2014 Highland County Softball Preview: Lots of changes set for softball season
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
Listed are 2014 Highland County softball previews for Fairfield, Hillsboro, Lynchburg-Clay, McClain and Whiteoak.
FAIRFIELD LADY LIONS
Head Coach:
Mark Dettwiller
2013 Record: 15-11
The Fairfield Lady Lions have high expectations for the 2014 season as they are coming off a season where they were district champions, advancing to the regional round of postseason competition.
For the Lady Lions, they are now led by new head coach Mark Dettwiller, as former head coach Matthew Zimmerman went out on his own terms, retiring after five seasons where his teams won three Southern Hills Athletic Conference titles, two district championships and were regional runners-up in 2011.
As for Dettwiller, he's no stranger to the softball diamond as he was previously an assistant coach for the McClain Lady Tigers (six seasons) and coaches a summer softball team.
"I can't say enough about how receptive the whole community of Leesburg has been," Dettwiller said. "They've welcomed me with open arms, and I'm just excited to be a part of such a historic program. I'm really looking forward to getting the season under way and seeing what we can do."
Assistant coach Tom Purtell spoke about Dettwiller, as he enters his 21st season as an assistant for the Lady Lions.
"We are excited to have Mark here," Purtell said. "Very rarely do you find a person that shares the passion of the game like we do here. We strive to be a program of excellence, and we've had interesting battles with Mark when he was wearing purple and gold. We are excited to have someone from a high-caliber program come over to our side."
Now for the 2014 season, the Lady Lions (15-11 in 2013) will have five seniors, five juniors, two sophomores and two freshmen on the varsity roster.
Seniors this season are Shelby Smithson, Mikayla Coleman, Taylor Avedisian, Halie Chain and Cynnamon Sova-Davy. Chain was second-team All-District last season.
The junior class consists of Shaylee Carson, Kaitlin Evans, Justice Hattan, Arica Melson and Heather Sanderson. The two sophomores are Grace Larrick and Casey Carter, and the freshmen are Kourtnie Smith and Carly Arnold.
Evans and Melson were honorable mention All-District one year ago.
Larrick was the leading batter for FHS last season with a batting average of .377, followed by Smithson at .366. Larrick also had 26 hits (one double) and seven RBIs. Larrick also batted .345 with runners in scoring position.
Larrick led FHS with 20 steal, followed by Evans with 19.
Smithson, who was second-team All-Ohio, finished with a team-high six home runs with 26 RBIs, with four doubles, one triple and 54 total bases. She batted .474 with RISP, along with a .659 slugging percentage.
Carson batted .344 in 32 at-bats in '13, and Sanderson had a BA of .338 (19 RBIs) in 71at-bats last year. Evans had an on-base percentage of .409.
As a team last season, FHS batted .291.
In the pitching circle last season, Melson started 23 games with a 15-8 overall record in 141 innings pitched. As a sophomore last season, she totaled 156 strikeouts with an ERA of 3.08. She pitched 18 complete games. She held opponents to a .243 batting average.
"It is a luxury to have so many players back this season," Purtell said. "We do have freshmen and sophomores pushing the juniors and seniors for their positions, and competition within a team is always a good thing. It is nice though to have the entire infield defense returning."
Coach Dettwiller can't wait for the season to begin.
"Like I said before, Leesburg has opened up their arms to me, and when I step into a program that is mature like this one, it is a good thing," he said. "I've coached quite a few of these girls in summer ball and some of them since they were in the eighth grade, and I'm excited to get things rolling this season."
- - - - - -
HILLSBORO
LADY INDIANS
Head Coach:
Catie Moberly
2013 Record: 8-15
Hillsboro's softball program took a step in the right direction in 2013, and they are looking forward to continuing that trend in 2014 with many players returning to a team that won eight games, including one in the postseason.
Led by head coach Catie Moberly, the Lady Indians have two seniors on their roster this season in Rachel Sexton (C/3B) and Taylor Hoop (P/OF).
Juniors for the Lady Indians include Ali Stratton (2B) and Kirsten Juillerat (P/1B).
There are six sophomores on the varsity roster in Hanna Breeden (P/1B), Kerstin Thornburgh (SS/P), Madison Snyder (3B/C), Emily Myers (OF/C), Jamie Jones (UTL) and Camryn Remsing (UTL).
Breeden was Division II honorable mention.
"Hanna and Kerstin helped lead the team in batting last year and are expected to carry that on this year," Moberly said. "We have great leadership being shown by both Ali and Madison this year and have everything you could ask for in returning players.
"Rachel and Kirsten have returned this year and have been stepping up their contributions."
Coach Moberly also spoke about the newcomers to the roster, while also speaking about the South Central Ohio League.
"There are a few new players to the roster this year that I expect will step in and make their mark," she said. "You never know what to expect with other teams from year to year, but I am sure the league will continue to be strong.
"If we continue to improve from one year to the next, then we are doing what we need to do. I expect Hillsboro softball to continue doing what we need to do and to continue to improve their standings."
- - - - - -
[[In-content Ad]]LYNCHBURG-CLAY
Lady Mustangs
Head Coach:
Spring Roberts
2013 Record: 6-12
For the third consecutive season, the Lynchburg-Clay Lady Mustangs will have a new softball coach, as this season Spring Roberts takes over to lead the program.
This season, LC has a total of four seniors, two juniors, three sophomores and eight freshmen on the roster as they look to turn the program around.
The senior class consists of Megan Pointer (2B), Brittany Allen (1B), Nikki Jones (P/OF) and Kirsten Banks (P/OF).
Juniors include Madysyn Creighton (SS) and MyKenzie Reynolds (3B/OF). The sophomores are Jonna Johnson (OF), Chelsi Hacker (OF) and Madison Wills (OF).
Creighton was second-team All-District last season.
The eight freshmen newcomers to the LC program are: MaKayla Fittro (OF), Shelby Coleman (OF), Lexi Waits (C/OF), Sam Pierson (3B/OF), Hayley McConnaughey (3B), Hannah Binkley, McKayla Binkley and Courtney Spires.
- - - - - -
MCCLAIN LADY TIGERS
Head Coach: Ed Bolender
2013 Record: 14-8
It will be a new start for the McClain Lady Tigers softball team as they welcome Ed Bolender as their new head coach, as former coach Jarrod Haines moved over to the basketball program this past season.
The Lady Tigers won 14 times last season but will have a couple spots to fill as they lost two senior starters from one year ago.
This year, MHS will have four seniors on their varsity roster in Caitlyn Lovett (SS/P), Katy Unger (3B), Alli Willett (CF) and Sylvee Duff (OF).
"In 15 years as a coach with the baseball team, I've never coached a player who works as hard as Katy Unger," Bolender said. "She's always smiling and wants to make sure she's always doing the right thing when she steps onto the field.
"Alli is a quiet leader, and she leads by her actions. Caitlyn has been around the varsity level for two or three years, and she's made the transition over to shortstop pretty well as she has worked hard this offseason. Sylvee is another true leader who keeps the team up."
Willett was Division II All-District honorable mention last season.
In total, the Lady Tigers have 10 returning lettermen on the team in '14.
The juniors are Sarah Thompson (P), Shania Massie (C) and Sydney Barton (OF). Massie was second-team All-District in Division II last season. This year, MHS will play in Division III.
"Shania has the best bat around, and on defense, she's a shutdown catcher," Bolender said.
There are a total of five sophomores on the team as well in Valerie Caldwell (OF/1B), Kelsey Smith (OF/1B), Savannah Anderson (UTL), Deserae Newkirk (UTL) and Bethany Nichols (P/OF). The lone freshman on the team is Kenzie Anderson (2B).
Coach Bolender spoke about the offseason thus far.
"We started two weeks late with a full team because of their success on the basketball court, but the girls are coming around, and I'm seeing some good things," he said. "We have so many players returning, and that helps with this transition.
"Our biggest thing right now is getting all the terminology down, but the girls are working hard, and they'll continue to grow as we all get on the same page."
One of the players MHS will have to replace is pitcher Cierra Landrum, who was the starting pitcher the past two seasons.
"Offensively and defensively, we'll be fine, but replacing a player like Cierra is tough. We believe Sarah (Thompson) will do just fine pitching for us this season," Bolender said. "She is a big key in our success, and we'll rely on her a lot this season."
Being his first season at the helm of the Lady Tigers, Bolender said it was a blessing to have such a veteran group of players.
"They are showing me the ropes on some things as well," he said when speaking about being the head coach. "Having four good senior leaders that know the program is a great help."
There are still some things the Lady Tigers need to do to get back to the top of the South Central Ohio League.
"We have to get better every day in practice, and to a point this offseason, we have," he said. "The league title is always the goal going into the season, and we want to be playing our best ball when the tournament rolls around."
- - - - -
WHITEOAK LADY WILDCATS
Head Coach:
Trisha Hauke
2013 Record: 8-16
The fourth Highland County softball team to have a new head coach in 2014 is the Whiteoak Lady Wildcats, as Trisha Hauke was selected as the new head coach of WHS, replacing former head coach Bret Malone, who resigned following the conclusion of last season.
Hauke was an assistant coach for WHS last season.
WHS made it to the district semifinals last season, as they finished with an overall mark of 8-16 on the season, losing in the district semifinals by a 7-6 score to Symmes Valley.
"I think we will have a great year," Hauke said. "We have a great group of girls that are wanting to work hard everyday."
In that district semifinal game, starting pitcher Kiley Sosby struck out 19 batters, as she is set to begin her junior season for WHS. Sosby was voted first-team All-Ohio in Division IV.
Last season for WHS, Sosby finished with 24 starts and was the Division IV SE District Player of the Year.
She pitched 155.2 innings, finishing with a season high of 264 strikeouts, putting her at over 500 strikeouts for her first two seasons of high school softball.
Sosby threw 2,454 pitches, allowing 140 runs (68 earned) on 151 hits and 31 walks, as she faced 718 batters her sophomore season.
At the plate, she led WHS in batting average at .333.
The Lady 'Cats graduated four seniors from last season. In the postseason last year, the Lady 'Cats defeated Notre Dame in the sectional round, as ND was state-ranked.
WHS has two seniors in Becca Worthington and Rikki Morris.
Juniors include: Caitlyn Arledge, Misty McClure, Jayde Parr and Sosby. Sophomores are: Ashleigh Harless, Hayley Nace and Kayla Smallwood.
There are eight freshmen on the team, including: Chelsea Chisman, Megan Dodds, Emily Feck, Alexis Jones, Jaycie Parr, Morgan Robinson, Riley Ruble and Morgan Thompson.
FAIRFIELD LADY LIONS
Head Coach:
Mark Dettwiller
2013 Record: 15-11
The Fairfield Lady Lions have high expectations for the 2014 season as they are coming off a season where they were district champions, advancing to the regional round of postseason competition.
For the Lady Lions, they are now led by new head coach Mark Dettwiller, as former head coach Matthew Zimmerman went out on his own terms, retiring after five seasons where his teams won three Southern Hills Athletic Conference titles, two district championships and were regional runners-up in 2011.
As for Dettwiller, he's no stranger to the softball diamond as he was previously an assistant coach for the McClain Lady Tigers (six seasons) and coaches a summer softball team.
"I can't say enough about how receptive the whole community of Leesburg has been," Dettwiller said. "They've welcomed me with open arms, and I'm just excited to be a part of such a historic program. I'm really looking forward to getting the season under way and seeing what we can do."
Assistant coach Tom Purtell spoke about Dettwiller, as he enters his 21st season as an assistant for the Lady Lions.
"We are excited to have Mark here," Purtell said. "Very rarely do you find a person that shares the passion of the game like we do here. We strive to be a program of excellence, and we've had interesting battles with Mark when he was wearing purple and gold. We are excited to have someone from a high-caliber program come over to our side."
Now for the 2014 season, the Lady Lions (15-11 in 2013) will have five seniors, five juniors, two sophomores and two freshmen on the varsity roster.
Seniors this season are Shelby Smithson, Mikayla Coleman, Taylor Avedisian, Halie Chain and Cynnamon Sova-Davy. Chain was second-team All-District last season.
The junior class consists of Shaylee Carson, Kaitlin Evans, Justice Hattan, Arica Melson and Heather Sanderson. The two sophomores are Grace Larrick and Casey Carter, and the freshmen are Kourtnie Smith and Carly Arnold.
Evans and Melson were honorable mention All-District one year ago.
Larrick was the leading batter for FHS last season with a batting average of .377, followed by Smithson at .366. Larrick also had 26 hits (one double) and seven RBIs. Larrick also batted .345 with runners in scoring position.
Larrick led FHS with 20 steal, followed by Evans with 19.
Smithson, who was second-team All-Ohio, finished with a team-high six home runs with 26 RBIs, with four doubles, one triple and 54 total bases. She batted .474 with RISP, along with a .659 slugging percentage.
Carson batted .344 in 32 at-bats in '13, and Sanderson had a BA of .338 (19 RBIs) in 71at-bats last year. Evans had an on-base percentage of .409.
As a team last season, FHS batted .291.
In the pitching circle last season, Melson started 23 games with a 15-8 overall record in 141 innings pitched. As a sophomore last season, she totaled 156 strikeouts with an ERA of 3.08. She pitched 18 complete games. She held opponents to a .243 batting average.
"It is a luxury to have so many players back this season," Purtell said. "We do have freshmen and sophomores pushing the juniors and seniors for their positions, and competition within a team is always a good thing. It is nice though to have the entire infield defense returning."
Coach Dettwiller can't wait for the season to begin.
"Like I said before, Leesburg has opened up their arms to me, and when I step into a program that is mature like this one, it is a good thing," he said. "I've coached quite a few of these girls in summer ball and some of them since they were in the eighth grade, and I'm excited to get things rolling this season."
- - - - - -
HILLSBORO
LADY INDIANS
Head Coach:
Catie Moberly
2013 Record: 8-15
Hillsboro's softball program took a step in the right direction in 2013, and they are looking forward to continuing that trend in 2014 with many players returning to a team that won eight games, including one in the postseason.
Led by head coach Catie Moberly, the Lady Indians have two seniors on their roster this season in Rachel Sexton (C/3B) and Taylor Hoop (P/OF).
Juniors for the Lady Indians include Ali Stratton (2B) and Kirsten Juillerat (P/1B).
There are six sophomores on the varsity roster in Hanna Breeden (P/1B), Kerstin Thornburgh (SS/P), Madison Snyder (3B/C), Emily Myers (OF/C), Jamie Jones (UTL) and Camryn Remsing (UTL).
Breeden was Division II honorable mention.
"Hanna and Kerstin helped lead the team in batting last year and are expected to carry that on this year," Moberly said. "We have great leadership being shown by both Ali and Madison this year and have everything you could ask for in returning players.
"Rachel and Kirsten have returned this year and have been stepping up their contributions."
Coach Moberly also spoke about the newcomers to the roster, while also speaking about the South Central Ohio League.
"There are a few new players to the roster this year that I expect will step in and make their mark," she said. "You never know what to expect with other teams from year to year, but I am sure the league will continue to be strong.
"If we continue to improve from one year to the next, then we are doing what we need to do. I expect Hillsboro softball to continue doing what we need to do and to continue to improve their standings."
- - - - - -
[[In-content Ad]]LYNCHBURG-CLAY
Lady Mustangs
Head Coach:
Spring Roberts
2013 Record: 6-12
For the third consecutive season, the Lynchburg-Clay Lady Mustangs will have a new softball coach, as this season Spring Roberts takes over to lead the program.
This season, LC has a total of four seniors, two juniors, three sophomores and eight freshmen on the roster as they look to turn the program around.
The senior class consists of Megan Pointer (2B), Brittany Allen (1B), Nikki Jones (P/OF) and Kirsten Banks (P/OF).
Juniors include Madysyn Creighton (SS) and MyKenzie Reynolds (3B/OF). The sophomores are Jonna Johnson (OF), Chelsi Hacker (OF) and Madison Wills (OF).
Creighton was second-team All-District last season.
The eight freshmen newcomers to the LC program are: MaKayla Fittro (OF), Shelby Coleman (OF), Lexi Waits (C/OF), Sam Pierson (3B/OF), Hayley McConnaughey (3B), Hannah Binkley, McKayla Binkley and Courtney Spires.
- - - - - -
MCCLAIN LADY TIGERS
Head Coach: Ed Bolender
2013 Record: 14-8
It will be a new start for the McClain Lady Tigers softball team as they welcome Ed Bolender as their new head coach, as former coach Jarrod Haines moved over to the basketball program this past season.
The Lady Tigers won 14 times last season but will have a couple spots to fill as they lost two senior starters from one year ago.
This year, MHS will have four seniors on their varsity roster in Caitlyn Lovett (SS/P), Katy Unger (3B), Alli Willett (CF) and Sylvee Duff (OF).
"In 15 years as a coach with the baseball team, I've never coached a player who works as hard as Katy Unger," Bolender said. "She's always smiling and wants to make sure she's always doing the right thing when she steps onto the field.
"Alli is a quiet leader, and she leads by her actions. Caitlyn has been around the varsity level for two or three years, and she's made the transition over to shortstop pretty well as she has worked hard this offseason. Sylvee is another true leader who keeps the team up."
Willett was Division II All-District honorable mention last season.
In total, the Lady Tigers have 10 returning lettermen on the team in '14.
The juniors are Sarah Thompson (P), Shania Massie (C) and Sydney Barton (OF). Massie was second-team All-District in Division II last season. This year, MHS will play in Division III.
"Shania has the best bat around, and on defense, she's a shutdown catcher," Bolender said.
There are a total of five sophomores on the team as well in Valerie Caldwell (OF/1B), Kelsey Smith (OF/1B), Savannah Anderson (UTL), Deserae Newkirk (UTL) and Bethany Nichols (P/OF). The lone freshman on the team is Kenzie Anderson (2B).
Coach Bolender spoke about the offseason thus far.
"We started two weeks late with a full team because of their success on the basketball court, but the girls are coming around, and I'm seeing some good things," he said. "We have so many players returning, and that helps with this transition.
"Our biggest thing right now is getting all the terminology down, but the girls are working hard, and they'll continue to grow as we all get on the same page."
One of the players MHS will have to replace is pitcher Cierra Landrum, who was the starting pitcher the past two seasons.
"Offensively and defensively, we'll be fine, but replacing a player like Cierra is tough. We believe Sarah (Thompson) will do just fine pitching for us this season," Bolender said. "She is a big key in our success, and we'll rely on her a lot this season."
Being his first season at the helm of the Lady Tigers, Bolender said it was a blessing to have such a veteran group of players.
"They are showing me the ropes on some things as well," he said when speaking about being the head coach. "Having four good senior leaders that know the program is a great help."
There are still some things the Lady Tigers need to do to get back to the top of the South Central Ohio League.
"We have to get better every day in practice, and to a point this offseason, we have," he said. "The league title is always the goal going into the season, and we want to be playing our best ball when the tournament rolls around."
- - - - -
WHITEOAK LADY WILDCATS
Head Coach:
Trisha Hauke
2013 Record: 8-16
The fourth Highland County softball team to have a new head coach in 2014 is the Whiteoak Lady Wildcats, as Trisha Hauke was selected as the new head coach of WHS, replacing former head coach Bret Malone, who resigned following the conclusion of last season.
Hauke was an assistant coach for WHS last season.
WHS made it to the district semifinals last season, as they finished with an overall mark of 8-16 on the season, losing in the district semifinals by a 7-6 score to Symmes Valley.
"I think we will have a great year," Hauke said. "We have a great group of girls that are wanting to work hard everyday."
In that district semifinal game, starting pitcher Kiley Sosby struck out 19 batters, as she is set to begin her junior season for WHS. Sosby was voted first-team All-Ohio in Division IV.
Last season for WHS, Sosby finished with 24 starts and was the Division IV SE District Player of the Year.
She pitched 155.2 innings, finishing with a season high of 264 strikeouts, putting her at over 500 strikeouts for her first two seasons of high school softball.
Sosby threw 2,454 pitches, allowing 140 runs (68 earned) on 151 hits and 31 walks, as she faced 718 batters her sophomore season.
At the plate, she led WHS in batting average at .333.
The Lady 'Cats graduated four seniors from last season. In the postseason last year, the Lady 'Cats defeated Notre Dame in the sectional round, as ND was state-ranked.
WHS has two seniors in Becca Worthington and Rikki Morris.
Juniors include: Caitlyn Arledge, Misty McClure, Jayde Parr and Sosby. Sophomores are: Ashleigh Harless, Hayley Nace and Kayla Smallwood.
There are eight freshmen on the team, including: Chelsea Chisman, Megan Dodds, Emily Feck, Alexis Jones, Jaycie Parr, Morgan Robinson, Riley Ruble and Morgan Thompson.