After two years as an assistant coach for Fox softball, Rachael Sauer has moved up to head coach.
And she has weapons to work with. The Warriors return four all-conference players (St. Louis Suburban Red pool) and plenty of pitching depth, although Sauer said the team doesn’t have a true ace. Fox finished 9-13 last year after losing to Lindbergh in Class 4 District 2 tournament.
The Warriors’ last district title was in 2015.
“Every athlete on our team has their role, from the starters to the bench players,” Sauer said. “We are using a team-first mentality. This group is extremely athletic and talented. I expect all of my players to be major contributors in their roles for each game.”
Juniors Anastasia Baer and Brooke Loveall both were first-team all-conference performers last year. Baer plays second base and shortstop and batted .423 with three doubles, two triples and 10 RBIs. Loveall led Fox in hitting with a .478 average, 12 doubles and 16 RBIs.
Senior Kylie Austin and sophomore Marissa Geist were all-conference second-teamers; Austin in the outfield and Geist as a pitcher and first baseman. Austin led the Warriors with 12 stolen bases and hit .347. Geist pitched 52 2/3 innings and posted a record of 4-3 and a 3.21 earned run average.
Sophomores Aubrey Andrews, Darleigh Cairns, juniors Jordan Griffith and Ryleigh Pecoraro and senior Macie Hogenmiller join Geist in the circle for the Warriors. Cairns led Fox a year ago with 57 2/3 innings pitched and was 3-8 with a 4.12 ERA. At the plate, she was tops on the team with 18 runs batted in.
The Warriors’ team speed comes from Austin, senior Rachel Krieger and Loveall. Cairns and Loveall project power in the batter’s box and Austin, Baer, Loveall and Pecoraro should have high on-base percentages.
Griffith, freshman Bri Hart (second base, outfield) and sophomore Payton Seitz (shortstop, outfield) are new to the varsity. Seniors Emma Davies (outfield), Rachel Harris (third base), Alexandria Ledbetter (outfield) and juniors Lena McMichael (second base, catcher) and Hannah Underwood are all varsity returnees.
Blue Jays led by senior catcher
Jefferson’s up-and-down 2019 softball season ended with 12-10 record, including a 2-5 mark in the Jefferson County Activities Association.
The Blue Jays begin this season without any of the players who were part of their fourth-place Class 2 state finish in 2016, the first and only state trophy in program history. Abi Chipps was a freshman starting shortstop on that team and graduated this spring after earning multiple all-state honors.
Chipps, however, wasn’t the only Blue Jay to draw all-state notice. Catryn Cattoor was selected to the Missouri High School Fastpitch Coaches Association first team at catcher. A senior, Cattoor has led Jefferson in RBIs the last three years and has 106 in her career. Last season, she had 19 extra base hits and hit .646. Her 32 stolen bases were second-best on the team behind Chipps with 47.
“Really, we have a lot of girls who are going to be big contributors,” Jefferson head coach Robert Kuehnle said. “Catryn is a force behind the plate.”
Senior Maggie Brunke (third base) locks down her position with solid defense and had 12 stolen bases and 15 RBIs last year. Senior Brittany Bittick is showing promise in the outfield and looks to improve her .175 batting average in 66 plate appearances a year ago. Senior pitcher Megan Payne was 1-7 and hopes to lower her walks-per-inning ratio of nearly 1.0 in 43 1/3 innings. Kuehnle said Payne threw well this summer in club competition.
Sophomore Morgan Figliolo replaces Chipps at shortstop and junior Cami Menke pitches and plays first base. Kuehnle said Menke is hitting for power this year. Sophomores Allison Campbell and Chloe Vaughn are both hitting the ball well since practice began. Kuehnle said junior Gracie Friedmeyer has made a lot of improvement after seeing limited time on the varsity last season.
The Blue Jays have three capable pitchers, “with a couple of others who are becoming better every day,” the coach said. “It’s going to be a game-by-game decision (who pitches).”
Offensively, Jefferson will swing the bat a lot more this year.
“There won’t be as much small-ball this year,” Kuehnle said, “(although) speed-wise, we have added some stolen base threats in the lineup.”
Festus features veteran pitching staff
The three pitchers who threw every inning for Festus a year ago – senior Morgan Green, junior McKenzie McJunkins and sophomore Hunter Ellsworth – all return for 2020.
Green, a first-team all-JCAA pick, was as lethal at the plate as she was stoic in the circle, hitting .408 and driving in 40 runs. Her pitching line featured a 9-9 record, 81 1/3 innings pitched and 53 strikeouts. Although her ERA of 6.97 was high, Festus allowed almost eight runs per game last year.
McJunkins was 0-2 in 18 1/3 innings pitched and was more productive at the plate, batting .469. Ellsworth, a righthander, finished 5-5 with a team-best ERA of 5.92. She hit five home runs, six doubles and had 28 RBIs for a solid freshman season.
“We have two very capable pitchers in Morgan and Hunter,” said Festus head coach Jeff Montgomery, who started the school’s softball program in 1998. “They competed well last year and gave us a 1-2 option. They have both improved and I’m excited to see what they can do.”
That said, the Tigers will go only as far as their offense takes them. The Festus attack produced 17 home runs, 40 doubles and crossed home plate 205 times in 2019, when the Tigers finished 13-17 overall, (4-2 in the JCAA) and lost to Hillsboro in the Class 3 District 2 semifinals..
“Offensively is hopefully our strong point this year,” Montgomery said. “We have some power back this year.”
The loss of 2020 graduates Abby Rickermann (a first team all-state selection) and Blair Baumer will sting, but plenty of offense returns. Senior McKenna Templeton is a three-year starter at catcher and hit four homers with 24 RBIs last year. Senior Tristan Foulk, a four-year starter in the outfield, hit .328. Senior Paige Perry, ready for her third season starting at third base, hit .344 with 11 extra base hits and 22 RBIs. Senior Brianna Teer is another varsity veteran who fills a utility role.
Festus last won a district championship in 2017.
“We have a deeper team with some experience back,” Montgomery said. “Last year’s team came together and loved to be together like no team we’ve seen in awhile. The seniors have been around for two district titles and a conference championship; they know how to win. We just have to play all facets of the game well to be successful. I think we will hit, but our defense and pitching have to be good.”
New coach has loaded lineup
The softball competition among the 30 schools in the St. Louis Suburban Public High School Athletic and Activities Association is so fierce, Northwest isn’t even in the top pool of teams as rated by the league’s athletic directors.
The association revamped its competitively balanced pools for this school year, with Seckman landing in the top Yellow pool and Northwest next in line in the Red. This despite the Lions beating the Jaguars 17-5 in the Class 4 District 1 championship last fall.
Conference and district championships are nice, but making it to Springfield for the state final four is every team’s goal in August. The Lions achieved it last season after shredding Oakville and Webster Groves in the first two rounds of the playoffs.
But that’s where the fun ended for Northwest, which finished 26-6 after losing by shutout to Raymore-Peculiar in the semifinals and ColumbiaRockBridge in the third-place game. The Lions’ normally lethal offense disappeared, with just five hits in the two games.
Veteran head coach Dan Davison has stepped down, replaced by Andrew Keating, who was the Lions’ assistant the last two years. Keating welcomes two returning all-state players to help boost the team’s hopes for another trip to state.
Just about everything Alexi Sanchez touched turned positive for the Lions in 2019, her freshman year. The center fielder made second team all-state after hitting .598 with 51 runs driven in. She had 13 doubles and four triples in 124 plate appearances.
Senior shortstop Sarah Roth also earned second team all-state honors after she batted .539 with 25 doubles. Her twin sister, Jenna, returns to form the other half of the Lion middle infield at second base. She hit .405 with 31 RBIs, good enough for all-conference recognition. The Roths have committed to play softball at Jefferson College in Hillsboro.
“Offensively, we have gap-to-gap power,” Keating said. “We are a team that hits doubles (and) does not strike out a lot, and we pride ourselves on taking quality at-bats. We are not the fastest team round, but we are very smart on the bases and take the extra base when we can.”
Seniors Lane Petry (outfield) and Vanessa Cardenas (pitcher, first base), juniors Madelyn Stichling (third base), Olivia Sisco (catcher), Grace Eimer (outfield) and Hallie Becker (utility) and sophomore Ella Stichling (first base) all were part of last year’s final four run.
Madelyn Stichling struck out only twice in 116 plate appearances and batted .471 with 44 RBIs. Petry hit .344 with three home runs while Ella Stichling batted .351 and led the Lions with six round-trippers.
Cardenas was 6-1 in the circle last year and will eat up the majority of innings there in 2020, backed up by Madelyn Stichling and sophomore Lily Consolino. Cardenas is committed to Missouri Valley College in Marshall.
Lancers have rock of Agers
A.J. Agers already has established herself as one of the top female athletes in recent memory at St. Pius X.
With varsity letters in softball, basketball and soccer, Agers hasn’t just played on those squads, she’s often been their best player.
Last fall, Agers and the Lancers won the Class 2 District 2 championship with a pair of one-run victories, beating Jefferson in the semifinals and Kelly in the final. The season ended at 15-7 overall (3-5 in the JCAA) after a loss to East Carter in the sectional round. Going into the sectionals, the red-hot Lancers had won seven of eight games and outscored their opponents 70-24.
Agers and sophomore infielder Sophie Meyer are the only two returning starters for St. Pius, so the offense has a lot to prove this fall, said head coach Kevin Halley.
“We have spent the first couple of weeks of practice working on grinding out good at-bats, knowing our strike zone as hitters and trying to get good pitches to hit hard,” said Halley, who has been head coach for 13 years and part of the program for 18.
“We will develop our offensive identity early in the year. But our goal of being at our best at the end of the season is still what we are aiming for.”
In the circle last year, Agers posted a record of 11-4 and struck out 135 batters in 92 2/3 innings. At the plate, she led the Lancers with a batting average of .509, with 15 extra base hits and 21 runs driven in.
“We are not deep in the circle,” Halley said. “A.J. will be the workhorse and throw the vast majority of our innings.”
Meyer will be Agers’ backup in the circle. “(Meyer) is not normally a pitcher, but is working very hard to improve,” Halley said.
Senior Payton Baker is moving to first base from the outfield and Halley said she’s making the transition well. Seniors Grace Halfmann and Tori Ott are the new leaders in the outfield, coming off a combined 33 plate appearances a year ago. Sophomore Makenna Nordin (outfield) and junior A.J. Stetina (second base) have taken over starting roles.
“(Nordin) has good range and a strong arm,” Halley said. “I’m looking for her to hit at the top of the order. Second base is a key position for us in our defensive philosophy and how we set up our positioning.”
Young Jags hope to continue success
Seckman has played in the Class 4 District 1 championship four years in a row.
After winning the district title in 2016 and 2017, the Jaguars were beaten in the district final the last two seasons by Northwest.
Matching its 38-13 record over the past two seasons will be difficult for Seckman because it returns just four varsity players and only 28 girls tried out for the team. Head coach Steve Bonastia said that’s the lowest number to try out in his 19 years with the program, the last 13 at the helm.
“It’s the first time at Seckman we don’t have enough girls for a C (freshman) team,” Bonastia said. “That’s so important to us.”
Adjusting to wearing masks and social distancing because of the coronavirus hasn’t been easy, but Bonastia said his players are following the guidelines.
“The girls have done a great job of wearing their masks and social distancing,” Bonastia said. “It’s different being out there with masks. We try and keep it as normal as we possibly can.”
After scoring at a clip of 6.5 runs per game a year ago, the Jaguars lost their two top bats in Lauren Montgomery (.413 batting average, 33 RBIs) and Abby Stout (.364, 7 home runs, 24 RBIs) to graduation.
Sophomore Josie Lindsey will play shortstop or third base and lead off after batting .415 last year.
“She can do it all,” Bonastia said.
“We feel we have a faster team than we had. In all of my years we’ve had two or more girls who could hit one out. We don’t have that power this year.”
Kylie King is at third base, Sophie Greenfield plays second and Maddie Conrad and Chiarra Grasso can both play first. Grace Deen is behind the plate at catcher. Abby Harvell is in right field, Jamey Johnson will patrol center field and several players are battling to start in left.
Grasso, Conrad and Courtney Bone all will pitch. None of them has any varsity experience in the circle.
In the St. Louis Suburban Association’s re-shuffled pools, Seckman remains in the top Yellow pool. The Missouri State High School Activities Association added a fifth class to softball this year and Bonastia said he thinks Seckman will fall into Class 5. MSHSAA hasn’t declared district assignments yet due to the uncertain number of schools participating.
“We talked about dropping to a lower pool because we’re young, but we decided to stay there (in Yellow) and see if we can compete with anyone again,” Bonastia said.
Hawks shoot for fourth straight district title
Hillsboro’s success in the district tournament the last three years is unmatched by any other team in the JCAA.
The Hawks have won the Class 3 District 2 championship three straight seasons and finished fourth in the state in 2018. In 2019, after beating Windsor in the district final, Hillsboro fell to Cape Girardeau Notre Dame in the sectional round for the second time in three years.
Since Kevin Lucas took over as head coach in 2016, the Hawks haven’t won fewer than 20 games in a season and are 87-31 (.737). They swept to the JCAA title last year with a 7-0 record.
Eight of the 13 players returning to the Hillsboro varsity started or had key roles last season.
“I expect these girls to be the leaders this year and hopefully continue to build off last year,” Lucas said. “Bringing back that many girls with that much experience is great, but we still have some key positions that we need to replace from last year’s graduating seniors.”
This year’s seniors are Alanah Dunphy (shortstop), Ellie Bartlett (catcher), Ryleigh Hindle (left field), Alex Wick (pitcher), Nicole Evans (second base), Maya LaPlante, Avery Dean and Lauren Lalk. The juniors are Elly Eckrich (pitcher), Hailey Genge (first base), Kora King (right field) and Ashlyn Dean. Cassidy Herget is the team’s only sophomore.
Eckrich, a righthander, and the lefty Wick pitched all of Hillsboro’s innings last year. Eckrich was 12-5 with a 2.25 ERA and struck out 138 batters in 115 innings. Wick was 8-5 with an ERA of 5.06. Senior transfer Jenna Clay adds depth to the pitching staff.
“Both of our returning pitchers are very good,” Lucas said.
Dunphy batted .389 with a team-high 29 RBIs. Bartlett hit .457 and led the Hawks with seven home runs. Evans (.337), Hindle (.303), King (.333), Lalk (.385) and Wick (.313) were all .300-plus batters on an offense that scored more than seven runs per game.
Lucas is confident his lineup this season can keep up the pressure.
“We will have a few girls with a little speed, but I hope we are able to just drive the ball in the gaps,” he said. “I’m not someone who tries to focus on one aspect. I want us to be able to do the little things so that we put pressure on the other teams.”
Owls don’t lack power at plate
Windsor head coach Wayne Montgomery said he’s got at least seven players who can “go yard” at any time.
That’s a surplus of power most softball teams can only dream of. In fact, Montgomery said he likes the potential of his entire team, which was 12-14 overall and 4-2 in the JCAA last year.
“We have a lot of power in the lineup,” said Montgomery, starting his 11th campaign with Windsor. “We’ve got 13 girls who could all see time and all have the capability of having a breakout year.”
The Owls hope to escape the district cage they’ve been stuck in, usually behind Hillsboro. They lost to the Hawks in the Class 3 District 2 championship last year and in 2018 Hillsboro beat them 5-4 in eight innings in the district semifinals. In the Class 3 District 3 final in 2016, Montgomery’s Owls fell to Festus, coached by his brother Jeff, by one run. Windsor’s district-title drought stretches back to 2003.
This year’s returning starters are senior catcher Piper Montgomery, senior shortstop Payton Irwin, junior first baseman Cierra Parker, senior outfielder Haley Lynch and senior second baseman and designated player Gabby Dueing, all of whom hit better than .300 last year. Montgomery said Lynch is pounding the ball in practice. Parker was second on the Owls with 21 RBIs a year ago.
Piper Montgomery, the coach’s niece, hit five home runs with 41 RBIs and led Windsor with a batting average of .519 last year. She was a first-team all-state choice.
Irwin (five doubles, three triples and 10 stolen bases in 2019) sets the table for the offense in the middle of the batting order after hitting .378 last season.
“She can flat-out run and make things happen in the bases,” Coach Montgomery said. “She’s one of the best defensive shortstops in the area.”
Freshman pitcher Riley Fender has a good fastball and Montgomery predicts she’ll develop into a force in the circle. Junior Corynn James has improved in the past season and is expected to eat up innings this fall.
Grobe keys Dragons on offense, in the field
Junior Trista Grobe is expected to lead De Soto’s bid to improve in 2020.
Grobe is one of the top catchers in the JCAA and can just as easily play solid defense at shortstop. She led the Dragons in most offensive categories a year ago, hitting .477 with seven doubles, three triples, nine home runs and 30 RBIs.
“Trista has the ability to change the outcome of a game with one swing or one throw,” said third-year head coach Chris Woelich. “She is an outstanding person and is working hard to take a larger leadership role.”
Since winning the Class 3 state championship in 2014, De Soto has one district title (2016) under its belt. Just getting past Hillsboro and the rest of the JCAA teams has been a struggle for the Dragons, who were 6-19 overall and 3-5 in the conference last year.
Seniors Bailee Howard (left field, second base), Kaitlynn Hannah (catcher, third base) and Madison Hayes-Gowen (first base) are the other experienced returners for De Soto.
Woelich called Hannah a great teammate who’s embraced a leadership role. She batted .409 with three doubles, triples and homers last year.
“She has soft hands and her glove skills are special,” he said.
Hayes-Gowen hit .450 with 19 runs driven in. “She is an excellent student of the game and will have her chances to help our team win games.”
Woelich said De Soto has potent bats capable of hitting for average and power.
“We are working to improve our small-ball game and our ability to move runners up with better success,” he said. “We have several girls who can steal bases and we are hoping to put more pressure on the defense.”
Senior Emoy Boyer-Faulkner and junior Lexi Wallach are handling the pitching duties. Despite her ERA of 11.17 last year, Boyer-Faulkner managed a record of 4-4. Woelich said his two hurlers are improving each day.
Blackcats lose top bats
Ashley Croom and Emma Vaughn could swing the bat with anyone in the JCAA.
Croom hit .474 with three home runs and a team-leading 20 RBIs. Vaughn led Herculaneum with a .592 batting average, had 10 extra base hits and 18 runs batted in. Both graduated this spring.
Without their leading hitters coming back, the Blackcats will rely on two varsity veterans in the circle in pitchers Kylie Romaine and Courtnee Lowrey. Romaine, a senior, and Lowrey, a sophomore, take turns playing shortstop when they aren’t pitching.
“Both of our pitchers are solid. They are both next-level players with multiple pitches,” said Herculaneum head coach Christal Brakhage, who enters her second season.
Junior Leslie Eberhardt plays second base. Junior Holley Johnson patrols center field and junior Abby Kostecki is the catcher.
“We have a good combination of power hitters along with a few speedsters that have a few stolen bases under their belt,” Brakhage said.