TRENTON SOFTBALL

Members of the 2021 Trenton High School softball team include, from left, front row, Ella Novak, Samantha Hoselton, Kaegen Croy, Avery Clark, Ayra Meeker, Kenzie Lynch, Abbye Johnson, Jena Hunter; middle row, Eliana Cowling, Mikensy Golden, Emma Roberts, Katelyn Clark, Jena Harris, Seanacie Ireland, Tymber Cooksey, Mirena King, Morgan Foster, Madi Moore; back row, assistant coach Whitley Richman, Shay Westerhof, Gracyn Rongey, Morgan King, Chandler Lynch, Teya Cooksey and head coach Madi Stillwell. STILLWELL READY TO GO

TO WORK ON PROGRAM

The Trenton High School softball program is ready to get back to the level it once considered normal. Transition does not come overnight, but first-year head coach Madi Stillwell is ready to put her own personal touch on the team she once played for in high school.

The Bulldogs were just 6-21 last season, finishing below .500 for the first time since 2004. To put that into context, now head coach Madi Stillwell was in the third grade during that campaign.

But 2021 marks a fresh start for the program that has produced a pair of state runner-up finishes since that last sub-.500 season. A return to the state championship game won’t happen overnight, but Stillwell is ready to lay the groundwork for the programs resurrection.

“I definitely don’t think we are a bottom team,” Stillwell said. “Obviously the games determine that, I can’t determine that. With the skill and the talent that these girls have, we should be closer to the top (of the Grand River Conference). I’m not saying that we are the number-one team for sure, but hopefully these girls will give it more than all they have got.”

Trenton has a strong senior class that will lead them into this season. Chandler Lynch was a starter on the 2018 state runner-up team and Teya Cooksey and Gracyn Rongey got to experience that as well. Shay Westerhof and Jena Reeter are also seniors this season, though Reeter will miss the year with an ACL injury.

“Those seniors are great,” Stillwell said. “They are all good teammates and they are all going to play crucial roles for us this sea-

2021 SCHEDULE

2020 DATE OPPONENT RESULT

8/27-28 @Cameron Tourn. n/a 8/30 ALBANY 9-8 8/31 @ Putnam County 4-6 9/2 MAYSVILLE 2-12 9/7 @ Princeton 4-12 9/9 GALLATIN 10-9 9/11 @ Maysville Tourn. n/a 9/13 @ Hamilton 1-4 9/14 SOUTH HARRISON 2-10 9/16 @ Polo 4-14 9/20 @ Lawson 2-4 9/21 @ Milan 10-8 9/25 NCMC TOURN. (1-3) 9/30 GRC CROSSOVER n/a 10/4 @ Marceline 0-15 10/5 BROOKFIELD 1-12 10/7 CAMERON 4-14 10/11 CHILLICOTHE 0-14

HEAD COACH

Madi Stillwell - first year

Career Record: - 0-0 Last Year’s Awards: Maci Moore, unanimous first team All-GRC, first team alldistrict, first team all-region, all-state; Chandler Lynch, second team All-GRC, first team all-district; Gracyn Rongey, honorable mention All-GRC, second team all-district; Teya Cooksey, second team all-district

son. They are the ones who have the most experience, so they are the ones who I am hoping can be our most consistent hitters in the lineup.”

Lynch will likely start at third base for Trenton this season while Rongey should see the bulk of the innings behind the plate at the catcher position. Cooksey and Westerhof, meanwhile will occupy two of the three outfield positions, giving the Bulldogs a very experienced unit out there. Cooksey has displayed a lot of defensive prowess in practice so far this year and Westerhof is among the fastest players on the team, meaning she can cover a lot of ground in the outfield as well as give Trenton a speedster on the base paths.

Reeter’s injury will hurt Trenton a little bit as she shared the bulk of the innings in the circle with Emma Roberts a season ago. Without her, Roberts becomes Trenton’s only experienced pitcher coming back this season. She will be backed by a pair of freshman pitchers in Avery Clark and Jena Hunter.

“Emma is coming back and she is throwing great,” Stillwell said. “We have two freshmen and they are going to help pick up the slack. So relying on three pitchers is a good thing. With two it is a lot of work and it is hard when one pitcher is having an off day and you put in another and they are having an off day too. Hopefully, with three, we can mix and match and they will be able to pick each other up.”

Helping the young staff with be a very solid combination on the infield. Next to Lynch at third base will be Madi Moore at shortstop. Last season Moore saw time at short stop and catcher as a freshman. Now, with a year of experience under her belt, she is locked into the left side of the diamond alongside Lynch. That gives Trenton not only a lock-down defensive duo on that side, but also a pair of players who can do some damage in the lineup.

“On the field (Moore and Lynch) are two of the best gloves that we have,” Stillwell said. “They can knock down just about anything. In the lineup, I don’t really care if they can hit home runs, I’m just looking for a consistent hitter that can score runs and be on base. I’m just looking for a lot of offensive production out of them.”

Trenton has a competitive group of freshmen on the roster this year as well. In addition to Clark and Hunter, Trenton has potential varsity starters in Mirena King and Tymber Cooksey.

“My freshmen push the older girls to be more competitive,” Stillwell said. “That’s what I love the most about them. No matter where I put them they give me their all. The older girls kind of see that and say ‘Oh, I better step it up if I want playing time.’ But, (the freshmen) are going to see some varsity time for sure. It’s great to have that as a freshman.”

The Bulldogs will kick off their season this weekend with the Cameron Tournament, which begins today (Friday) and concludes on Saturday. After that, Trenton has a home date with Albany on Aug. 31 before jumping into Grand River Conference play on the road in Unionville, taking on the Putnam County Midgets.