 girls back for a team plenty motivated after losing in the sectional semifinal a year after taking second in Class 3A.
Kuefler thinks he has one of the best middle infields in the state, and he may be right. In addition to Roach's gaudy stats, Somessi hit .373 with 32 RBIs and 50 runs scored. She also hit four home runs. Winona State recruit Erickson, who struck out 188 and went 17-1 with a 0.70 ERA in 109 2/3 innings, returns in the circle.
"The motivation this year hasn't really come from the coaching staff, so we're excited. They're stoked and ready to go," Kuefler said. "We shouldn't skip a beat as far as being competitive."
ROSARY ROYALS
Coach: Brian Hunger
2019 record: 9-17
Top Players
Name Year Pos.
Chloe Saltijeral sr. C/SS
Abby Young sr. P/1B
Kal Capparelli sr. OF
Brooke Capparelli jr. P/2B
Peyton Dillon jr. CF
Emily Hurst so. 3B/1B
Outlook: Hunger takes over a Royals' program that graduated just one senior. Leading the group back is Saltijeral, a Missouri Science and Technology commit who hit .479 with 23 RBIs as a junior. Hurst hit .432 with 20 RBIs as a freshman, Brooke Capparelli hit .414 and won eight games on the mound, and Young hit .280.
"With a strong freshman class, along with six returning starters, we should improve on last year's nine wins," Hunger said.
ST. CHARLES EAST SAINTS
Coach: Jarod Gutesha
2019 record: 26-11
Top Players
Name Year Pos.
Katie Arrambide jr. P
Lauren Luna sr. 1B/C
Elliott Sanders jr. OF
Isabella Howe so. IF/P
Kati Gheorghe jr. IF
Chelsea Campagna jr. IF
Madelyn Rouse jr. U/P
Kayla Richardson jr. OF
Katie Royer jr. IF
Outlook: 2019 Kane County Chronicle Player of the Year Arrambide leads nine girls back from last year's team that took second in Class 4A. Arrambide, who has committed to play collegiately at Harvard, went 17-8 with a 1.67 ERA and a program-record 234 strikeouts as a sophomore. Wisconsin-Eau Claire recruit Luna hit .381 with nine homers, nine doubles and 40 RBIs and anchors a Saints lineup that graduated four starters. Howe hit .300 with 12 RBIs as a freshman.
"The biggest thing is we have a team that understands what it takes to play at a high level," Gutesha said. "We will play solid defense and have an extremely athletic roster. Every player on the roster will have a strong role. Offensively we have some numbers to replace, but several players look primed to replace and hopefully exceed those stats."
ST. CHARLES NORTH NORTH STARS
Coach: Tom Poulin
2019 record: 10-13
Top Players
Name Year Pos.
Anastasia Pappas jr. P/IF
Ashlee Chantos so.
Ava Capasso so. P/SS
Molly Heaton so. 3B/OF
Meghan Nicastro so. SS/OF
Sydney Eby sr. OF
Outlook: The North Stars had their streak of five straight regional titles snapped last spring, and graduated All-Area player Grace Sobieski, but the future is bright. Four girls contributed as freshmen in 2019, and Pappas was one of St. Charles North's best players as a sophomore.
"We're as young as we've ever been since probably back when that group in 2011 were freshmen," Poulin said after last season's final game. "We had five freshman back then and we've got four here with a handful of sophomores. ... The future is bright."
ST. FRANCIS SPARTANS
Coach: Ralph Remus
2019 record: 29-4
Top Players
Name Year Pos.
Kristina Sherwin sr. CF
Tarin Malloy sr. P/1B
Annika Norman jr. P/SS
Grace Wanshek so. C/OF
Brooke Hartzell so. 3B
Shannon Cooney sr. 1B
Outlook: The Spartans graduated a ton of talent, including the battery of Carlee Clark and Caroline Caesar, from the team that took second place in Class 3A, but the cupboard isn't bare. Sherwin hit .529 with 16 doubles and 29 RBIs, and Norman hit .525 with 11 doubles and 27 RBIs. Malloy hit .380 with 10 doubles and 20 RBIs.
"We will get stronger as the season goes on and our pitching and catching gain experience," Remus said.