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Fox Valley Conference
Cary-Grove
Coach: Tammy Olson (27th season)
2019 record: 17-12, 9-7 FVC (fourth)
Top returners: Gwenn Moran, jr., SS; Allison Garski, so., OF; Gianna Arnieri, jr., C-3B
Key newcomers: Rebecca Weaver, fr., P-2B; Katelyn O’Malley, fr., 3B-OF; Madilynn Crick, fr., C-OF
Worth noting: The Trojans took a big step forward the last time they stepped onto the field, finishing fourth in the FVC. Like many teams, C-G will look a lot different after it rostered a lineup full of mostly upperclassmen during the 2019 season, the last year teams played because of the COVID-19 pandemic. … Moran, Garski and Arnieri will be counted on to lead a young group of players. Weaver will jump into the circle as a freshman, Olson said. … “As a new team, I’m excited about the potential this team has,” Olson said. “These athletes are so eager to play and to learn. We’ll have a very tough schedule and are looking forward to competing everyday.”
Crystal Lake Central
Coach: Brain Strombom (14th season)
2019 record: 10-19, 4-12 FVC (eighth)
Top returners: Baylee Snell, sr., C; Courtney Schober, jr., OF; Olivia Arndt, jr., OF; Gianna Carone, so., P
Key newcomers: Katie Svigelj, so., IF-P; Giada Motto, fr., 3B
Worth noting: The Tigers are fairly young with only two seniors on their roster. Central started its season with a 14-2 loss to Richmond-Burton, but Strombom felt like his team was competitive in the loss. Carone smacked a homer in her first high school at-bat. … Central has upped its win total in each of the past three seasons, going from four wins to seven to 10, after winning a regional title in 2016. Strombom will look to Snell, who will play at McHenry County College, Schober and Arndt to lead the offense. … “This group is a bit short on experience at the varsity level, but has good team chemistry,” Strombom said. “We should be able to compete with solid pitching and timely hitting. Our pitching and catching will be our strengths.”
Crystal Lake South
Coach: Pat Kelly (first season)
2019 record: 32-3, 14-2 FVC (first), Class 3A regional champions
Top returners: Brooke Kuffel, sr., SS-P; Alexis Pupillo, jr., C; Evelyn Smith, sr., 2B-OF
Key newcomers: Kennedy Grippo, so., P-SS; Molly Cook, so., 3B
Worth noting: The Gators went 32-3 in 2019, capturing their first outright FVC title since 1986 and first regional title since 2008. South’s season ended with a 5-4 loss in eight innings to eventual Class 3A state champion Sycamore in the sectional semifinals. … Kelly takes over for Scott Busam, who resigned after the 2019 season and finished with a 285-167 record in 15 seasons as the program’s all-time winningest coach.… Kuffel and Pupillo will be one of the area’s top hitting duos after the two combined to score 110 runs and drive in 95 runs two years ago. Kuffel, who will play next year at Wisconsin, was an All-Area second-team selection, hitting .429 with 13 homers, nine doubles, 64 runs and 52 RBIs. Pupillo, an All-Area first team pick, hit .531 with 17 doubles, 43 RBIs ad 46 runs. … South started the 2019 season on a 19-game winning streak. … “This team has several great senior leaders and some exciting young talent,” Kelly said. “This mix will be fun to manage. I’m excited to see what this team can accomplish.”
Dundee-Crown
Coach: Tracy Beatty (13th season)
2019 record: 8-21, 3-13 FVC (ninth)
Top returners: Mariana Lewis, sr., OF-1B; Alyssa Robertson, jr., CF; Addison Pino, so., P; Kendall Brents, so., 1B; Kailyn Wiebe, jr., C; Gianna Ciotola, so., OF
Key newcomers: McKayla Anderson, fr., P-SS; Linda Dearing, so., 3B; Annabelle Pederson, fr., 2B
Worth noting: The Chargers took a step back last season, going from 19 wins and a second-place finish in the FVC to eight wins and a ninth-place finish. Before that, D-C averaged 18 wins from 2015 to 2018. … All but one player is new to varsity this year. Robertson received four plate appearances and pitched in two games as a freshman. The rest of the team had no prior varsity experience. Still, Beatty likes the team’s depth and pitching potential. ... Anderson already has four homers in three games for D-C. … “We have a very young but talented group of softball players,” Beatty said. “We will have three pitchers who are very consistent. While we may be young, I feel we are very talented and have a passion for the game.”
Hampshire
Coach: Kelly Wasilewski (fifth season)
2019 record: 16-19, 6-10 FVC (tied for sixth)
Top returners: Miki Snider, sr., 3B; Bridget Haefling, sr., C; Madison Kinczewski, jr., CF
Key newcomers: Abby Lentz, fr., SS; Noelle Scott, jr., P
Worth noting: The Whip-Purs went from fourth to sixth place in the FVC last season. … Snider, who will play next year at St. Thomas (Minnesota) earned All-Area honorable mention accolades as a sophomore. She was a big run producer and hit in the middle of the lineup for the Whips, hitting .327 with nine home runs 10 doubles, 36 RBIs and 34 runs scored. … Hampshire last won a regional title in 2015, Wasilewski’s first year with the Whips. … “This season, we have a young and focused group of girls who are eager to learn from our strong senior leadership,” Wasilewski said.
Huntley
Coach: Mark Petryniec (17th season)
2019 record: 35-7, 13-3 FVC (second), Class 4A state champions
Top returners: Brianna Bower, sr., P; Lindsay Morgan, sr., C; Reese Hunkins, jr., SS; Abigail Simandl, sr., 2B; Marley Reicher sr., OF; Jori Heard, jr., P; Clara Hudgens, so., OF; Katie Mitchell, so. OF; Madison Smith, so., IF; Alyssa Ekstrom, so. OF
Key newcomers: Alexandra Kiriakopoulos, sr., 1B; Zoe Butow, sr., 1B-C; Sara Rysavy, sr., IF; Zoe Doherty, jr. C-IF; Lauren Ryan, jr., OF
Worth noting: The Red Raiders won the school’s first state title with a 1-0 win in eight innings against St. Charles East in the Class 4A state championship game. ... Bower, a Mississippi Commit, was the 2019 Northwest Herald Softball Player of the Year after a remarkable sophomore season. She went 27-5 with a 1.12 ERA, 0.73 WHIP and an area-high 353 strikeouts in 212 1/3 innings. Bower tossed two perfect games and two other no-hitters during the 2019 season. Hunkins was an All-Area honorable mention pick as a freshman and is committed to Illinois. She hit .412 with 27 RBIs, 28 runs, 10 doubles and three triples. ... Bower, Hunkins, Morgan, Reicher, Heard and Simandl all were on the 2019 state championship team. No school has ever won back-to-back Class 4A state titles. ... Morgan will play at Keiser University (Florida). ... “It has been too long and our coaching staff is very happy to see our players again,” Petryniec said. “It is unfortunate that our seniors lost a chance to compete and our kids want to compete in their honor this year. Losing a year of play, we are still finding our team identity.”
Jacobs
Coach: Katie O’Brien (sixth season)
2019 record: 16-13, 7-9 FVC (fifth)
Top returners: Delaney Garden, sr., P-OF; Sarah Lynch, sr., P-OF; Abbey Nesnidal, jr., P-OF
Key newcomers: CiCi Di Silvio, so., SS ; Liz Smith, so., C
Worth noting: Jacobs placed fifth in the FVC for the second straight season in 2019. On Friday, the Golden Eagles pounded out 20 runs and 19 hits against Grayslake North. Caitlin Cook had two home runs and five RBIs. … Garden (Lewis University) and Lynch (North Central College) are the Golden Eagles’ only two seniors and both are returning four-year starters. Garden was an All-Area first-team pick as a sophomore, going 10-9 with a 3.20 ERA and 132 strikeouts. She also led the team with a .462 batting average, along with 13 doubles and 31 runs. Lynch was named All-Area honorable mention. … O’Brien would like to use this season as a learning experience with so many new players but still expects to be competitive. … “We are so excited to have a season,” O’Brien said. “This year is about learning to play together. Our seniors have a lot of experience and I know they will lead this team on and off the field.”
McHenry
Coach: Mikaela Mitsch (second season)
2019 record: 23-13, 10-6 FVC (third), Class 4A regional champions
Top returners: Kyra Lard, sr., OF-SS; Lauren Sena, sr., OF-1B
Key newcomers: Natalie Sorensen, jr., C-2B,-OF; Kiana Johnson, sr., OF; Emma Stolzman, so., C-3B; Nevayah Munoz, so., 3B; Cooper Ten Bruin, so., C-SS; Abby Geis, so., C-2B
Worth noting: The Warriors have been one of the area’s most successful teams in the past decade, winning Class 4A regional titles in seven of the past eight seasons. McHenry nearly knocked off Class 4A state champion Huntley in the sectional title game two years ago, suffering a 4-3 loss. The Warriors improved by nine wins overall. Both Lard and Sena are the only returners from the 2019 team. Sena will play at Valparaiso and Lard at Wisconsin-La Crosse next year. … “Some might say that our weakness is our age but I say it makes us stronger,” Mitsch said. “We understand that mistakes with be made but that means we will come out stronger on the other end. We are grateful to have a season this year and we are going to make the most of it by laying it all out on the field.”
Prairie Ridge
Coach: Jim Summaria (first season)
2019 record: 8-18, 6-10 FVC (tied for sixth)
Top returners: Bella Crimaldi, sr., 3B; Julia Vosberg, sr., CF; Nichole Kiddy, sr., SS
Key newcomers: Elena Smith, jr., P; Emily Harlow, fr., 1B; Mary Myers, fr., 2B; Hope McHugh, jr., C; Carleigh Johnson, jr, OF
Worth noting: Summaria is Prairie Ridge’s third coach in five years and takes over for Jan Brown, who led the past two seasons and helped lead Prairie Ridge to a regional title in 2018. … Kiddy and Crimaldi were two of the top hitters for the Wolves in 2019. Kiddy hit .378 with 30 runs and nine steals and Crimaldi hit .306 with eight doubles. … Prairie Ridge lost to Vernon Hills, 15-14, in a slugfest to starts its season on Friday. Crimaldi, McHugh, Harlow, Myers and Kiddy all had multiple hits. … Summaria and the Wolves enter the new season with big expectations. “We have a good mix of experienced athletes who know the game and we expect to compete for the conference championship,” Summaria said. “We are excited just to be playing high school softball again.”
Kishwaukee River Conference
Harvard
Coach: Becky Edinger (sixth season)
2019 record: 13-13, 2-10 KRC (fifth)
Top returners: Montana Brincks, sr., OF; Michaela Froehlich, sr., IF; Emma Ackland, sr., IF
Worth noting: The Hornets will look to build off a strong 2019 campaign that saw them more than double their win total, going from six wins to 13 and placing fifth in the KRC. Harvard picked up KRC wins against Woodstock and Burlington Central, which moved to the FVC in 2020. Brincks, Froehlich and Ackland all played significant roles on that team as sophomores. … Brincks will continue her softball career at Grace College (Indiana). … “This is a group of girls that have worked hard during the offseason and have a lot of combined varsity experience,” Edinger said. “They work well together and are very focused on improving and competing as a team. Our senior leadership, experience and work ethic are definitely strengths, and provide us with a solid foundation. The team is eager to get back on the field and compete.”
Johnsburg
Coach: Jamie Smeigh (third season)
2019 record: 13-15, 5-7 (fourth)
Top returners: Kate Linkletter, sr., 3B; Megan Patterson, sr., C; Addison Mass, jr., P; Emilia Wizceb, so., P; Brooke Klosowicz, so., SS
Key newcomers: Nicole Jihlavec, fr., IF; Ella Smith, fr., IF
Worth noting: The Skyhawks improved by six wins overall and jumped a couple of spots in the KRC standings in 2019, going from sixth to fourth. Johnsburg opened its season Thursday with a 4-3 victory over Antioch, with Mass throwing a complete game and Linkletter providing the game-winning RBI. … Linkletter was an All-Area second-team pick as a sophomore and is committed to Wisconsin. She hit .452 with 16 doubles, three triples, seven home runs, 39 runs, 26 RBIs, while reaching base in exactly half of her plate appearances. … Smeigh thinks Johnsburg will be strong in pitching this season. Klosowicz will provide plenty of power after she was set to join the varsity team last year as a freshman. She and Linkletter each have three homers after the first week. … “With having last season canceled, we are excited to see what our young players from last year and this year can do,” Smeigh said. “Our expectations are still high.”
Marengo
Coach: Dwain Nance (14th season)
2019 record: 24-16, 9-3 KRC (second), Class 3A sectional champions
Top returners: Jenna Turner, sr., SS; Brooke Behrens, sr., P
Key newcomers: Savannah Swanson, sr., OF; Courtney Jasinski, jr., 2B-C; Lilly Kunzer, fr., P; Emily White, fr., 3B-P; Maddy Christopher, so., OF; Kelly Karczewski, sr., C: Amanda Trotz, so., 1B
Worth noting: The Indians lost to Sycamore, 4-1, at the Class 3A Kaneland Supersectional to end its 2019 season. Sycamore went on to win the state title, while Marengo captured its 13th straight regional title and third sectional title in the past five years. … Behrens, an All-Area second-team pick in 2019, returns to the circle after posting a 19-6 record as a sophomore. She recorded a 2.77 ERA with 116 strikeouts over 161 2/3 innings. … Turner hit .358 with 37 runs in 2019 and added 20 steals. She’ll be a fixture at the top of the lineup after earning All-Area honorable mention honors two years ago. … Nance said several underclassmen will be playing prominent roles, including Kunzer, White and Christopher. … Jasinski is the third in her family to start for Nance. … “With COVID-19 shutting down the 2020 team, we really are unsure what we will look like,” Nance said. “We have several players playing volleyball, so the first three weeks will be interesting. This team will work hard and be tested throughout the regular season.”
Richmond-Burton
Coach: Vicki Klopf (fourth season)
2019 record: 18-4-1, 10-2 KRC (first)
Top returners: Rachel Baker, sr., 2B-C; Carys De Lucia, sr., 1B-3B; Jesse Klicker, sr., UTIL-P; Peyton Kupsak, jr., 3B-C
Key newcomers: Taylor Davison, so., C-3B; Sydney Hird, fr., SS; Lyndsay Regnier, so., 3B-UTIL; Norah Spittler, so., 1B; Mia Spohr, so., SS-P
Worth noting: R-B has scored 46 runs in its first three games, hitting 13 home runs. De Lucia, Baker and Davison have hit three apiece. Baker hit all three of her homers in a 17-15 win against McHenry on Friday. … The Rockets still have many key parts remaining from their KRC championship team two years ago. R-B’s biggest loss to graduation was 2019 KRC Player of the Year Peyton Bannon (now starting and batting leadoff at Wisconsin), who led the team with a .541 batting average and 14 homers. … Klicker hit .500 as a sophomore with seven home runs and 37 RBIs. She also was one of R-B’s top pitchers, going 6-1. Klicker, an All-Area honorable mention pick as a sophomore, and Baker both will play at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. … De Lucia hit seven home runs as a sophomore and earned All-Area honorable mention accolades. Kupsak hit .422. … Klopf is excited about her team’s depth and promising group of underclassmen. … “We’re hoping to pick up right where we left off,” Klopf said.
Woodstock
Coach: Shandon Nixon (first season)
2019 record: 7-18, 1-11 KRC (sixth)
Top returners: CaroleAnn Goglin, sr., C; Meghan Nixon, sr., SS; Kiley Ryan, jr., P; Grace Karner, jr., 1B
Key newcomers: Delaney Heidtke, so., 3B; Grace Ribbe, fr., IF
Worth noting: Shandon Nixon, who takes over for Brian Heidtke, sees a lot of upside and reasons for optimism going into her first season as head coach. The Blue Streaks’ biggest strengths are at pitcher, catcher and shortstop, Shandon Nixon said. … Ryan tossed a complete-game shutout with 17 strikeouts in the season opener against Hampshire on Thursday. … Goglin (Wisconsin-Parkside) and Meghan Nixon (Augustana) will continue their softball careers at the next level. … “We have a great group of highly-skilled and high-character upperclassmen to help lead the team,” Shandon Nixon said. “We have some younger players that will have an opportunity to contribute significantly. It will be fun to see what this team can accomplish.”
Woodstock North
Coach: Paul Sandall (second season)
2019 record: 15-15-1, 8-4 KRC (third)
Top returners: Piper Benedict, sr., SS; Mykenzie Selof, sr., 2B; Alyssa Carlin, jr., P; Mackenzie Salazar, sr., C
Key newcomers: Addison Salazar, fr., 3B-OF; JoJo Vermett, fr., P-1B; Norah Mungle, so., C; Georgia Sedlack, fr., P-OF
Worth noting: The Thunder banged out 16 hits in a 13-2 season-opening victory over Belvidere North on Thursday. … North has finished with its most wins in program history the past two seasons. Only the 2018 team had more wins (18) than the 2019 team. … Benedict likely will be a staple at leadoff after posting 15 doubles and 24 runs as a sophomore. … Despite losing ace pitcher Ellie Thurow, the program’s all-time leader with strikeouts (899), to graduation in 2019, Sandall again sees pitching as a strength for the Thunder. … “We are a young but talented team,” Sandall said. “Our expectations again are to battle for the conference title and hopefully more. Pitching will be one of our strengths. We have a good mix of returners and newcomers.”
Northeastern Athletic Conference
Alden-Hebron
Coach: Brook Winkelman (second season)
2019 record: 9-9, 5-1 NAC
Top returners: Abby Wanderer, sr., P; Rhayn Holicz, sr., 1B; Korhyn Geary, jr., C; Corrine Elswick, jr., 3B
Key newcomers: Kendra Cashmore, sr.; Olivia Sorensen, so.; Maggie Bernal-Salinas; Jessica Webber, fr.; Hannah Reiter, fr.; Lizbeth Olmedo, fr.; Adriana Valdez, fr.; Evelyn Heber, fr.
Worth noting: Winkelman said South Beloit is one of the teams to beat in the NAC. The Giants have a small roster this year and have struggled with numbers. A-H still is looking to win its first regional in program history. … Wanderer, Holicz, Geary and Elswick all played on the varsity team in 2019. … “After not having a season last year, our team has to regroup,” Winkelman said. “Our numbers are small so that we are trying to fill every position. The girls have been working hard to improve. We hope to be competitive in our conference. Our strengths are that our returning players have great knowledge of the game and are strong leaders.”