RAIDER SPRING PREVIEW BRAINERD DISPATCH
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 2021
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
RAIDERS READY TO RESUME PLAY AFTER YEAR OFF
Addie Sanford fields the ball during softball practice Wednesday, Feb. 17, at Central Lakes College in Brainerd. Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch
By Jeremy Millsop Sports Editor Ray Austin and his Central Lakes College Raiders softball team were just returning from an eight-game road trip in Florida. As the team was arriving at the Minneapolis airport, everyone’s phone was pinging with announcements. The NCAA announced it canceled March Madness. News of other events being canceled bombarded social media. The Raiders knew their future as a team wasn’t good. In fact, when the team returned to the college little did they know that would be the last time they would meet. “We actually never got back together after we got back to the college from the airport,” Austin said. The college was closed and the students were never allowed back on. “That was unfortunate because the Florida trip is where you learn your team and who can do what. I felt we were a really good team last year. We came back from Florida 1-7, but we played all Division I and II JUCO teams and we played really well. It
Raiders roster
Sophomore: Cassidy Zontelli (shortstop), Haley Youngbauer (outfield) Second-year freshmen: Sarah Kossan (pitcher, outfield), Jenna Gratz (pitcher, infield), Katie Johnson (outfield, infield), Lexy Swanson (infield) First-year freshmen: Sydnee Johnson (infield), Chloe Munsch (outfield) Addie Sanford (pitcher, infield), Rebecca Maurer (catcher, utility), Koral Tepley-King (catcher, outfield)
was really sad that those girls never got to play. I think we would have contended for the region championship for sure last year.” Because of COVID-19, the team wasn’t able to come together until practice began a few weeks ago. Austin said while he communicated with players by phone or text, he had no real contact with his roster. “We had no fall ball, no fundraising, no camps and no team dinners,” he said. “Those are all real chances to get to know your team and for the girls to get to know each other and the coaches and me and my wife. It’s really tough. We’re learning about each other right now. A lot of the kids I spoke to on the phone or texted and that was my only contact with them throughout this entire thing.”
Austin is relying heavily on returning sophomores Haley Youngbauer and Cassidy Zontelli. Youngbauer is a center fielder from Verndale. Zontelli is a Brainerd High School graduate who will handle the shortstop duties. “Cassidy and Haley are both going to have to play big roles and it’s ironic because they both are very quiet people,” Austin said. “But they are both first ones in the gym and the last ones out. They lead by example. Cassidy will take ground balls until my hands are bleeding from hitting them to her and then she’ll want more. Haley is an outfield and she absolutely hates indoor practice because there’s not a lot we can do. We design a lot of drills for the outfielders that revolve around footwork and drop steps and alignment to the ball
Raiders schedule March 13: vs. Riverland at RCTC Dome, 6 p.m. March 13: vs. Gogebic at RCTC Dome, 8 p.m. March 26: vs. Anoka-Ramsey at Rosemount Irish Dome, 1:15 p.m. March 26: vs. St. Cloud Technical at Rosemount Irish Dome, 3 p.m. March 26: vs. Dakota County Technical at Rosemount Irish Dome, 4:45 p.m. April 3: vs. Dakota County Technical at RCTC Dome 3 p.m. April 3: vs. Anoka-Ramsey at RCTC Dome 5 p.m. April 14: at Hibbing (2) 3 p.m. April 15: hosts St Cloud Tech (2) 3 p.m. April 17: hosts Mesabi Range (2) noon April 18: hosts Rainy River (2) noon April 21: at Northland (2) 3 pm. April 25: at University of Minnesota Morris JV (2) 1 p.m. April 28: hosts Hibbing (2) 3 p.m. May 1: at Mesabi Range (2) noon May 2: at Rainy River (2) noon May 5: hosts Northland (2) 3 p.m. May 15: hosts Anoka-Ramsey (2) 1 p.m.
and they’ve been doing such a great job. “Sarah Kossan has been around the program for a long time just because her sister played here. Her being a home-schooled kid she would tag along with her sister. She would be on road trips with us so she’s kind of a sophomore by default. All the returning freshmen still played three-quarters of the year last year, but just didn’t get to play in many games. The leadership is there.” Kossan is a second-year freshman from
1 pitcher, I think, on our roster. All three of them are equally good and have the same amount of compete in them. I think we’re going to be just fine. They all throw a fastball and a changeup. We’re working on a rise ball and things that move. Sarah has really done a great job with her changeup over the offseason. She’s got just the right amount of speed change. “Jenna is probably one of the hardest throwers, which does come with some wildness. She throws hard, but doesn’t
Raiders softball
Head coach: Ray Austin, fifth season Career record: 79-47 2020 record: 1-7 overall Returning players: Cassidy Zontelli, Haley Youngbauer, Sarah Kossan, Jenna Gratz, Katie Johnson, Lexy Swanson Assistant coach: Ashley Erickson, Carlie Sweet (volunteer), Lindsey Jourdan (volunteer)
Motley. She’ll pitch and when she’s not pitching she’ll make up one of the fastest outfield trios Austin has fielded since he started coaching at Central Lakes. Kossan and Youngbaurer will be teamed with Chloe Munsch, another Brainerd High School graduate. Kossan, whose sister Lisa played at CLC and is now on the Bemidji State University roster, is one of three pitchers the Raiders will place on the mound. Jenna Gratz is a righty from Oregon. When she’s not pitching she’ll share third base duties with Addie Sanford, who is a first-year freshman righty, who graduated from Brainerd last year. “We don’t have a No.
Austin
always know where it’s going, but she is very effective and she’ll be fine. Addie is just fundamentally sound. She’s worked with her grandfather, who was a fast-pitch guy from way back, and she’s just very fundamentally sound. She throws a lot of strikes and I’m excited to see what she does in a game.” At catcher, CLC will have three options. Rebecca Maurer, Koral Tepley-King and the third option being Kossan. “Rebecca had a pretty substantial ankle injury as a younger player and hasn’t played softball in quite some time, but she’s really good from what I’ve seen. She’s fundamentally
sound behind the plate. She receives well. She just has to get used to playing with that ankle again and trusting it. Hitting-wise, she’s really making strides. I think she’ll be in the mix to be the catcher. “Koral has Brainerd roots, but she came from Kentucky. She didn’t catch much there, but because she told me she knows how to catch she’s in the mix. It’s kind of the way things work in junior college.” Katie Johnson will man first base and when Kossan is pitching might move to the outfield. “She can play a lot of positions. She was helping out catching in the bullpen earlier in the season. She had some concussion issues in basketball last year so we’ll really try to avoid having her catch in a game. She has really good hands and can pick balls out of the dirt and is used to receiving a ball. She’ll be just fine at first.” Another utility-type player will be Lexy Swanson. Austin said she’ll likely play in the infield, but could be moved around a lot. “She has a really good swing,” Austin said. “The last game of the year last year she made really solid contact and I was seeing really good things from here. We’re really glad she is back. “I think top to bottom we have a really strong 11 and we’ll contend in the MCAC North Division. Offensively we’re going to be strong. We have really good team speed, too. We’re going
SOFTBALL: Page 5
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