The Bureau Valley Storm softball team won a regional championship in 2024, but fell in the finals last year.

BV coach Dave Shepard is trying to put the pieces together to get the Storm back on top this spring.

“I have seven seniors this year so hoping that the leadership will help us through the season,” Shepard said.

Senior catcher Emily Wright thinks this season will be a building season for future success.

“Our goal is always to hang a banner. To do that we will need to be ready every game no matter the competition. Never letting up and trusting each other will be key,” she said. “I’m excited to see how far our team will go this year. We want to be remembered, and I don’t think we will have a problem doing that.”

Wright is one three key returning players from last year’s 17-19 campaign to help get them there along with classmate Kadyn Haage and junior Mallory Maubach.

Haage, a steady shortstop, batted .393 with 26 RBIs and seven doubles last year.

Wright returns behind the plate as catcher for the fourth season and will bat in the important No. 3 hole in the lineup. The Coe College signee batted .351 last year with 16 RBIs, nine doubles and a home run.

Maubach split pitching duties last season with Carly Reglin, going 5-5 in the circle with a 2.40 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 58⅓ innings. She will assume the No. 1 this season with Reglin’s graduation.

“Mallory will be our number one on the mound and she has been patiently waiting for this opportunity,” Shepard said.

Wright is looking forward to catching Maubach more this spring.

“Having Mallory on the mound will also be a big component for us. She’s gotten a lot stronger and I’m excited to see how well she does this year,” Wright said. “Obviously we will need to back her up with fielding, but I’m not worried. We have a lot of returning players that can back our pitchers up. There will always be errors made in the field, that’s the game of softball, but it’s how well we bounce back.”

Other senior leaders will be center fielder Abby Jamison and first baseman Kloey Trujillo, joined by classmates Lila Spencer, Addie Crawford and Katrina Wahl.

Junior Maggie Besler will round out the outfield and has been waiting for this opportunity, Shepard said.

Shepard said sophomores Ali Carrington, Danicka Benavidez and Remie Marshall will play important roles and their “speed and ability on defense and offense will be important to our success.”

Junior Tatiana Longmire will get some innings in the circle while freshmen Gabby Trujillo, Avery Bopes and Linden Ferrell will be put in supporting roles which will lead into more responsibilities, Shepard said.

“We open with Hall (Monday) so hopefully we can play a clean game and see what things we need to work on to get better,” Shepard said.

After playing in Class 2A since the inception of the four-class system in 2008, Bureau Valley will drop to 1A for the postseason this spring.

“Being 1A will bring challenges that hopefully we can be successful at and have a good postseason,” Shepard said.

Wright said new assistant coach Darcy Kepner, a former Storm standout, has had a big impact on the team as they prepare for the season.

“We have been working hard these past few weeks at practice. We are going to need to rely on our base running a lot this year, being smart on the bases will win us games,” Wright said.