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With the season underway, here is a breakdown of the Putnam County, Mendota, Princeton, Bureau Valley, Earlville, Fieldcrest and Henry-Senachwine softball teams.
Putnam County
Coach: Adrianna Zeman
Last year’s record: 15-8, 7-7 Tri-County
Top returners: Gabby Doyle, sr.; Kylee Moore, sr.; Salina Breckenridge, sr.; Maggie Richetta, sr.
Worth noting: The Panthers return seven starters and nine players overall for Zeman’s second season. “We have a lot of experience on this team,” Zeman said. “We learned and grew a lot together as a group last year and being able to return nine girls has been huge for our program to continue moving forward and building from day one.” Doyle (.356), Moore (.344) and Breckenridge (.344) were three of the team’s top five hitters last spring, while Richetta (3 HR, 32 RBIs is expected to provide pop in the middle of the lineup. “We have a good mix of strength, speed and aggressiveness throughout the lineup that will help us manufacture runs,” Zeman said. Senior Paxton Stunkel takes over as the No. 1 pitcher after getting some innings last season. “Paxton is a competitor and has a great catcher alongside her to complete the battery,” Zeman said. “Once she gets in her groove, I think it’s going to be fun to watch her compete this year.”
Mendota
Coach: Joel Perez
Last year’s record: 5-16, 3-9 Three Rivers East
Top returners: Ryleigh Sondgeroth, sr., P/IF; Madelyn Becker, sr., C/OF; Ava Eddy, jr., P/IF; Kirby Bond, jr., IF; Lily Bokus, jr., IF
Key newcomers: Ella Coss, jr., P/IF
Worth noting: The Trojans return only four players who saw significant playing time last season in Sondgeroth, Becker, Eddy and Bond. Sondgeroth is starting the season injured. Bokus saw limited action last spring, but Perez said she’s “having a nice couple weeks of practice.” Coss missed a large chunk of last season because of injury. “We’re hopeful she will come in and give us another very capable player,” said Perez, who added the Trojans will need underclassmen to step up and fill some positions. Becker was a first-team all-conference pick last season, and Sondgeroth was a second-team selection. They’re expected to lead the Mendota offense. “I’m always optimistic that we will be able to put the bat on the ball and score some runs,” Perez said. “As seniors, I’m expecting Ryleigh and Madelyn to be a big part of the offense. Ava Eddy is going to be at the top of the lineup. She had a nice season last year. Bond, Coss and Bokus will be in the line providing some varsity experience.” Sondgeroth and Eddy both return as pitchers, but with the uncertainty with Sondgeroth’s injury, Eddy will handle the bulk of the duties in the pitching circle. Defensively, the Trojans are trying to figure out the best lineup. “I have always been a stickler for defense, but with so many new players, we are figuring out who belongs where,” Perez said. “We’re still moving the pieces around, but we’re working hard on having a solid defense.”
Princeton
Coach: Jhavon Hayes
Last year’s record: 8-14, 5-5 Three Rivers East
Top returners: Kelsea Klingenberg, jr., OF; Sylvie Rutledge, so., IF/OF; Makayla Hecht, so., IF/OF; Carline Keutzer, so., OF; Izzy Gibson, so., C; Reese Reviglio, so., P; Ella Harp, jr., IF; Sam Woolley, jr., C
Key newcomers: Keely Lawson, so., IF/OF; Avah Oertel, fr., P/OF; Kyrra Morris, fr.
Worth noting: The Tigresses bring back eight starters from last year’s team, losing only NewsTribune All-Area pick Isa Ibarra. “Last year was obviously a rebuilding year, and we’re still rebuilding. Our goal is to at least double our wins,” Hayes said. “We’ve got everybody back but Isa [Ibarra], so we’ve got eight returning starters. It’s a good problem to have when I’m struggling to figure out who’s going to go where.” Klingenberg will lead the offense after hitting .406 with 19 runs, 12 RBIs and 12 steals last spring. Gibson (four HR, 24 RBIs) will provide some pop. Gibson, Hecht and Rutledge all hit over .300 last season. Newcomers Lawsom, Oertel and Morris are expected to make an immediate impact. Lawson practiced with the Tigresses last season but had to sit out after transferring from Bureau Valley.
Bureau Valley
Coach: Dave Shepard
Last year’s record: 14-13, 7-5 Three Rivers East
Top returners: Carly Reglin, sr., P/IF; Madison Smith, jr., P/OF; Lesleigh Maynard, jr., IF; Olivia Eckberg, sr., IF; Kate Stoller, sr., OF; Emma Stabler, sr., OF; Emily Wright, so., C/IF
Key newcomers: Sadie Bailey, jr., P/IF; Kadyn Haage, so., C/IF
Worth noting: Shepard takes over as head coach for the Storm after being involved with the program on and off over the years, including last season as a JV assistant. He inherits an experienced roster with several returning starters. Reglin (8-3, 4.77 ERA) and Smith (6-11, 3.72) give the Storm a one-two punch in the pitching circle. Reglin also will play second, and Smith will play center field when not pitching. Maynard returns for her third season at shortstop, while Eckberg at first base, Stoller and Stabler in the outfield and Wright at catcher/third base also are back. Maynard will spark the offense as the team’s leadoff hitter. She hit .576 with 18 steals last spring. “Our pitching should be top of the line and we’ve got two really good catchers who can handle the pitching,” Shepard said. “The question is always, ‘Are they going to hit?’ I would like to score three to five runs a game and hold them under two. It’s not like you’ve got to go out and score 100 runs. We need probably five to be where we should be.”
Earlville
Coaches: Shannon Cook (28th season) and Sarah Johnson (first 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, batting .367 and scoring 14 runs last season as a freshman. Youth will be the way of things for Earlville again, 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.
Fieldcrest
Coach: Elizabeth Kay
Last year’s record: 3-17, 1-9 Heart of Illinois Conference
Top returners: Keara Barisch, jr., P; Pru Mangan, so., C/Ut.; Allie Wiesenhofer, sr., IF; Bella Fortner, Sr., OF; Kaylin Rients, sr., OF/Ut.; Aliah Celis, sr., Ut.; Ella Ruestman, sr., IF; Cassidy Palm, sr., OF
Key newcomers: TeriLynn Timmerman, fr., IF
Worth noting: The Knights lost four players to graduation but return a strong core. “We are a very athletic team with lots of underclassmen eager to make an impact,” Kay said. “Our goal is to improve from last year and compete in the HOIC. We have a great group of student-athletes who work hard every day to become a better player, and I’m looking forward to seeing that transfer into results.” Barisch pitched over 100 innings last spring and hit .380. Mangan, who also competes in track and field, hit .397 last year. ‘I expect quality at-bats throughout the lineup, especially at the top of the order,” Kay said. “We have athletes who can hit for power as well as play small ball.”
Henry-Senachwine
Coach: Lori Stenstrom
Last year’s record: 12-12, 6-8 Tri-County
Top returners: Kaitlyn Anderson, jr., C; Lauren Harbison, jr., P; Abbie Stanbary, sr., OF; Brooklynn Thompson, so., IF/C
Worth noting: The Mallards will be solid defensively with several key starters back, including Harbison in the circle and Anderson behind the plate. Senior Mackenzie Hartwig is back to play third base after missing last season with a knee injury. “Defense will be our strength,” Stenstrom said. “We have looked defensively the past two games.” Anderson will lead the offense after hitting .521 with four triples, three home runs, 25 RBIs and 19 runs last season. Harbison and Stanbary also will be key offensive contributors. “Our goal is to be in the top half of the conference,” Stenstrom said. “We have a lot of players who can play multiple positions and they have a lot of experience. If we can score some runs, we should be in every ballgame.”