Streaking KCC softball team bolstered by local talent

The Kankakee Community College softball team has been on a roll for the past few weeks. After a 2-10 start to the season, where they played some of the top teams in the nation, the Cavaliers have won 17 in a row as of April 2 to improve to 19-10 on the year. They have outscored their opponents 195-53 during the streak.

The contributions of a handful of local players have been a major factor in this success. Shortstop Emma Powers and catcher Kayna Nelson, both freshmen from Herscher, have seen significant playing time as starters, and along with sophomore outfielder and former Milford standout Brynlee Wright, have been among the team’s top hitters.

Wright is second on the team in hits with 39 and RBIs with 24, and is slashing .419/.481/.548 on the season. She leads the team in steals with 10 in 11 attempts.

“Brynlee has really provided a lot of leadership,” head coach Keith Cooper said. “She had a platoon role last year and she’s got the starting job this year, and she’s really, really excelled in that. She’s hitting the ball really hard. We stress a lot with our hitting, and Brynlee has taken on a lot of great qualities. We’re looking for her to continue that leadership and with hard-nosed play.”

Powers and Nelson are fourth and fifth on the team in at bats, respectively. Powers is slashing .365/.396/.459 so far and is second on the team with nine steals. Nelson is slashing .303/.421/.487.

“Emma has been a really solid defensive replacement after losing our shortstop from last year,” Cooper said. “She’s really starting to adapt well to the college game and her swing is starting to really come into its own. She’s starting to hit the ball a lot harder. I think Emma’s been a blessing there.

“Kayna, we knew we were going to get some pop,” he added. “A good, quality catcher, a great catcher really, just a phenomenal signal caller and has a great arm to throw runners out. It comes in clutch quite a bit. We were really excited to get both of them.”

Madison James, a freshman pitcher from Kankakee, has been settling into the college game while Adelynn Lubben, a freshman outfielder from Manteno, has contributed in the field and on the basepath.

James has made five relief appearances and pitched 13 innings. She is 1-0 with a 4.31 ERA. Lubben is hitless in seven at bats but has appeared in 13 games. She has scored three runs, stolen a base and recorded four putouts in the outfield.

“Maddie is kind of still in the process of learning how to pitch at the college level,” Cooper said. “She’s come along pretty well and she’s going to give us some quality innings heading down the stretch. And Adelynn is a great defensive outfielder that is widely overlooked, I think.”

A player that has not been overlooked thus far is sophomore Jordyn Butcher. The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, native is following up on her All-American freshman season by elevating her game to the next level.

Butcher is batting .456 with a slugging percentage of 1.067. Her 13 home runs are tied for 17th among all NJCAA Division II players. As a pitcher, she is 7-3 with a 2.52 ERA. She has 88 strikeouts in 64 innings and ranks 16th in the nation with 9.63 strikeouts per game.

“I expected her to come back and really excel in her sophomore year, and she’s done far more than I expected,” Cooper said. “She’s one of the best hitters that this program has seen in a long time. ... Pitchingwise, we weren’t really looking at her as our No. 1 pitcher coming into the season but she’s really just in a different zone right now.”

Looking ahead, the Cavaliers have more tough matchups coming up. But Cooper said he expects the team to be able to meet the challenge and finish the season strong.

“I love those tests,” he said. “I love playing high competition like that because it sets us up for success later on in the year. I really think this is another year of a 40-win team and making a great run at a regional championship again.”