JJC - Spring Sports - March 24, 2023

2023 BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL PREVIEWS

BEARDSTOWN BASEBALL

Coach: Brian Dour

Last year’s record: 22-4

Returning starters: Aaric Brown, Micah Wink, Derek Lopez, Ethan Heller

Newcomers: Evan Wells, Trent Murray, Sergio Feliciano, Ryan McClenning, Gustavo Cortes

Key losses: William Davidsmeier, Jacob Pate, Allen Villegas

Pitching staff: Returning pitchers with most innings are Micah Wink and Aaric Brown. Hoping to get major contributions from Evan Wells and Ethan Heller.

Hitters: Micah Wink is returning as last year’s leading hitter. Big year expected from Aaric Brown, Evan Wells and Ethan Heller.

BEARDSTOWN SOFTBALL

Coach: Kaitlyn Dodson

Last year’s record: 12-15

Returning starters: Center fielder Emma Hymes. She’s quick, smart base runner, and a great leader.

First baseman Jaelyn Simpson. She’s a great hitter and puts the ball in play when needed. Catches about anything thrown at her. She sets a great example for the younger girls as to how a teammate should act and be.

Pitcher/third baseman Marlee Brown. She’s dangerous with a bat, and has great speed on her fastball.

Catcher/outfielder Bella Palmer. She’s more confident this year and has a great approach at bat. She’s quick in the field and very aggressive on the bases.

Pitcher/third baseman/outfielder/shortstop Shelby Goodrich. This girl can do it all. Great hitter and plays wherever I need her.

Second baseman Tanna Coats. She brings experience to the field and has been getting stronger by

the day. She can hit the ball hard and put it in play when needed.

Second baseman/shortstop/ outfielder Vanessa Nunez. She’s quick, dives for balls, and is a team player. She’s going to make some tough plays in the field and have crucial at-bats for our team this year.

Key losses: Shortstop Hayley Sloan (an important part of our lineup; we’ll miss her defense); catcher/center fielder Kourtney Logsdon (Kourt was one of our quickest girls in the field and on the bases; we are going to miss her aggressiveness and contagious smile); pitcher/outfielder Rachel Hager (Rach was our ace pitcher, and someone we could count on to throw strikes and be consistent; she also had a great stick and will be greatly missed).

Key newcomers: We have quite a few new underclassmen who can help contribute to some wins this season.

Hallie Lawson (3B/OF). She has power in her swing, and has shown the ability to be coached into being a great player.

Autumn Bowman (SS/OF/1B). She shows promise to be a great offensive player with her power. She’s also aggressive in the field, which will help her make some tough plays.

Kylynn Maltby (C/OF). She has knowledge and a lot of experience at catcher, and will become a vital player.

Alora Logan (OF) and Cami Coats (2B/OF) have shown real promise in the cage and will most likely see some varsity time.

Pitching: Marlee Brown will be our ace pitcher this year. She has a lot of experience in the circle and pitches year round. Shelby Goodrich also will see quite a few varsity innings and will most likely be our go-to after Marlee. Both girls bring speed, movement, and a variety of pitches to throw.

Tanna Coats, Vanessa Nunez and Lauren Coats are also pitchers on the team who might see some varsity innings, especially

during our busy weeks and clusters.

Hitting: Marlee Brown, Jaelyn Simpson and Shelby Goodrich are three of our most powerful hitters. They are disciplined and have a good read on every pitch.

Emma Hymes is our lefty who can slap if needed. When she puts a ball in play, it’ll be hard to get her out. Bella Palmer, Vanessa Nunez and Tanna Coats have all gotten stronger since last season, and will be key hitters in our lineup.

Fielding: Defensively, the Tigers stack up like this right now: first base -- Jaelyn Simpson; second base -- Tanna Coats; third base -- Shelby Goodrich; shortstop -- Vanessa Nunez; pitcher -- Marlee Brown; catcher -- Bella Palmer or Kylynn Maltby; center field -- Emma Hymes; left and right field -- Emily Nava, Autumn Bowman, Hallie Lawson, Alora Logan, Cami Coats, or Lauren Coats.

Vanessa Nunez is going to have to step up and be a leader at shortstop, which she is completely capable of. We’re going to need some underclassmen to step up and help fill spots in our outfield.

Season outlook: This season I expect a lot of good things. I expect our girls to play great defense and put the ball in play. What I’m looking for is leadership, playing as a team, and having fun!

BROWN COUNTY BASEBALL

Coach: Jared Hoots

Last year’s record: 28-5 (IHSA State Final Tournament second place)

Returners: Senior Colby Wort (.416 BA, 48 runs, 17 RBI), senior Sam Carr (.386 BA, 36 RBI), sophomore Tyce Fullerton (.319 BA, 25 RBI), sophomore Maverick Henry (.172 BA, 5 RBI), senior Gavin Montgomery (.267 BA, 36 runs), senior Hayden Weise (.303 BA, 22 RBI)

Key losses: Gabe Blakley, Ma-

son Henry, Will Groesch, Ethan Howell, Tate Fullerton

Key newcomers: Cole Behymer (OF), Joe Miller (OF), Jack Buss (C), Eli Blakeley (OF), Sterling Lenover (INF), Dylan Resiche (INF), Trey Fullerton (INF)

On the mound the staff will be anchored by Wort and Fullerton. Carr, Miller, Montgomery, Henry, and Behymer will all see time on the mound.

At the plate, it all starts with Wort at the top, Other guys need to fill the RBI role of last year’s graduates and have the ability to do so. We will go as our seniors will go. We will have guys in different roles this year in the lineup.

We have athletes in the field, so defense should be our strong suit.

Overall, our goals don’t change: win the conference, win a regional and go from there. Our conference has been very competitive for years, and we have a high level of play in our conference. We graduate a lot of good players, but we have good players back.

BROWN COUNTY SOFTBALL

Coach: David Woodruff

Last year’s record: 29-2, conference champions two years in a row, regional champions two years in a row, undefeated at home two years in a row

Returning starters: Senior pitcher Taryn Moorman (20-1 record, 2 saves, 140 K, 1.87 ERA, Second Team All-State). She’s our ace -- most dominant pitcher in program history.

Senior shortstop Katey Flynn (.464 BA, .505 OBP, 49 runs). Katey Flynn, our leadoff hitter, led the team in stolen bases, swiping 27 in 28 attempts. She is the most competitive player I have had – hard-nosed, wants to win and will out-work everyone.

Senior center fielder Klare Flynn (.408 BA, over .500 OBP, 43 runs). Klare Flynn won the team award for outstanding defense last year. She is hard working --

just as competitive as her sister. She is a stolen base threat, has great power to all fields and is a great bunter. Her defense is spectacular in center field. Also will out-work everyone. The Flynn girls are great to coach because they want to win, are great leaders, and they motivate (that’s the word I’ll use) each other.

Senior catcher Cyrah Dunlap (.422 BA, .520 OBP). Dunlap is going to Culver-Stockton this fall to play softball. She loves softball. She can hit, and is rock solid behind the plate with a good arm and good instincts. She’s a great kid to coach. She’s funny.

Sophomore Ashlee Markert (.515 BA last year with a .608 OBP). Ashlee Markert got overlooked for all-conference after hitting over .500. She hits for power. She had four home runs and hit at least six balls off the fence. She is fast and aggressive; she probably has the best arm on the team, and can play any position.

Sophomore pitcher/first baseman Brooke Gaurthaus (.351 BA). She drove in 21 runs from the sixth spot in the order and had an on-base percentage of over .400. She will pitch some more this year and has the potential to be dominant in the circle. She also plays a great first base. She’s a great kid -- very smart and easy going.

Someone to keep an eye on this year will be Kierney Nash. She is a junior who transferred in last year but was dealing with some injuries so didn’t get on the field much. She is going to push for a starting position. She hits left-handed. She’s a contact hitter, she’s quick, smart baserunner, good glove and a good arm from wherever she is playing on the field.

Other returners: Melanie Loehr. She didn’t go out last year. She’s a senior who will be pushing for playing time along with Leah Houston -- also a senior who is going out for the first time. Sydney Brierton is going out for the

first time also. Sophomore Isabel Duarte will be looking to crack the starting lineup in the outfield somewhere.

Key newcomers: Olivia Martinez (C/IF), Addi Jones (P), Alivia Akins, Morgan Logsdon. I expect some of the freshmen will see some varsity time this year.

Key losses: Cortni Law (the heart and the soul of the team last year), Karsyn Moorman (had one of the absolute best offensive seasons in program history), Grace Groesch (an unsung hero who was constantly on base and played great defense), Savannah Rogers (played a solid right field and had huge hits for us all year), MaKenna Post (our No. 2 pitcher who had a sparkling senior year in the circle), Kaci McKeon (outstanding pinch-runner who started quite a few games for us), Peyton Wegs (back-up catcher) and Mary Frank (outfielder).

Season outlook: It will be hard to replicate what we did last year, starting off 26-0. We have a great core of the team back this year, and the expectations for this group will not be lowered. We have a talented group, and we should be competing with most teams in the area. I am very excited for this season!!!

CALHOUN BASEBALL Coach:

Casey Longnecker

Last year’s record: 8-22

Returning starters: Senior Jacob Lamarsh (DH/P), senior Auggie Squier (IF/P), junior Cade Sievers (IF/P), junior Davis Wilson (IF/P), sophomore Pat Friedel (OF/P), sophomore Cooper Klocke (OF/P), sophomore Jacob Kress (P), sophomore Drew Wallendorf (C/P), sophomore Jack Webster (IF/P)

Key losses: Luke Wickenhauser (C/P), Nick Baalman (OF)

Key newcomers: Junior Will Hurley (OF/P), junior Logan Tepen (OF/P), sophomore Jake Hillen (IF/P), sophomore Bo

2023 BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL PREVIEWS

Lorschbach (IF/P), sophomore

Jake Snyders (IF/P), freshman

Blake Nolte (OF/P), freshman

Max Toppmeyer (C/P), freshman

Jack Zipprich (IF/P)

Pitching: I would not say we have an ace. We have a lot of depth with about 16 guys that I would feel comfortable putting on the mound in a varsity game. We threw a lot of young guys out there last year, and they are now a year older and stronger.

Hitting: Same as the pitching, we have a lot of depth as these guys are all a year older after taking some lumps last year. We will definitely be more of a contact hitting team with some speed scattered in the lineup to make things happen.

Fielding: Without a dominant pitcher who can go out and strike out 10 to 15 guys, our defense will be asked to make a lot of plays. We have a lot of competition for starting spots in this year’s lineup.

Season outlook: We have 22 players out, with 16 of them being freshmen and sophomores. This core of young guys has played a lot of ball and gained valuable experience during last season. I look forward to competing in the rugged WIVC conference this year. I hope Mother Nature cooperates and we can see what our young squad can accomplish this spring.

CALHOUN SOFTBALL

Coach: Ann Gilman

Last year’s record: 26-11

Returning starters: Sophomore second baseman Lila Simon (.327 BA), junior first baseman Delani Klaas (.233 BA), senior shortstop Jaelyn Hill (.192 BA), sophomore designated player Anna Oswald (.169 BA), junior center fielder Gracie Klaas (.304 BA), junior left fielder Katie Matthews (.252 BA), sophomore third baseman Lacy Pohlman (.233 BA), sophomore pitcher Audrey Gilman (.423 BA/138 IP, 17-5 record, 253

K, 1.826 ERA)

Key losses: Ella Sievers -- our No. 2 hitter, and caught every varsity match. Also a team leader for us. Kylie Angel -- our No. 3 hitter who pitched and played right field. Both will be hard to replace out of the gate.

Key newcomers: Junior Grace Ballard (IF) -- great defensive skills, and very quick. She will more than likely start off as our leadoff hitter. Junior Haylee Armbruster (IF) -- returning after tak-

ing a year off but has great glove work with a strong arm, and has a solid plate presence. Freshman Kiera Sievers (utility/C) -- has solid skills all the way around, and on both sides of the ball. Freshman Anabel Eilerman (P) -- should be able to put in some innings on the mound to give Audrey a break, and has a great swing.

Pitching: Audrey Gilman will be our ace. She pitched us to the super-sectional last year but

the top three hitters in the lineup to be Grace Ballard, Audrey Gilman and Lila Simon.

Fielding: Position possibilities -- Grace Ballard third, Jaelyn Hill short, Lila Simon second, Anna Oswald/Katie Matthews first, Anna Oswald/Katie Matthews left, Gracie Klaas center, Lacy Pohlman right. Key position to fill -- Catcher … looking at Delani Klaas, with Kiera Sievers on standby. We also have Haylee Armbruster who could earn a spot. I have a number of girls who are equally talented and making it difficult to make player decisions. We look very solid defensively in practice -- just need that to transfer to games.

Season outlook: I look for us to be just as good if not better than last season. We have talent, speed and strength working in our favor.

CARROLLTON BASEBALL

Coach: Ryan Howard

Last year’s record: 13-16 (sectional champs)

Returning starters: senior Boden Flowers (catcher/pitcher/middle infield), junior Caleb Howard (outfield/pitcher), sophomore Lucas Howard (infield/ catcher/pitcher), sophomore Dagan Cordes (infield/pitcher)

starting roles. We have an ambitious group of young men. With two seniors this season, we will have a lot of moving parts. The underclassmen are excited and ready to do their part. Bo and Lucas are our two returning infield starters. We will be looking to them and Dagan Cordes to anchor this infield. Caleb Howard is our two-year returning outfield starter.

CARROLLTON SOFTBALL

Coach: Travis Klingler (6th year)

Last year’s record: 25-8

Returning starters: Sophomore Lauren Flowers. She was our main pitcher last year, going 15-6 with 168 Ks across 118 innings. She had an ERA of 1.65. She will also be our shortstop when not pitching. Flowers led our team in most offensive categories, with a .517 average, 8 home runs, 50 RBIs, 53 runs scored, and 26 stolen bases.

couldn’t finish the game on the mound due to an injury. Audrey has speed and spin, and can present an issue for most batters. Anabel Eilerman will see innings. She has a great pitch selection with good command and speed.

Hitting: I look for our team to be solid hitters up and down the lineup. Most of our hitters are power hitters, but they will all do what is necessary to put runs on the board. Any one of them can do damage. At this time I look for

Key losses: We lost a very talented senior class, including Grant Pohlman (pitcher/catcher), Gus Coonrod (shortstop/ pitcher), Kyle Leonard (catcher/ pitcher), Jackson Cotner (center field), and Travis Evans (first base). Those boys were the cornerstone to our success last year. They will be missed.

Key newcomers: Freshmen entering the program are: Carson Flowers (infield/pitcher), Eli Cox (pitcher/utility player), Reed Schnettgoecke (utility player), and Charlie Stumpf (pitcher/utility player).

Pitching: Our returning relievers will be moving into some key

Sophomore Hannah Uhles. She will also compete for innings on the mound as she is now one year removed from surgery and fully healthy. Uhles was 5-2 with 36 Ks across 43 innings, and had an ERA of 3.71. She will also be one of our top hitters. She finished last year with a .453 average, 14 doubles, 35 RBIs and 37 runs scored.

Sophomore Daci Walls. She will share duties at catcher and first base. She returns after a very good freshman season in which she hit .384 with 16 doubles and 43 RBIs.

Sophomore Vanna Holmes. She was a very solid, consistent hitter in our lineup, usually in the four or five spot during her freshman year. She hit .385 with 5 home runs, 37 RBIs and 35 runs scored.

Senior Ella Stumpf. She will slot into an infield position depending on who is pitching. She hit .364 last year with 3 triples, 44

Carrollton’s Dagan Cordes delivers a pitch during a baseball game at Winchester last week. (Dennis Mathes / Journal-Courier)

2023 BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL PREVIEWS

runs scored and 19 steals.

Sophomore Megan Camden. She will share duties at catcher and first base as well. She hit .341 in her freshman year with an OBP of .491 thanks to 22 walks. She contributed 3 home runs to go along with 24 RBIs and 27 runs scored.

Senior Paige Henson. She will contribute to the outfield again this year as a senior. She hit .341 last season.

Senior Lauren Walker. She will help in both the infield and outfield depending on who is pitching. She hit .281 with 29 runs scored with 23 RBIs.

Key losses: We are losing one senior from last year’s team in Marissa Cox. She played third base and some outfield. Cox hit .281 with an on-base percentage of .458, thanks to a team-best 27 walks.

Key newcomers: Returning seniors Ryan Kallal and Sophie Pohlman started at times last year and will be in competition for an increased role this year. Ryan pitched in nine games last year, throwing 30 innings with an ERA of 3.77. Sophie will look to help us in center field this year. Junior Halle Webb will also be competing for time in the infield or outfield. The Lady Hawks welcome incoming freshman Hannah Lake, who can contribute across the diamond. She is a pitcher and has experience in the infield at first base and second base.

Pitching: Lauren Flowers, Hannah Uhles and Ryan Kallal will get the bulk of varsity in-

nings. We expect that Hannah Uhles will have a bigger impact here as she is fully healthy after having wrist surgery last January. Keeping our arms fresh for the postseason will be key this year as we noticed some fatigue late last year. Vanna Holmes and Hannah Lake will be in the mix for some junior varsity time.

Hitting: The team will be led by the returning players, with strong senior and sophomore classes. We are a young group still that will look to grow as the season continues. The experience that many of our players received last year will hopefully make an impact/improvement on this upcoming season. Should be a good mix of speed and power.

Fielding: We have many girls who can play multiple positions, and that will be a factor as the pitching staff rounds into form.

Season outlook: We expect to contend for the WIVC conference championship as well as make an extended postseason run. While we have only 12 girls, this team is full of talent and potential if they can continue to learn and grow during practice times and games.

GREENFIELDNORTHWESTERN BASEBALL

Coach: Jacob McEvers

Last year’s record: 23-7 (regional championship for the third straight year)

Returning starters: Junior Kohen Vetter (.385 BA, 36 hits, 36

runs scored, 20 stolen bases/17.1 IP, 1.61 ERA), sophomore Talon Albrecht (.412 BA, 35 hits, 27 RBI, 24 R/3-2 record), junior Brody Reif (.370 BA, 25 hits, 3 home runs), sophomore Garrett Costello (.350 OBP, 12 RBI, 13 R), junior Brayden Roberts (.378 OBP), sophomore Wyatt Stuart (.333 OBP)

Key losses: We are losing a senior class that accumulated an undefeated regional record over their four years in school. COVID took a year away, but they were a big part of winning three regionals in the other three years of competition. They included Jimmy Stewart (.293 BA) and fouryear starters Brady Pembrook (.492 BA), Connor Bettis (.351 OBP/3.3 ERA) and Drake Stuart (.350 BA/5-0 record, 1.69 ERA).

Key newcomers: Senior Brett Bilbruck will catch as well as play corner infield positions. We are looking for Brett to add some power to the middle of our lineup.

Junior Maddax Coffey will play both infield and outfield. Adding a bat from the left side with some power will be a great addition this spring.

Freshman Brock Bowman had a great eighth-grade year both offensively and defensively. He will play anywhere on the infield and throw significant innings this spring for us. We are also looking forward to adding Brock’s bat to the lineup.

Kayden Roberts will play corner infield and outfield. He will provide an additional bat and

arm for us this spring that will be needed.

Pitching: Kohen Vetter and Talon Albrecht both excelled as underclassmen last year. We look for those two to be the main guys for us during conference play with a bunch of fresh arms relieving them. Both kids are three-sport athletes, and looking forward to their competitiveness leading on the mound.

Garrett Costello, Brayden Roberts and Wyatt Stuart all threw innings for the varsity staff last year and will be key contributors to the success of our spring. Freshmen Brock Bowman and Kayden Roberts will provide two new additional arms.

Hitting: Junior Kohen Vetter will be entering his third season as the Tiger leadoff hitter. He will set the tone for what we do at the plate this spring. Kohen had 35 hits and a .385 OBP.

Talon Albrecht also returns from a 35-hit campaign with a .479 OBP. Talon will provide both stability and power in the early part of the order this year.

The Tigers will be looking for some power from Brody Reif, Brett Bilbruck and Garrett Costello, all in the middle of their order.

Fielding: We have a lot of new faces in positions this spring. Looking for Talon Albrecht, Kohen Vetter, Grant Hudson and Brock Bowman to play most of the middle infield positions.

We are looking forward to having junior Brayden Roberts control center field, with sophomores

Griffin Rothe and Wyatt Stuart both playing a good amount of innings on either side of him.

Sophomore Garrett Costello finished the year strong behind the plate. Both he and Brett Bilbruck will catch this spring.

Guys competing for corner infield sports are Brody Reif, Wyatt Stuart, Brett Bilbruck, Maddax Coffey, Brock Bowman, and Kayden Roberts.

Season outlook: Losing a great senior class never helps, and we have done that two years in a row now. We are a young group with only one senior. We have a lot of new pieces in place but are extremely excited for the guys that went out this year and what they can accomplish.

GREENFIELDNORTHWESTERN SOFTBALL

Coach: Kristie Ornellas

Last year’s record: 5-18

Returning starters: Bailee Mathews returns as our lone senior. She led the team in batting average last year at .333. She played both right field and second base. Kylie Cox is one of our most versatile players, and those skills will be utilized this year. Last year she handled most of the catching duties but will be getting some help there this year so she can be utilized in other positions. Evie White is stepping up to more pitching duties this year. She is also able to help in some other positions. Claire Woods had the second-best batting average, hit-

ting .299 last year. Claire played third base last year but had other position skills as well.

Key losses: We lost six seniors -- Torrie McAdams, Laural Rothe, Jealee Clark, Aliyah Roberts, Sydney Turley and Munchy Jones -- who had a love of the game and were disciplined players that played with heart.

Key newcomers: We have two incoming freshmen who will be adding a lot to the team on both sides of the ball. Jillian McAdams will help deepen our pitching pool and is a well-rounded defensive player. Her offense is just as strong as her defense. Annabeth Thornton is another extremely versatile player who can play anywhere on the field. We will be looking to her to help in the catcher’s position as well as other places on the field. Her offensive game will also be a welcome addition to the team.

Pitching: Evie White will be looking to step up this year. She added some more depth to her pitching in the off-season that will be beneficial. Jill McAdams will be looking to move the ball quite a bit. Baylee Landes will give the batters a whole different look, and Kylie Cox is coming on as an impressive addition.

Hitting: We are looking to Bailee Mathews to lead us at the plate again this year, although there are lots of bats ready to assist. We have lots of girls who can go short or long depending on what the situation calls for.

Fielding: We were left with openings in center, second base,

2023 BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL PREVIEWS

first base, left field and pitcher when our seniors left. It’s too soon to tell who is going to win out in each spot, but we do have a great talent pool to choose from. We will see our freshmen stepping into a couple of those spots, and our seniors leading our team.

Season outlook: We are a young team again. We have one senior and five juniors, but one of those, Claire Costello, is currently out with an injury, and one is brand new to the team. We will look to the sophomores and freshmen to step up and help fill roles on the team to continue to develop the GNW Tiger softball program.

GRIGGSVILLE-PERRY SOFTBALL

Coach:

Danielle Mason

Last year’s record: 2-10

The Tornadoes have a total of 12 players this year: six freshmen, three sophomores, two juniors and one senior.

This will be my second season as the head coach for GP softball. The evaluation of all key positions is still ongoing and will continue throughout the season. Our focus is to identify skill sets, as well as position confidence, to determine where each athlete will play.

Offensively, we are focusing on our ability to put the ball in play to force opponents to make strong defensive plays. Our lineup is filled with strong hitters and players with speed.

Our team is led by a single se-

nior this season, but she will be supported by a talented group of underclassmen. The core to our success is based on the positive connection between this group of athletes, their competitiveness, and their desire to improve upon last year’s record.

Our athletes have been working hard to enhance their skills and have shown a positive dedication level to learning the game and being successful. All of this, combined with a dry spring, should make for a successful season.

JACKSONVILLE BASEBALL

Coach: Cory Bunner (10th season)

Last year’s record: 18-14-1

Returning starters: Senior outfielder/pitcher Quin Saxer (.417 BA, 27 RBI, 36 R/3-3 record, 3.79 ERA, 56 K), junior third baseman/pitcher Cody Fry (.302 BA, 20 RBI, 22 R /3-3 record, 44 K), junior outfielder/pitcher Hayden Hicks (.300 BA, 22 RBI, 21 R), sophomore shortstop/pitcher Anderson Decker (.262 BA, 15

RBI, 23 R), sophomore catcher/ third baseman/pitcher Brandon Sims (18 RBI, 16 R)

Key losses: Garrett Meyer, Nolan Decker and Aaron Weber

Key newcomers: Sophomore Ryan Luconic (INF/P), sophomore Jacob Henry (1B/P), freshman Joe Reif (OF), freshman Nolan Peters (1B/P), junior Liam Lane (2B/C)

Pitching: Quin Saxer will anchor our staff this season. Cody Fry made great strides last year and will continue to log a lot of conference innings for us this

base to shortstop this season. Cody Fry will move over to third base. Luconic, McCulloch and Lane will man second base. First base will be manned by Jacob Henry and Nolan Peters. Most catching duties this season will be handled by Brandon Sims, who has made great strides since last season behind the dish.

Season outlook: This will be as young a group as I’ve had in my 10 years of coaching. We must play through some of the growing pains and come out on the other side better. This group thus far has shown me that we can do that. We will work hard to improve and compete one pitch at a time.

JACKSONVILLE SOFTBALL

Coach: Kelly Brockhouse

Last year’s record: 5-23

season. Decker, Luconic, Sims and Hicks look to take on more innings this season.

Hitting: We graduated three of our top four bats, so we will rely on Saxer to anchor our offense as well. Fry, Decker, Sims and Hicks will need to take on more offensive responsibility this season. I see this group as a group that will have to execute the little things in order to score runs.

Fielding: Our outfield will be anchored by Saxer in center and Joe Reif and Hicks in the corners. Decker will move from second

Returning starters: Pitcher/ shortstop/catcher Mackenzie Gerard (.444 BA, .516 OBP, .704 SLG, 2 HR) -- Mackenzie is coming back as a junior and a threeyear starter. Coming off a great season in which she won Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year for JHS last spring. She will be our ace on the mound this year, a different role from the past two years as our starting catcher.

Center fielder Addy Blimling (.345 BA, .455 OBP, 9 SB) -- Addy is also a three-year starter and will be our leader in the outfield. She will lead off again and be the catalyst to our offense.

Jacksonville’s Addy Blimling throws the ball back in after making a catch during practice earlier this spring. (Dennis Mathes / Journal-Courier)

2023 BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL PREVIEWS

First base/outfielder Zara Harper (.500 OBP, .889 FPCT) -- Zara is a returning starter who was our Rookie of the Year last year. She is one of our utility players that we can plug in at first base or anywhere in the outfield.

Mia Schaecher, Hayle Force and Annabell Christensen also are returning starters who will have key roles to the success of our team.

Key newcomers: Chase Neice will have a starting role as catcher and some infield this year. She has one of the best arms on our team already, and I expect her to thrive behind the plate. Naveah Matthews is another freshman who will have an impact on our team. She will be our backup pitcher, and I expect her to be a starter in the field when not pitching.

Pitching: Mackenzie Gerard will be our ace and will get the lion’s share of the innings. She has developed a changeup in the off-season and is working on a third pitch. She will be much more dominant than last year. Naveah Matthews is our backup and will start in junior varsity games as a freshman.

Hitting: Addy Blimling and Mackenzie Gerard will lead us in batting, with Addy leading off and Mackenzie in the three spot to drive her home. Addy will hit for average and has improved her bunting in the offseason. Mackenzie will hit for power, and I expect her slugging percentage to increase by quite a bit.

Fielding: Addy Blimling will be the leader in the outfield. She will play center or left depending on the scouting report and where the opponent tends to hit. I have four players who can play just about anywhere in Mackenzie Gerard, Zara Harper, Mia Schaecher and Chase Neice. Mackenzie and Chase will make up the battery most of the year but will also play some infield. Zara will play first and some outfield, and Mia will anchor the infield at short and also get some reps in center.

Season outlook: I think we

will improve our record from last year. With a good core of freshmen coming in, and losing only three seniors, we will be deeper at every position. I expect to double our win total this year and compete more with the top tier Central State 8 teams.

NEW BERLIN BASEBALL

Coach: Bo Gum

Last year’s record: 21-11-1

Returning starters: Junior Lucas Bixby (.396 BA, 7 HR/7-2 record, 2.00 ERA, 50 IP, 107 K). Sangamo First Team All-Conference. Solid lefty who we expect to hold our ace position.

Sophomore Rockman Prince (.370 BA, 3 HR). Sangamo First Team All-Conference. Consistent second baseman with a hot bat.

Junior Gannon Dodd. Although known for basketball, has a strong outfield arm and a consistent bat.

Junior Jacob Roberts. Really good center fielder.

Senior James Moore. Solid backstop for the Pretzels pitching staff

Senior Landon Schutz. Does a little bit of everything for the Pretzels.

Junior Trevor Colwell. Leader of the infield and a scrappy offensive player.

Key losses: Gabe Spann (1B/ OF), to graduation

Key newcomers: Senior outfielder Jack Hepperly will fill in the spot opened up by Gabe Spann from graduation. Jack is a scrappy baseball player who runs the bases really well. He has the potential to have a really good senior year.

Freshman Reid Hepperly has a chance to make an immediate impact on the mound for us. He can swing it as well -- and will get an opportunity to play multiple infield positions.

Players who also have a chance to earn some playing time include

junior Tyler Moore, sophomore Mason Scroggins, sophomore Keaton Teel, sophomore Wyatt Frantz and freshman Henry Wys.

Pitching: Junior Lucas Bixby leads the way for the Pretzels. After Bixby, it’s a group of guys that will get an opportunity to earn valuable innings.

Sophomore Rockman Prince came on strong last year. Pitched a complete game in a 2-1 loss to Gillespie in the regional championship.

Senior Landon Schutz and junior Trevor Colwell both will have their roles enhanced on the mound. Neither is overpowering, but both are smart and crafty.

Junior Wesley Preckwinkle is recovering from knee surgery. The team hopes to have him back to eat up innings for us in April.

Freshman Reid Hepperly led the Pretzels junior high baseball team to its first regional title in school history. Hard thrower. The Pretzels expect him to pitch significant innings this year.

Sophomore Wyatt Frantz, sophomore Mason Scroggins, sophomore James Ushman, and freshman Nolan Robinson will have an opportunity to earn some extra innings.

The Pretzels return a lot of players from last year’s squad. We don’t see much of a change to the lineup.

James Moore will be the mainstay behind the plate. Several guys are competing for the backup catcher’s role. Wyatt Frantz and Henry Wys will have opportunities.

Freshman Reid Hepperly is working hard to play a vital role in the Pretzels lineup.

Season outlook: Potential is here for the Pretzels to improve on last season’s 21-11 record.

NEW BERLIN SOFTBALL

Head coach: Chip Wagner

Assistant coach: Melissa Dillon

Last year’s record: 12-15

Returning starters: Senior catcher Mae Bandelow (captain) – Great motivator, role model and leader. Defensive wall at catcher. Great bat. Great communicator and worker.

Senior center fielder Alyssa Hopkins – Leader, general of the outfield, great lead-off batter, hard worker.

Senior pitcher Kailyn Middleton – Leader, ace of the staff, solid contact hitter, ball of energy.

Junior first baseman Marissa Heironimus – Leader, great defensive first baseman, good power, great motivator.

Junior shortstop Ashlee Brown – Leader, solid defense, good contact, some pop.

Sophomore third baseman/ catcher Carlie Smith – Quiet leader, solid bat, solid corner player.

Second baseman/outfielder/ pitcher Autumn Green – Quiet leader, hard worker, great contact hitter.

Sophomore outfielder Halle Bandy – Great contact hitter, hard worker.

Key newcomers: Junior Whitney Williams (OF) – Brings good energy, solid bat, reads fly balls well, hard worker.

Sophomore Taylor Staub (INF/P) – Smart player, solid bat, throws the ball in the zone.

Sophomore Audrey Attig (INF) – Solid bat, good defense, coming back from ankle injury.

Sophomore Katy Wiser (OF) – Keeps the mood positive, good contact, good attitude, solid mindset.

Sophomore Kaelyn Green –Good contact hitter, great teammate, good outfielder.

Sophomore Kristi Wright (OF) – Positive, positive, great supporter and great teammate, good contact hitter.

Freshman Riley Holloway (INF/OF/P) – Quick, good arm, good contact hitter.

Freshman Caitlin Harney (IF/ OF) – Good teammate, solid contact hitter, tough.

Freshman Drue Zenger (OF) – Good contact hitter, willing to learn and hard working.

Pitching: Kailyn Middleton will be the team’s ace and will see the majority of innings. Taylor Staub, Autumn Greene and Riley Holloway will pitch in relief roles. The goal will be to throw strikes and cut down on walks.

Hitting: Our offense will put the ball in play, work counts, and hit for contact pretty consistently. But we do have some power. We will bunt and move runners. We will strive to compete each game.

Defense: With seniors at catcher, pitcher and center field, we will have good leadership. Infielders have good, soft hands with solid arms. Outfielders track balls down well and have solid arms. Our goal is to make routine plays and flash the leather to steal some outs here and there.

Season outlook: We will compete daily and grow as a team. We have a lineup that can put runs on the board and defense to hold people to lower run totals. Consistent pitching and great work ethic. We have a great group of kids.

NORTH GREENE BASEBALL

Coach: Joe Kindred

Last year’s record: 5-16

Key returning players: Sophomore Garret Hazelwonder, senior Brayden Faulkner, sophomore Ethan Clark, junior Bradley Barfield, senior Reese Scott, junior Jacob Hinsey and sophomore Brody Barry.

Key losses: Brayden Roberts (1B/P), Colton Daniel (1B/OF)

Key newcomers: Freshman class will have a number of players competing with upperclassmen for spots in the daily varsity lineup.

Season outlook: Nine return-

ers from last year’s team, including seven starters. North Greene hopes to continue to build a positive and competitive culture grounded in accountability and consistency. Staying healthy is a big key for us this year.

NORTH GREENE SOFTBALL

Coach: Nathan Roberts

Last year’s record: 3-9

Returning players: Senior second baseman Abigail Jones will be a big contributor this year as a senior leader on and off the field. Her bat will be big in the lineup this year.

Senior left fielder Kassidy Riley will anchor a young outfield and will be a rock on defense.

Junior catcher Carlee Speaker is a wall behind the plate with great hands and a very strong arm … should slow down a lot of potential baserunners. She led the team last year in home runs as well.

Junior outfielder Alyeah Benkowski was a surprise off the bench last year and should step right up this year to take her spot on the field.

Junior shortstop Kearstan Smith played several key defensive positions last year and should anchor our infield this year with a good glove.

Season outlook: We graduated eight players off the team last year, with most of those being starters. We will be young this year and building for a very bright future with the athletes that are out right now plus what’s in the upcoming classes. We should be defensively sound with pitching that will keep us in the games, giving our defense a chance to make some plays. We should be a scrappy young team with some team speed to put pressure on teams this year. We will have two freshmen in the circle for us this year in Brandy Davidson and Chelsey Castleberry. Both are always around the plate, and their pitch-

2023 BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL PREVIEWS

es are really starting to move. Hitting-wise, we have some ladies with some pop in their bats, but we will look to be gap hitters and move runners around when they’re on.

PITTSFIELD BASEBALL

Coach: Jerred Heinz

Last year’s record: 21-9

Returning starters: Nolan Daniel (.362 BA, .455 OBP, 26 RBI, 12 SB) -- Nolan was solid for us all year offensively in the two hole and covers a lot of ground in center field. He’ll be utilized out of the bullpen this season.

Konner Allen (.352 BA, .417 OBP, 24 RBI/54 IP, 1.82 ERA, 67 K) -- Was the ace of our pitching staff last season and will probably be hitting third or fourth in our lineup.

Brennen Tomhave (.291 BA, .418 OBP/41 2/3 IP, 3.53 ERA, 46 K) -- Came on strong during the second half of the season both at the plate and on the mound. He’ll be at the top of the rotation with Konner, and will be hitting in the middle of the lineup.

Justin Pennock (.333 BA, .435 OBP, 29 R, 15 SB) -- Justin can play just about anywhere defensively and will be pushing for the number three spot in our pitching rotation. He will most likely hit in the middle of the order this season.

Luke Saxe (.257 BA, 20 R/ threw out 15 runners) -- As a freshman, Luke caught about every game for us last season, and

did an exceptional job managing our pitching staff. He also got stronger at the plate as the season went on. In addition, Luke will push to be a starter on the mound for us this upcoming season.

Key losses: Nate Scranton, TJ Reel, Jackson Fish and Caden Casto

Key newcomers: Sophomore Luke Archer (OF/P/C), sophomore Draven Puterbaugh (IF/P/C), junior Isaac Helms (IF/ OF/P), sophomore Clayton Reinhardt (1B/OF/P), sophomore Lane Foster (OF/P)

Season outlook: I think winning 20-plus games is realistic for this year’s team. We will be younger than last season, but we have a good amount of varsity experience returning.

PITTSFIELD SOFTBALL

Coach: Kristi Heafner

Last year’s record: 12-11

Pitching: Carlee Constable (pitched 63 innings, 4.0 ERA), Emma Henry (pitched 66 innings, 4.4 ERA), Jaynee Heafner (pitched 8 innings last year, 5.0 ERA). We plan on using these three ladies for the majority of the pitching this season.

Key losses: We will be replacing our middle infield and catcher. These are important spots to fill. We had three good seniors in these spots.

Offense: We will depend on the entire team to step it up at the plate. Ella Constable, Grace Hen-

ry and Carlee Constable will lead the way. We also expect to see a lot of good offensive play from Rebecca Neupauer.

Goals: We want to improve on last year’s record and have success deep into the postseason.

PORTA/A-C CENTRAL BASEBALL

Coach: Brett Leischner

Last year’s record: 16-17

Returning starters: The Bluejays will return several starters from last year’s 16-win team. Pitcher/utility Ryan Bettis, outfielder Jake Hampton, pitcher Hunter Walters, pitcher/first baseman/outfielder Brady Kinney, pitcher/third baseman Trace Donnan, outfielder Drew Atwater, and catcher Hunter Roberts all will be returning to the Jays lineup.

Key losses: The Jays will miss Jake Shannon, Dane DeGroot, Aaron Suiter, and Bryton Butler.

Key newcomers: The coaching staff is very excited about many of the newcomers this year. Sophomore Barrett Morse looks to hold down the shortstop position this year and contribute to the offensive lineup. Sophomore Kendall Davis will be very strong on the bump as well, and looks to contribute with the bat. Sophomore Drew Marr looks forward to building off a strong freshman season that saw him filling in for an injured Drew Atwater. Junior Cael Cotner should also prove very valuable to the Bluejays on the mound and defensively.

Pitching: Pitching looks to be a strength for the Bluejays. The top end of the staff will be led by senior Ryan Bettis, sophomore Kendall Davis and junior Cael Cotner. Other arms that will be used regularly are junior Trace Donnan, junior Brady Kinney, and senior Hunter Walters. Freshmen Levi Hoagland, Brody Landon, and Jett Karrick have also looked good early in practice and could see some varsity innings.

Hitting: The big question for this year’s PORTA/A-C team will be the offense. The Jays will have to figure out a way to replace the production of Jake Shannon and Dane DeGroot, who led the Jays in several offensive categories. Senior Ryan Bettis, junior Trace Donnan, junior Brady Kinney, and junior Drew Atwater will all be key offensive players. The offense will rely on taking extra bases and putting the ball in play to score runs this year. The Jays look to eclipse the 100 stolen base mark this year as they were only six away last year.

Fielding: Many of the Bluejays will be moved around this year with versatility being a key aspect to the team. One player who will anchor the defense is junior catcher Hunter Roberts. Roberts took over the catching duties last year and performed very well as an underclassman. Another key defensive player will be Drew Atwater. Atwater had his sophomore campaign shortened due to injury, but he started in center field as both a freshman and sophomore. He has made

only one error at that position his whole career.

Season outlook: This year the Bluejays enter the year eager to build off last season’s 16-win team. Sixteen wins in 2022 was the highest win total the program has had since 2007. There are high internal expectations this season. The Jays’ schedule is very competitive, and the Sangamo Conference is one of the best small school conferences in the state. The Jays will have their work cut out for them to improve on that 16-win total. The pitching and defense for this year should be strong as long as everyone stays healthy. The offense will need to cut down on the strikeouts in order for this team to be successful.

PORTA/A-C CENTRAL SOFTBALL

Coach: Andy Biermann

Last year’s record: 10-15

Returners: Karlie Hoke (catcher; all-conference selection last season, third season as starting catcher) will hit in the middle of the lineup this season; Gabbie Branson (pitcher; all-conference selection last year) will see most of the innings on the mound this season; Hailey Brown (third base; versatile infielder and table-setter in the lineup); and Erin Wallace (infielder; big bat in the lineup). Health will be the key.

Losses: Amber Teimeyer (unanimous first team all-conference)

Newcomers: Josie Bartels

(senior pitcher/first baseman) will eat up some innings on the mound and can play first base as well. Aubrey Vogel (shortstop) will fill a huge void at shortstop and probably hit at the top of the lineup.

Pitching: Gabbie Branson will see the majority of innings. She has worked really hard in the offseason, and we hope for a big year. Just getting to see Josie Bartels for the first time. She seems to be a strike-thrower, and will take some of the burden off Branson. Great attitude and has shown some leadership skills so far.

Hitting: I feel like one through six, we are strong. Good mix of lefty and righty bats. Brown and Vogel will probably be at the top, followed in some order of Hoke, Branson and Wallace. If the bottom of the order can roll the lineup over and have quality at-bats, we could score a lot of runs. We have some power in this lineup, but not a lot of team speed.

Fielding: Hoke and Branson will be the battery most games, with Bartels throwing innings, too. Looking at Brown and Vogel on the left side of the infield, Liv Hampton at second and then some options at first base. The outfield will be a combination of Cassidy Flack, Greta Butler, Marissa Jiannoni and Raygan Horn. We will also utilize the DP with one of the girls.

Having Vogel as the shortstop is a big plus for us this season. It was a revolving door last year at that position. Need Greta Butler to take on a leadership role in the outfield. Karlie Hoke is a three-

2023 BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL PREVIEWS

year starter behind the plate.

Expectations: We have really beefed up our schedule the last couple of years, in hopes of being ready for the postseason. The Sangamo Conference has added Olympia into an already deep conference. There will not be an easy night in this conference. We have our Spring SLAM event scheduled for April 1 with 22 teams playing this year. We look to be competitive in every game with our pitching and building toward the postseason. We still have spots that we are unsure of, and it may take several games to see who secures them.

PLEASANT HILL SOFTBALL

Coach:

Ryan Lowe

Last year’s record: 18-10

Returning starters: Ava Wombles, who started at third or pitched; Kali VanStrien, who started at third or first; Hannah Hill, who started at shortstop; Maddie Daniels, who started at second; Jade Peebles, who started at first or outfield; Maddie Sidwell, who started in the outfield; Emma Henderson, who started in the outfield; Danni Lewis, who had to sit out last year due to injury (she started in the outfield her freshman year); Makenna Winchell, who started as our catcher; and McKinley Lowe, who started the most games for us last year.

Key newcomers: We have three new faces. Freshmen Lilly McElfresh and Abi Henderson

both are capable of playing good defense, and are coming around with the bat nicely. It should be fun watching them adjust to high school softball. We also have Hailey Myer-Mowen, who came out for the first time and is a senior. It has been fun watching her get better every day in practice.

Pitching: McKinley Lowe and Ava Wombles will do the bulk of the pitching for us. Both ladies throw hard and have good spin. They combined for 269 Ks last year and walked only 34.

Hitting: We had five girls hit over .350 last year, and we had 26

home runs for the team. I hope we can continue to hit for power and put up some big numbers. Fielding: Our fielding is pretty solid at every position. We have some very athletic girls who can play multiple spots. Right now our coaching staff is trying to figure out who to put where, to make our team the best defensively.

Season outlook: We hope to come out strong and build on our skills every week. Last year’s upset loss in the regional seems to have our girls hungry here early on. I hope the girls stay hungry

and positive all season. Our current and former athletic directors have done an excellent job building us a very competitive schedule, adding many bigger schools. The season is going to be a real grind, and it is important for us to stay positive and healthy so hopefully we can make a run in the postseason.

ROUTT BASEBALL

Coach: Ryan Turner

Last year’s record: 21-10-1

Returning starters: Senior

We are expecting a great season from him offensively and defensively.

Senior center fielder Daxton Baptist (.400 BA, .495 OBP, 36 H, 19 SB). Dax is our captain of the outfield and can track down balls at a high level. He should be a top contributor to our offense with his speed and stolen bases.

Junior shortstop/pitcher/ catcher Nolan Turner (.415 BA, .584 OBP, 5 triples, 23 walks, two-year WIVC All-Conference player). Nolan is one of the most agile/athletic infielders in our conference. He is our leadoff hitter and our catalyst on offense. We are looking forward to a big year offensively and defensively from him.

pitcher/infielder Ryan Oswald (3-2 record, 2.54 ERA, 76 K, 41 IP/.371 BA, 3 HR). Ryan started almost every big game for the Rockets over the past three years and has potential to be one of the more dominant pitchers in our area. WIVC All-Conference last year. He also has potential to be a power hitter.

Senior pitcher/catcher/infielder Ethan Walker (4-1 record, 4.10 ERA, 45 K, 31 IP/.344 BA, 32 hits). Ethan is our team captain this year and is a very talented catcher. He will also be giving us several innings on the mound.

Junior pitcher/first baseman/ outfielder Conrad Charpentier (.348 BA, .459 OBP, 24 RBI/1.54 ERA, 66 K, 59 IP). Conrad is our smooth lefty. Highly effective on the mound. He is always calm and in control. WIVC All-Conference last year. Offensively, he is a threat as well, with big RBI potential.

Junior infielder/catcher/pitcher Isaac Long. We are really excited about having Isaac join our team this year. His knowledge for baseball and how he plays the game will help make our team even better. He is a versatile player that can play infield, catch and pitch. He hit six home runs for his team last year, so we are looking forward to big things out of him at the plate.

Sophomore Brock Runyon (IF/P). Brock has continued his

Routt second baseman Isaac Long fields a ground ball during practice earlier this spring. (Dennis Mathes / Journal-Courier)

2023 BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL PREVIEWS

hard work and improvement from last year, and we believe he is now going to be an option for us on the mound. Most Improved Player from 2022.

Sophomore Jace Lautemann (OF/P). Another great outfielder -- fast, great tracking, all-around good player.

Sophomore Adam Huffman (IF/OF). Adam was recovering from an injury last year, so he was limited in what he could do. He has the power and the baseball knowledge to do big things.

Sophomore Aiden Meyer (OF). Aiden is another young man with a lot of power and potential.

Key loss: Braden Cors (.330 BA)

Key newcomers: We have a big freshman class coming in that I’m pretty excited about. Key players could be Brady Turner (LHP/1B), Bryson Mossman (OF), Talon Thompson (C/IF) and Dalton Brown (C/IF/OF). There are several others that I’m excited about seeing as far as growth from last year and how that translates at the JV/varsity level.

Pitching: Ryan Oswald and Conrad Charpentier are the aces. Ryan can be lights-out. A lot of power in that big frame. Conrad is one of the more effective lefties in our area. He can put the ball where he wants it almost every pitch. Ethan Walker has been working hard in the off-season and has increased his velo quite a bit from last year. Looking forward to seeing him on the mound, too. Isaac Long,

Brady Turner and Brock Runyon will most likely be giving us key innings as well. We are looking pretty solid as far as pitching this year with several others that can come in for relief.

Hitting: Nolan Turner and Dax Baptist have been our table-setters the past two years, and Conrad Charpentier, Ethan Walker and Ryan Oswald have been our RBI guys. This year the addition of Isaac Long will add more power to the middle of our order, and young, athletic sophomore and freshmen classes should round

infield or outfield spot. Besides our upperclassmen, we have guys like Jace Lautemann and Bryson Mossman who can play any outfield position; Brady Turner (1B/ OF/P), Talon Thompson (C/IF), Dalton Brown (IF/C), Adam Huffman (IF) and Brock Runyun (IF) can play all around the infield for us. Having this many capable defenders will allow me to focus on taking care of my pitchers’ arms a lot better than I was able to in the past. Being able to rest guys or DH them when they need it will make us stronger as a whole once postseason rolls around. Not only just a health benefit, but from a team culture standpoint, each player will know they have a vital role to play and always be ready when their number is called.

heavy hitters Hannah Parlier at shortstop, Paige Creviston at third and Cami Hurt behind the plate. Jaeden Reardon will be taking over the majority of first base innings while Jenne Varela will occupy center field.

The emergence of Faith Beddingfield and Lily Geirnaeirt at the corner outfield spots and Brianne Rogers at second will round out the opening day lineup. A great group of freshmen, along with Meaghan Marshall, an upperclassman playing for the first time, will round out the roster.

TRIOPIA-MEREDOSIAVIRGINIA BASEBALL

Coach: Rich Thompson

Last year’s record: 21-10

Pitching: Starters -- Brock York, Austin Strubbe, Evan Bell, Carter Lakamp, Grant Fricke, Jacob Cook. Not sure who our ace will be, but York had the most innings last year. I expect York, Strubbe and Bell to be our top three.

Hitting: We are very young, with only three players with much varsity experience. I would expect York to lead off, with Bell and Strubbe being our leading RBI guys. After that they are all young and unproven, so we will see. I would imagine we will have to scratch runs out with not a lot of power.

out our lineup. We should be able to put pressure on teams when we are on the base-paths and look to score a lot of runs this season.

Fielding: It’s hard to say for sure until practice starts as I foresee a few healthy competitions for some defensive spots. With that being said, we are very solid up the middle behind Ethan Walker (catcher), Nolan Turner (shortstop) Isaac Long (second base), and Dax Baptist (center field). Then depending on who is pitching I can imagine a rotation of great fielders filling an

Season outlook: I anticipate having a very successful season. We have six very talented, baseball-oriented upperclassmen and several players who can play multiple positions. We should have enough arms to get through our challenging schedule. I’m really looking forward to seeing how this season plays out. I’m expecting very big things from this group.

ROUTT SOFTBALL

Coach: Jamie Martin

Last year’s record: 7-11

Key losses: Caitlyn Horney and Kelly Peters

Outlook: Kate Cosgriff will return to the mound along with

Returning starters: Junior outfielder/pitcher Evan Bell (.333 BA, 22 runs, 20 RBI), junior infielder/pitcher Austin Strubbe (.306 BA, 14 runs, 8 RBI), sophomore outfielder/pitcher Brock York (.299 BA, 31 runs, 12 RBI)

Key losses: Caden Moore, Ty Malcomson, Brayden Booth, Cordell Walker, Jakob Walkington, Sam Cox, Grant Wisdom

Key newcomers: Junior Carter Lakamp (P/OF), junior Colin Caldwell (OF), sophomore Ian Stock (P/INF), junior Wade Swan (OF), freshman Grant Fricke (P/ INF), freshman Jacob Cook (INF/P), freshman Gameli White (OF), freshman Andrew Hobrock (OF/INF), freshman Cooper Parrish (C/INF), freshman Austin VanGundy (C/OF)

Fielding: We are very up in the air at this point. Our infield will probably be made up of Strubbe and Bell at short or third. Ian Stock will probably play second base, and first base is up in the air. Jacob Cook will get a look there. Fricke has a chance to play some infield as well. We are also trying to find a catcher. Cooper Parrish will get a look, and we need others to step up. York will play center when he is not pitching, and Lakamp, White, Swan and Caldwell could also play in the outfield.

Season outlook: We graduated seven seniors off of last year’s team, and we have a lot of holes to replace. We are very young and do not have any seniors on our squad this season. It will be a year of growth and development, but I think we have some pieces that we can build around in York, Strubbe and Bell. I think we have a young team that is eager to learn and grow together, and we hope

Routt pitcher Hannah Parlier looks in for a sign during practice last week. (Dennis Mathes / Journal-Courier)

2023 BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL PREVIEWS

to make a lot of strides this season. We are looking for growth and improvement throughout the season.

TRIOPIA-MEREDOSIAVIRGINIA SOFTBALL

Coach:

Ty Gebhardt

Assistant coaches: Michelle Weber, Dean Werries, Jeff Bennett

Last year’s record: 11-16

Returning starters: Senior shortstop Megan Reynolds is a smooth softball player and has great hands on the infield. She can cover a lot of ground and has a great eye at the plate. Senior catcher Ava Ganz works hard behind the plate and helps our pitchers out. She has been a constant behind the plate for us for the last few years. Sophomore infielder Raye Greenstreet has a lot of power and has a great softball IQ. We look for Raye to be an anchor at first base for us this year. Her season was cut short by a foot injury last year, and I look forward to what she can do for us on defense and at the plate. Senior outfielder Gabby Young made some game-changing plays for us in the outfield last season, and I hope her confidence carries over to this season. She can cover a lot of ground in the outfield! Senior Lily Carson works hard covering ground at second base and makes some great plays over there. We are hoping to have a solid senior-led middle infield that can guide our young kids we have out there this year. Sophomore out-

fielder/pitcher Lindy Parlier can glide in the outfield and covers a lot of ground in right field. She bats from the left, and brings a lot of speed to the top of our lineup.

Key losses: Hailey Reynolds (OF), Sailym Reid (1B), Addison Rohn (C/IF). Addison is still recovering from knee surgery and her absence on the field and at the plate will be felt. We hope to see her back in the lineup by the end of the season.

Key newcomers: Freshman Miley Tracy (P/OF/IF) -- Miley has played a lot of softball, and she will be an asset on the mound and is great offensively and defensively. Freshman Bella Powell (P/IF) -- Bella is a great addition to our pitching staff and can fill spots wherever we need her. She has a great bat that will make the middle of our lineup tough. Freshman Lucie Dion (3B/IF/ OF) -- Lucie is a utility player that has a great glove and feel for the ball anywhere we put her.

Pitching: Bella Powell and Miley Tracy will share duties on the mound. Both players are freshmen but bring a lot of softball experience to our team. They have good velocity and location control. I am excited to see these girls pitch, and they have a pretty sound defense to help them out as well.

Hitting: I am excited about our lineup. It’s a good mix of power and speed. We have some girls that are great contact hitters and will put a lot of pressure on defenses with their speed. Reynolds was one of our top hitters last season, and we would like to move

her down in the lineup to be our third hitter to get some fast girls on base in front of her. We will miss Rohn’s power, but Greenstreet, Powell and Addison Walker can hit for power as well. I feel like we can put runners on base consistently from top to bottom in our lineup.

Fielding: In practice, our defense is working hard. With our solid pitching, I know the defense will work hard behind the

pitchers. The infield will be led by Megan Reynolds, Lily Carson and Ava Ganz. Their senior leadership will be key to our success. I think our outfield is one of the fastest I have seen in awhile. Gabby Young, Miley Tracy and Lindy Parlier are fast, and get great jumps on the ball. Hailey Reynolds was our center fielder since her freshman year, and I think Miley and Lindy will work hard to fill her shoes.

Season outlook: We are pretty young, as most of our lineup is freshmen and sophomores, with a couple seniors leading us in important positions. I like this team and the energy they bring to practice every day. We are excited about what this team can possibly do this year, and we look forward to these girls competing each night. This team has a lot of talent and love for softball. I couldn’t have asked for a better start to this

season so far. I don’t think it will take long for our young girls to settle in and play ball. We’ve got a tough conference, and I look forward to a lot of good softball this year.

WEST CENTRAL BASEBALL

Coach: Grant DeWitt (6th season)

Last year’s record: 14-13

Returning starters: We have several returning starters back from last year’s team that finished above .500.

Senior Tyson Brown -- Tyson will be a factor both offensively and defensively. He is a four-year starter and will be looked upon to pitch several innings, play shortstop, and more than likely continue hitting in the leadoff position.

Junior Mason Berry -- Mason will resume catching duties for the third straight year. Looking for him to continue improvement in that position and take control of the pitching staff. Mason will also be looked upon to throw some relief innings. Offensively, Mason has worked hard in the off-season fine-tuning his swing. More than likely towards the top of the Cougar lineup.

Next will be a crucial part of the West Central team. A core group of sophomores who all saw a lot of playing time as freshmen.

Sophomore Carson Brown -- Will be out to start the season, due to knee surgery. Hopefully will get him back towards the latter half of the season.

Triopia’s Lucie Dion fields the ball during warmups before a game against Havana last week. (Dennis Mathes / Journal-Courier)

2023 BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL PREVIEWS

Sophomore Dalton Hutton -- Dalton will be returning as the Cougars’ No. 1 pitcher. He logged several effective innings as a freshman and will continue to do so as a sophomore. Dalton will also be looked upon to produce offensively.

Sophomore Cameron Sievers -- Cameron comes into his sophomore season with both pitching and defensive experience. We will continue to lean on Cam for important relief innings on the mound as well as defensively sound play in the middle of the infield. Looking for Cameron to improve offensively as he has worked hard in the weight room to get stronger.

Sophomore Landyn Woods -- A utility guy who can play anywhere on the infield. Nice having a player with versatility. Landyn will look to build off a strong freshman campaign on the mound. Defensively, Landyn will hopefully fill the role as our normal third baseman. Looking for him to produce offensively as well.

Sophomore Caden Meyer -- Caden looks to build off his offensive performance as a DH towards the end of last season. He is a player who is going to have to continue to step up and fill some voids both offensively and defensively.

Key losses: Cole Meyer, Parker Hoots, Tysyn Mast, and Lathan Barnett. Each player had a very big impact on last year’s team and will be greatly missed.

Key newcomers: Freshman Ryker Ford -- Ryker will be looked upon to start for the Cougars as a freshman. Ryker comes into high school having played a lot of baseball over the years in travel ball. His skills will definitely be utilized this year. We are looking for Ryker to take over center field, log some crucial innings on the mound, and produce offensively. His biggest adjustment will

be getting used to the speed of the game and high school pitching.

Freshman Nick Hamilton -Nick will be another freshman who will be used more so as a utility player. Nick has also played travel ball for several years, so looking forward to seeing what he can do to help the team this season. Nick will be used as a utility guy defensively as well as being used on the mound.

Junior Chance Little -- Chance is new to the baseball program this year. His name has come up a lot in Cougar sports as he is a heck of a football and basketball player. It will be nice to get to see him use his athleticism on the baseball field this year. How we will use him on the team has yet to be determined, but we look for Chance to help the team both offensively and defensively.

Junior Owen Barber -- Owen

is another kid who is well known for his accomplishments on the football field. With potential low numbers, he has been recruited by the upperclassmen as well. Owen will be looking to help us both offensively and defensively.

Senior Rylen Shaw -- Rylen is a senior who is playing high school baseball for the first time. It will be fun to see him use his athleticism on the field. Rylen’s role on the team is yet to be determined, but we will find a way to utilize his speed and quick bat.

Pitching: Our four top arms from last season will all be returning this year. Dalton Hutton will return for his sophomore season looking to lead the team again on the mound as our ace. Dalton went 4-2 last season with a 1.46 ERA. He logged an impressive 80 strikeouts in 47 innings.

Tyson Brown went 8-3 last

ters include Tyson Brown at leadoff. He hit .337 last season with an OBP of .422. Dalton Hutton hit .333 last season with six doubles and 28 RBIs. Mason Berry hit .325 last season. We are looking for Mason to have a breakout season offensively.

Carson Brown is injured. He will be missed, as he hit .353 last season with a .511 OBP.

Fielding: Fielding has several spots that should be accounted for, but we are still working a few things out to see what fits best for this year’s team. We have several players who can play many different positions, and a lot of lineups will be determined based on who is the starting pitcher for that day.

Season outlook: Have high expectations for this group as we have several key players returning. We will look to build off our above .500 season last year and have set goals to compete in this year’s WIVC Tournament as well as make it back to a regional championship.

lot of time in the outfield. She is quick and has a good arm.

The freshman class all around is a very athletic class that will see a lot of playing time.

Pitching: Rylee Burk, a senior, will likely step in as our ace. Hallee Lawson, a freshman, will be seeing many innings also. Both girls have different styles of pitching that are effective in their own ways. I can trust these two to get us through very tough situations when they need to. Bryleigh Fox is a reliable third option.

Hitting: It’s a little early to tell who our best hitters will be, but what we do know is that we will hit for more power. We have a few girls who are going to be quick and hit the ball on a line and get around the bases quick.

season with a 4.31 ERA in 46 innings. Cameron Sievers, a relief pitcher in 2022, will be used as a relief pitcher again this year with some spot starts depending on how the rotation works out. Sievers was 1-0 with a 6.17 ERA.

Landyn Woods went into last season with little pitching experience. He worked hard to learn the position and recorded a 1.5 ERA in 14 innings. He will be utilized more this season on the mound.

Mason Berry, Ryker Ford, Nick Hamilton, and Caden Meyer also will be used on the mound this year. With several games in a short period of time and the IHSA pitch-count rules, all members of the pitching staff will be crucial in having a successful season.

Hitting: Offensively, we are looking to be aggressive, especially in hitter’s counts. Leading hit-

WEST CENTRAL SOFTBALL

Coach:

Kaitlyn Wade

Returning starters: Kylie Clayton, Trystan White, Rylee Burk, Bryleigh Fox, Brylee Lawson, Alli Peterson, Annabell Shafer, Abbie Vieira

Key losses: Zaylei Evans, Maeleigh Alexander

Key newcomers: Myah Little -- A very speedy player anywhere we put her. She will more than likely play in the middle infield but can also step in as catcher if needed.

Hallee Lawson -- Hallee will likely see many innings in the circle, splitting time with Rylee and possibly at third base.

December Mitchell -- A sophomore who has never played before but will be very likely to see a

Fielding: Myah Little, Bryleigh Fox, Abbie Vieira, and Alli Peterson are the main ones competing for a spot in the middle infield. Brylee Lawson is likely to see time at third base, and her sister, Hallee, is a great backup for that position. At first base, Trystan White is more than likely to see most of the innings. Kylie Clayton is also one who could see some innings at first base. Sadie Fundel is our catcher for the season, but Myah Little is also a reliable backup for that position. Our outfield positions are very competitive right now. There is not a single girl that I wouldn’t put out there.

Season outlook: We have set a team goal of being .500 or better, and the girls are working towards that goal every day. We have many players who can be put in many different positions, and we know they will do well. We have 18 girls on the team, and they all have their own skills that contribute to the team in positive ways. As new coaches taking over the program, Sydney and I are working towards building the program culture back to what it was when we played. We feel like we will surprise a lot of teams this year.

West Central’s Landyn Woods delivers a pitch during a baseball game against Carrollton in Winchester last week. (Dennis Mathes / Journal-Courier)

2023 BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL SCHEDULES

BEARDSTOWN BASEBALL

Mar 16 @West Prairie 4:30p

Mar 20 @Camp Point Central

4:30p

Mar 22 @Canton 4:30p

Mar 24 Williamsville 4:30p

Mar 25 Athens (DH) 10:00a

Mar 27 @Rushville-Industry

4:30p

Mar 28 Havana 4:30p

Mar 31 @Southeastern 4:30p

Apr 1 @South Fulton (DH)

10:00a

Apr 4 @Greenfield-NW 4:30p

Apr 5 Pittsfield 4:30p

Apr 12 Rushville-Industry 4:30p

Apr 14-15 Tiger Showcase TBA

Apr 19 @West Central 4:30p

Apr 20 Quincy Notre Dame

4:30p

Apr 22 Beardstown Triangle

10:00a

Apr 24 Quincy 4:30p

Apr 25 Triopia 4:30p

Apr 28 PORTA/A-C Central

4:30p

May 1 @Pittsfield 4:30p

May 3 Lincoln 4:30p

May 4 Brown County 4:30p

May 6 @New Berlin (DH)

10:00a

May 9 @Illini West 4:30p

May 10 @Macomb 4:00p

May 12 Cuba-North Fulton

4:30p

May 13 @Bushnell-PC (DH)

10:00a

BEARDSTOWN SOFTBALL

Mar 17 Brown County 4:30p

Mar 18 PORTA/A-C Central (DH) 10:00a

Mar 20 @West Hancock 4:30p

Mar 21 Illini West 4:30p

Mar 22 @Payson Seymour 4:30p

Mar 25 Cuba-North Fulton 10:00a

Mar 27 Mendon Unity 4:30p

Mar 28 Havana 4:30p

Mar 29 @West Central 4:30p

Apr 1 Jacksonville (DH) 10:00a

Apr 4 @Greenfield-NW 4:30p

Apr 5 Macomb 4:30p

Apr 7-8 Lady Tiger Showcase

TBA

Apr 10 @Rushville-Industry

4:30p

Apr 12 @Pleasant Plains 4:30p

Apr 19 @Pittsfield 4:30p

Apr 20 West Prairie 4:30p

Apr 21 @Pleasant Hill 4:30p

Apr 22 @St. Teresa (DH) 10:00a

Apr 24 Camp Point Central

4:30p

Apr 26 @Brown County 4:30p

Apr 27 @Quincy Notre Dame

4:30p

Apr 28 @Williamsville 4:30p

May 1 @Triopia 4:30p

May 3 New Berlin 4:30p

May 4 @Bushnell-Prairie City

4:30p

May 8 @Lewistown 4:30p

May 9 @Midwest Central 4:30p

May 10 South Fulton 4:30p

May 11 Routt Catholic 4:30p

May 12 @North Greene 4:30p

BROWN COUNTY BASEBALL

Mar 15 Camp Point Central

4:30p

Mar 16 @Illini West 4:30p

Mar 17 West Prairie 4:00p

Mar 20 Macomb 4:30p

Mar 21 @Pleasant Hill 4:30p

Mar 22 North Greene 4:30p

Mar 23 Abingdon-Avon 4:30p

Mar 25 Brown County Triangle

9:00a

Mar 27 Payson Seymour 4:30p

Mar 28 Routt Catholic 4:30p

Mar 29 Pittsfield 4:30p

Mar 30 @Calhoun 4:30p

Mar 31 @Mendon Unity 4:30p

Apr 2 @Routt Catholic 4:30p

Apr 5 @Rushville-Industry

4:30p

Apr 6 West Central 4:30p

Apr 10 @Triopia 4:30p

Apr 11 @Griggsville-Perry

4:30p

Apr 12 South Fulton

Apr 13 @North Greene

Apr 14 @Havana

Apr 17 Pleasant Hill

Apr 18 Triopia

Apr 13 @North Greene 4:30p

Apr 15 @PORTA/A-C Triangle

10:00a

Apr 17 Pleasant Hill 4:30p

Apr 18 Triopia 4:30p

Apr 19 Hamilton-Warsaw 4:30p

Apr 20 Griggsville-Perry 4:30p

Apr 24 Greenfield-NW 4:30p

Apr 25 @West Central 4:30p

Apr 26 Beardstown 4:30p

Apr 27 @Carrollton 4:30p

Apr 28 Liberty 4:30p

May 1 @South Fulton 4:30p

May 2 @Greenfield-NW 4:30p

May 3 @Southeastern 4:30p

May 4 Camp Point Central

4:00p

10:00a

May 1 @Payson Seymour 4:30p

May 2 West Central 4:30p

CALHOUN SOFTBALL

Mar 16 Carlinville 4:30p

Mar 17 Roxana 4:30p

Mar 20 Marquette Catholic

4:30p

Mar 21 @Triopia 4:30p

Mar 22 @Alton 4:30p

Mar 24 @Western 4:30p

Mar 25 @Quincy Notre Dame

10:30a

Mar 29 East Alton-Wood River

4:30p

May 1 @Quincy

May 2 @Greenfield-NW

May 5 Havana 4:30p

May 8-9 @WIVC Tournament

TBA

May 12 @Macomb 4:30p

CALHOUN BASEBALL

Mar 15 St. Louis Patriots 4:30p

Mar 16 Carlinville 5:00p

Mar 21 @Triopia 4:30p

BROWN COUNTY SOFTBALL

Mar 24 @Western 4:30p

Mar 25 Marquette Catholic

11:00a

Mar 27 East Alton-Wood River

4:30p

Mar 29 @Staunton 4:30p

Mar 30 Brown County 4:30p

Apr 1 Pittsfield 11:00a

Apr 3 @Griggsville-Perry 4:30p

Apr 6 @Routt Catholic 4:30p

Apr 8 Piasa Southwestern

Mar 30 Brown County 4:30p

Mar 31 O’Fallon 4:30p

Apr 3 @Griggsville-Perry 4:30p

Apr 6 @Routt Catholic 4:30p

Apr 7-8 @Beardstown Tourney

TBA

Apr 10 @West Central 4:30p

Apr 13 @Pleasant Hill 4:30p

Apr 17 Triopia 4:30p

Apr 19 @Edwardsville 4:30p

Apr 20 Carrollton 4:30p

Apr 21 Marquette Catholic

4:30p

Apr 24 North Greene 4:30p

Apr 27 @Greenfield-NW 4:30p

Apr 28 Jerseyville 4:30p

Apr 29 @Piasa Southwestern

10:00a

May 1 @Payson Seymour 4:30p

May 2 West Central 4:30p

May 5-6 @Triad Tournament

TBA

Mar 28 Routt Catholic

Mar 29 Pittsfield

Mar 30 @Calhoun

Mar 31 @Mendon Unity

Apr 3 @Routt Catholic

Apr 4 Western

Apr 5 Quincy Notre Dame

Apr 6 West Central

Apr 7 @Rushville-Industry

Apr 10 @Triopia 4:30p

11:00a

Apr 10 @West Central 4:30p

Apr 12 @Roxana 4:30p

Apr 13 @Pleasant Hill 4:30p

Apr 14 @Jerseyville 4:30p

Apr 17 Triopia 4:30p

Apr 20 Carrollton 4:30p

Apr 22 Metro-East Lutheran

10:00a

Apr 24 North Greene 4:30p

Apr 27 @Greenfield-NW 4:30p

Apr 29 Piasa Southwestern

Mar 31 North Mac 4:30p

Apr 3 West Central 4:30p

Apr 6 Pleasant Hill 4:30p

Apr 10 @North Greene 4:30p

Apr 13 Routt Catholic 4:30p

Apr 14-15 Beardstown Tourney

TBA

Apr 17 Greenfield-NW 4:30p

Apr 18 North Greene 4:30p

Apr 20 @Calhoun 4:30p

Apr 24 @Griggsville-Perry

Apr 27 Brown County 4:30p

Apr 28 @Jerseyville 4:30p

May 2 Marquette Catholic 4:30p

May 4 Carlinville 4:30p

May 6 @Roxana Triangle 10:00a

May 8-9 @WIVC Tournament TBA

May 11 Piasa Southwestern 4:30p

May 13 Carrollton Triangle 10:00a

CARROLLTON SOFTBALL

Mar 13 Bunker Hill 4:30p

Mar 14 @West Central 4:30p

Mar 16 Gillespie 4:30p

Mar 17 Pittsfield 4:30p

Mar 18 @New Berlin 10:00a

Mar 24 @Civic Memorial 4:30p

Mar 25 Auburn 11:00a

Mar 27 Staunton 4:30p

Mar 28 Piasa Southwestern 4:30p

Mar 30 @Triopia 4:30p

Mar 31 North Mac 4:30p

Apr 1 @PORTA/A-C Tournament TBA

Apr 3 West Central 4:30p

CARROLLTON BASEBALL

Mar 13 Bunker Hill 4:30p

Mar 14 @West Central 4:30p

Mar 17 Gillespie 4:30p

Mar 20 Pittsfield 4:30p

Mar 21 @Father McGivney

4:30p

Mar 28 @Pawnee 4:30p

Mar 30 @Triopia 4:30p

Apr 6 Pleasant Hill 4:30p

Apr 7-8 Beardstown Tournament TBA

Apr 10 @North Greene 4:30p

Apr 13 Routt Catholic 4:30p

Apr 15 Pawnee 2:00p

Apr 17 Greenfield-NW 4:00p

Apr 20 @Calhoun 4:30p

Apr 22 @Nashville Tournament TBA

BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL SCHEDULES

Apr 24 @Griggsville-Perry

4:30p

Apr 27 Brown County 4:30p

May 4 Carlinville 4:30p

May 8-9 @WIVC Tournament

TBA

May 11 @Jerseyville 4:30p

May 13 @Pleasant Plains (DH) 10:00a

GREENFIELDNORTHWESTERN BASEBALL

Mar 14 Roxana (G) 4:30p

Mar 15 @Pittsfield 4:30p

Mar 17 @Piasa Southwestern

4:30p

Mar 21 @Wood River 4:30p

Mar 22 Carlinville (NW) 4:30p

Mar 23 West Central (G) 4:30p

Mar 27 @Auburn 4:30p

Mar 30 @Pleasant Hill 4:30p

Apr 1 @Carlinville (DH) 10:00a

Apr 3 Triopia (NW) 4:30p

Apr 4 Beardstown (G) 4:30p

Apr 6 North Greene (G) 4:30p

Apr 10 Routt (NW) 4:30p

Apr 11 @Triopia 4:30p

Apr 13 @Griggsville-Perry 4:30p

Apr 15 @New Berlin (DH) 10:00a

Apr 17 @Carrollton 4:30p

Apr 19 Gillespie (NW) 4:30p

Apr 20 @West Central 4:30p

Apr 21 Raymond (NW) 4:30p

Apr 24 @Brown County 4:30p

Apr 26 @Pawnee 4:30p

Apr 27 Calhoun (G) 4:30p

May 1 Southwestern (G) 4:30p

May 2 Brown County (NW)

4:30p

May 4 @Edinburg 4:30p

May 8-9 @WIVC Tournament

TBA

May 10 Staunton (NW) 4:30p

May 11 @Calhoun 4:30p

GREENFIELDNORTHWESTERN SOFTBALL

Mar 16 @Litchfield 4:30p

Mar 17 @Pawnee 4:30p

Mar 20 Jerseyville (G) 4:30p

Mar 21 Wood River (G) 4:30p

Mar 23 West Central (G) 4:30p

Mar 29 @North Mac 4:30p

Mar 30 @Pleasant Hill 4:30p

Apr 1 @Carlinville (DH) 10:00a

Apr 3 Triopia (NW) 4:30p

Apr 4 Beardstown (G) 4:30p

Apr 6 North Greene (G) 4:30p

Apr 8 Raymond (DH) (NW)

TBA

Apr 10 Routt (NW) 4:30p

Apr 11 @Triopia 4:30p

Apr 13 @Griggsville-Perry

4:30p

Apr 15 @New Berlin (DH) 10:00a

Apr 17 @Carrollton 4:00p

Apr 19 Gillespie (NW) 4:30p

Apr 20 @West Central 4:30p

Apr 21 @Auburn 4:30p

Apr 24 @Brown County 4:30p

Apr 27 Calhoun (G) 4:30p

May 1 Southwestern (G) 4:30p

May 2 Brown County (NW)

4:30p

May 4 @Edinburg 4:30p

May 8-9 @WIVC Tournament

TBA

May 10 Staunton (NW) 4:30p

May 11 @Calhoun 4:30p

GRIGGSVILLE-PERRY BASEBALL

Mar 20 North Greene 4:30p

Mar 23 @Mendon Unity 4:30p

Mar 28 @Triopia 4:30p

Mar 30 @West Central 4:30p

Apr 3 Calhoun 4:30p

Apr 6 Triopia 4:30p

Apr 10 @Pleasant Hill 4:30p

Apr 11 Brown County 4:30p

Apr 13 Greenfield 4:30p

Apr 17 @North Greene 4:30p

Apr 19 @Pittsfield 4:30p

Apr 20 @Brown County

Apr 24 Carrollton

Apr 27 Routt 4:30p

May 1 West Central

May 2 Pleasant Hill 4:30p

May 3 @Liberty 4:30p

May 8-9 @WIVC Tournament

TBA

May 11 @Payson Seymour 4:30p

GRIGGSVILLE-PERRY SOFTBALL

Mar 20 Western 4:30p

Mar 23 @Mendon Unity

Mar 30 @West Central

Apr 3 Calhoun

Apr 5 Payson Seymour

Apr 6 Triopia

Apr 10 @Pleasant Hill

Apr 13 Greenfield-NW

Apr 17 @North Greene

Apr 20 @Brown County 4:30p

Apr 24 Carrollton 4:30p

Apr 26 Pittsfield 4:30p

Apr 27 Routt 4:30p

May 2 Pleasant Hill 4:30p

May 3 @Liberty 4:30p

May 8-9 @WIVC Tournament TBA

JACKSONVILLE BASEBALL

Mar 15 Macomb 4:30p

Mar 17-18 FC Jamboree TBA

Mar 21 Springfield 4:30p

Mar 22 @Springfield 4:30p

Mar 24-25 FC Jamboree TBA

Mar 27 @PORTA/A-C Central

4:30p

Mar 28 @Glenwood 4:30p

Mar 29 Glenwood 4:30p

Apr 1 @Quincy ND (DH)

11:00a

Apr 3 @Piasa Southwestern

4:30p

Apr 4 Sacred Heart-Griffin

4:30p

Apr 5 @Sacred Heart-Griffin

4:30p

Apr 11 @Decatur MacArthur

4:30p

Apr 12 Decatur MacArthur

4:30p

Apr 17 Taylorville 4:30p

Apr 18 Southeast 4:30p

Apr 19 @Southeast 4:30p

Apr 24 @University High 4:30p

Apr 26 University High 4:30p

Apr 29 @Jersey (DH) 10:00a

May 2 Lanphier 4:30p

May 3 @Lanphier 4:30p

May 5 Routt Catholic 4:30p

May 8 @Pittsfield 4:30p

May 9 @Decatur Eisenhower

4:30p

May 10 Decatur Eisenhower

4:30p

May 12 @Greenfield-NW (Busch) TBA

May 15 @Lincoln 4:30p

May 16 Rochester 4:30p

May 17 @Rochester 4:30p

May 20 Quincy (DH) (IC)

11:00a

JACKSONVILLE SOFTBALL

Mar 21 @Springfield 4:30p

Mar 22 Springfield 4:30p

Mar 27 Macomb 4:30p

Mar 28 Glenwood 4:30p

Mar 29 @Glenwood 4:30p

Apr 1 @Beardstown (DH)

10:00a

Apr 3 @Lincoln 4:30p

Apr 4 @Sacred Heart-Griffin

4:30p

Apr 5 Sacred Heart-Griffin

4:30p

Apr 7 Pittsfield 4:30p

Apr 11 Decatur MacArthur

4:30p

Apr 12 @Decatur MacArthur

4:30p

Apr 14 PORTA/A-C Central

4:30p

Apr 15 @North Greene (DH)

11:00a

Apr 17 @New Berlin 4:30p

Apr 18 @Southeast 4:30p

Apr 19 Southeast 4:30p

Apr 22 @QND Triangle TBA

Apr 25 University High 4:30p

Apr 26 @University High 4:30p

May 2 @Lanphier 4:30p

May 3 Lanphier 4:30p

May 9 Decatur Eisenhower

4:30p

May 10 @Decatur Eisenhower

4:30p

May 12 @Pleasant Plains 4:30p

May 16 @Rochester 4:30p

May 17 Rochester 4:30p

NEW BERLIN BASEBALL

Mar 17-18 FC Jamboree TBA

Mar 20 Triopia 4:30p

Mar 23 @Litchfield 4:30p

Mar 25 Tri-City 10:00a

Mar 27 @Routt 4:30p

Mar 31 Gillespie 4:30p

Apr 1 @Central A&M 10:00a

Apr 3 Lutheran 4:30p

Apr 4 @Illini Central 4:30p

Apr 6 Olympia 4:30p

Apr 8 Okaw Valley (DH) 10:00a

Apr 11 @Auburn 4:30p

Apr 12 @Lutheran 4:30p

Apr 13 Maroa-Forsyth 4:30p

Apr 15 Greenfield-NW (DH)

10:00a

Apr 17 Quincy 4:30p

Apr 18 @PORTA/A-C Central

4:30p

Apr 20 Athens 4:30p

Apr 21 @Pawnee 4:30p

Apr 22 Piasa Southwestern (DH) 11:00a

Apr 25 @Pleasant Plains 4:30p

Apr 26 @Pittsfield 4:30p

Apr 27 @Riverton 4:30p

Apr 29 Liberty (DH) 10:00a

May 2 Williamsville 4:30p

May 4 West Central 4:30p

May 6 Beardstown 10:00a

May 9 @Carlinville 4:30p

May 11 @Triopia 4:30p

May 12 Southeast 4:30p

NEW BERLIN SOFTBALL

Mar 15 Litchfield 4:30p

Mar 16 @Springfield 4:30p

Mar 18 Carrollton 10:00a

Mar 20 Triopia 4:30p

Mar 22 @Pittsfield 4:30p

Mar 23 Lincolnwood 4:30p

Mar 28 @Edinburg 4:30p

Mar 29 Piasa Southwestern 4:30p

Mar 30 @Maroa-Forsyth 4:30p

Mar 31 Bunker Hill 4:30p

Apr 1 Spring Slam @UIS TBA

Apr 3 Lanphier 4:30p Apr 4 @Illini Central 4:30p

Apr 5 Pawnee 4:30p

Apr 6 Olympia 4:30p Apr 11 @Auburn 4:30p

Apr 12 Tri-City 4:30p

Apr 13 Maroa-Forsyth 4:30p Apr 15 Greenfield-NW 10:00a

Apr 17 Jacksonville 4:30p

Apr 18 @PORTA/A-C Central 4:30p

NORTH