Softball preview: A look at the seasons ahead for Seneca, Sandwich, Fieldcrest and our teams in the Little Ten

Here is a team-by-team season preview for softball teams across The Times coverage area.

Editor’s note: Team previews for Ottawa, Streator, Marquette and WFC have already run in previous print editions and online at https://www.shawlocal.com/illinois-valley .

Newark

Coach: Jon “Woody” Wood (1st season)

Last season: 30-2 (12-0 Little Ten)

Top returning players: Ryan Williams, SS, sr.; Danica Peshia, C/UT, sr.; Kodi Rizzo, P/UT, sr.; Kate Bromeland, 1B, jr.; Dottie Wood, P/2B, jr.

Top newcomer: Adelaide Johnson, 3B/OF, fr.

Worth noting: The Norsemen have a new coaching staff and graduated a handful of standout performers led by all-stater and Times All-Area first-teamer Kaitlyn Schofield, but return key contributors such as Peshia (.500, seven home runs, 48 RBIs, 50 runs scored, Times All-Area first team) Rizzo (.400, five homers, 20 RBIs, 44 runs; 7-0 pitching record with a 1.09 ERA, Times second team) and Williams (.506, four home runs, 40 RBIs, 33 runs, Times second team). Johnson is the type of athlete who can make an immediate impact as a freshman playing varsity, but it’s the returning seniors and juniors whom Wood expects to lead the way. “As with any team when there is a change in the coaching staff, learning a new system and expectations of the athletes will take time,’ Wood said. “We are a large team of 17 athletes, and communication and learning every athlete’s role will take some time. We expect to have our athletes ready to compete at a high level and to continue the tradition of winning and building athletes of high character at Newark High School.”

Earlville

Coaches: Shannon Cook (28th season) and Sarah Johnson (1st season)

Last season: 4-12 (4-8 Little Ten)

Top returning players: Chesney Auter, sr.; Bailey Miller, so.; Shelby Garbacz, so.; Mya Ramey, so.; Sophia Kordick, so.

Top newcomers: Addie Scherer, fr.; Kiley Franzese, fr.; Rylee Hill, fr.; Payton Actis, fr.; Chasity Stavenhagen, fr.; Samantha Sanders, fr.; Evelyn Kern, fr.; Lou Lorand, fr.

Worth noting: Miller might be the most proven returner for the Red Raiders, last season batting .367 and scoring 14 runs as a freshman. Youth again will be the way of things for Earlville, with freshmen forced into immediate varsity action and sophomores asked to take on leadership roles after gaining experience last spring. “We are young and have a lot of softball to learn,” Cook said. “The girls who played last year will really need to step up to form a firm foundation for the team. I expect the girls to gain confidence as the season progresses.” The Red Raiders have reduced their varsity schedule by cutting the majority of nonconference games.

Somonauk/Leland

Coach: Hannah Bazan (3rd season)

Last season: 9-12 (7-5 Little Ten)

Top returning players: Haley McCoy, OF, sr.; Jayla Anderson, 2B, so.; Izzy Podnar, P, so.

Top newcomers: Brooke Bahrey, IF, fr.; Kennedy Bershinger, OF, fr.; Kaydence Eade, P/IF, fr.; Addie Werner, 3B, fr.

Worth noting: The Bobcats had to deal with some offseason adversity, losing players to injuries, moves out of the district and the end of Hinckley-Big Rock’s participation in the co-op, which still includes Leland. Still, there’s reason to suspect those who remain will be able to put together a good season with “team” a point of emphasis for Bazan and Co. “Coming into the season, we are seeing this group of girls able to catch on quickly to things,” Bazan said. “They are quick learners and already have the fundamentals down, which has allowed us to speed into more specifics. We have more upperclassmen than we’ve had in the past three years, so we are seeing girls rise up into the leadership roles and helping guide the younger girls.” How quickly the freshmen adapt to the varsity game will go a long way toward determining how the Bobcats’ season turns out.

Serena

Coach: Kelly Baker (15th season)

Last season: 21-9 (10-2 Little Ten)

Top returning players: Paisley Twait, 3B/C, sr.; Jenna Setchell, SS/P, jr.; Maddie Glade, P, jr.; RayElle Brennan, C/3B, jr.; Lanee Cole, UT, jr.; Makayla McNally, OF, sr.; Alyssa Engel, 1B/P; Cassie Walsh, P, so.; Cali Edwards, OF/P, sr.; Hannah McNelis, 2B, jr.

Top newcomers: Brynley Glade, UT, fr.; Finley Brodbeck, C/3B, fr.; Finley Jobst, OF/2B, fr.; Maddie Young, OF, fr.; Emily Hoffman, OF, fr.

Worth noting: Perennially in the hunt for the Little Ten title and postseason hardware, this spring’s Huskers look armed to carry on that tradition. Twait (.479, five home runs, 23 RBIs, 33 runs) was a Times All-Area first-team selection last year, Glade (.436, 17 RBIs; 11-3 pitching with a 3.50 ERA) was on the second team, and Brennan (.444, 10 RBIs, 27 runs) was honorable mention after a regional championship campaign. Setchell (.344, 17 RBIs) and Cole (.426, 20 RBIs, 26 runs) were also standouts last spring and should be again for another strong season of Serena softball. “I am really excited for this season,” Baker said. “This team is strong and experienced. I think we should be able to finish near the top of the conference like last year. One of the goals we have this year is to continue to get better throughout the season. We need to stay focused and not settle.”

Seneca

Coach: Brian Holman (5th season)

Last season: 22-9-1 (13-1 Tri-County)

Top returning players: Sam Vandevelde, SS/3B, sr.; Alyssa Zellers, SS/3B, jr.; Tessa Krull, P, so.; Lexie Buis, C, so.; Audry McNabb, OF, jr.; Camryn Stecken, 1B, so.; Taylor Mino, UT, sr.

Top newcomers: Katie Arnold, UT, sr.; Hannah Prohaska, OF, jr.

Worth noting: It was a heck of a rookie season for Krull (19-4 pitching with a 1.42 ERA, Times All-Area first team), Buis (20 RBIs, Times All-Area honorable mention) and Stecken, who all hit over .300 as freshmen and were arguably even more impressive in the field. Combine their return a year wiser with those of Times first-teamers Vandevelde (.490, five home runs, 34 RBIs, 39 runs scored) and Zellers (.432, 42 runs, 32-of-32 in stolen bases) and honorable mentionee McNabb (.367, four homers, 27 RBIs, 34 runs) plus the other returning starters, and the Fighting Irish look loaded for another stellar season. How quickly freshmen filling spots get up to speed might determine how far the team goes come the postseason. “We’re going to do our best to win,” Holman said. “With the addition of St. Bede, our conference is tough, and our subsectional last year was one of the best in the state. Our postseason/conference path doesn’t look much easier this year, so we’re going to have to get better, be a little tougher and do the small things right to take the next step.”

Sandwich

Coach: Mattie McGuire (9th season)

Last season: 14-13 (5-9 Interstate 8)

Top returning players: Aubrey Cyr, P, jr.; Gianna Lawrence, OF, sr.

Worth noting: The Indians move to the Kishwaukee River Conference, with going above .500 and avenging a regional championship game loss to new league rival Johnsburg among the goals. To do so, Sandwich will rely on Cyr, an Interstate 8 all-conference performer last spring, as well as four-year varsity player Lawrence with the potent top half of last year’s lineup gone to graduation. Leadership from the returning players will be a key factor in the Indians’ success. “We’re excited for all of our returning varsity players to show leadership experience for our juniors that have high athletic skills’ first year on varsity,” McGuire said. “This year’s strengths come from the amount of girls who have varsity experience since their sophomore year.”

Fieldcrest

Coach: Elizabeth Kay (10th season)

Last season: 4-17 (1-9 Heart of Illinois)

Top returning players: Keara Barisch, P, jr.; Pru Mangan, C/UT, so.; Allie Wiesenhofer, 3B, sr.; Bella Fortner, OF, sr.; Kaylin Rients, OF/UT, sr.; Aliah Celis, UT, sr.; Ella Ruestman, IF, sr.; Cassidy Palm, OF, sr.

Top newcomer: TeriLynn Timmerman, IF, fr.

Worth noting: Last year was a down one for the usually strong Knights program, and while the graduation of a couple top performers from that 2023 team will sting, the return of players such as Mangan (.397, 13 RBIs) and Barisch (.380, 18 RBIs; 3-12 pitching with a 5.48 ERA) plus an influx of young talent has Kay hopeful for a better 2024. “We are a very athletic team with lots of underclassmen eager to make an impact,” she said. “[Our goals are] to improve from last year and compete in the HOIC. We have a great group of student-athletes that work hard every day to become better players, and I’m looking forward to seeing that transfer into results.”