Area softball capsules

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With the Nebraska high school softball starting up, the Journal Star takes a closer look at all the area schools.

Class A

FREMONT

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CO-COACHES: Ryan Fittje and Michael Schleicher.

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: 18-17, unrated

OUTLOOK: The Tigers will return several starters from 2007, led by pitcher/infielder Annie Hoesing (1.56 ERA) and outfielder Jessica Spalding (.380).

GRAND ISLAND

COACH: K.C. Hehnke.

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: 14-26, unranked.

OUTLOOK: First-year coach K.C. Hehnke is expecting the Islanders to do well with seven returning starters. Junior Mackenzie Tomlin leads the way after batting .340 last season.

Class B

ADAMS CENTRAL

COACH: Denise Schuck.

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: 5-18, unranked

OUTLOOK: Adams Central will look to senior Katie Boniface, who led the team with a .391 batting average.

AURORA

COACH: Lisa Kosek.

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: 10-20, unranked

OUTLOOK: Aurora returns six starters from last season including junior Tess Moyer, who finshed with 37 stolen bases last season. The addition of senior pitcher Ali Titus, an all-state honorable mention pick last season at Chase County, should aid the Huskies.

AUBURN

COACH: Samantha Wehenkel.

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: 6-19, unranked

OUTLOOK: Auburn is in its first season of a cooperative with Humboldt-Table-Rock-Steinauer. Two starters, senior Stacie Pollard and sophomore Salina Fischer, return.

BEATRICE

COACH: Dennis Dodge. 

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: 29-7, No. 2 final ranking.

OUTLOOK:  The Lady Orange, a perennial state tournament qualifier, again have solid pitching in senior Elizabeth Schwartz and sophomore Abbie Vitosh. Beatrice also has freshman Chaley Hamilton and sophomore Ciara Harlan available at pitcher. Beatrice receives a solid corps from a junior varsity team that finished last season undefeated.

CRETE

COACH: Mahlon Kohl.

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: 19-11, unranked.

OUTLOOK: The Cardinals are young, but talented, according to Kohl. Only one senior returns in outfielder Ali Steuer.

DAVID CITY

COACH: Tom Van WInkle.

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: 8-22, unranked.

OUTLOOK: David City returns just four players from last season. 

FAIRBURY

COACH: Taylor  Biehl.

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: 12-15, unranked

OUTLOOK: The Lady Jeffs look to surprise a few teams this season, led by junior Kenzie Helmink (.333) and senior pitcher Brianna Weichel (2.22 ERA).

HASTINGS

COACH: Ashley Speak.

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: 19-10, No. 10 final ranking.

OUTLOOK: After an appearance in the state tournament in 2007, the Tigers are without a returning starter this season. Juniors Mariah Walker and Alex Price, along with senior Laura Sheppard, are expected to lead the squad.

NORRIS

COACH: Gene Busboom.

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: 15-10, unranked.

OUTLOOK: Interim coach Gene Busboom will have a young and inexperienced team with just three returning starters from a year ago. Junior Jordan Funk is questionable to compete this fall after suffering an injury in summer ball.

SEWARD

COACH: Patrick Piskorski.

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: 19-7, No. 5 final ranking

OUTLOOK: Piskorski is looking toward his young talent to get the team back to the level it played at in 2007. Three returning starters lead the Bluejays.

WAVERLY

COACH: Brook Ruhter.

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: 16-13, unranked.

OUTLOOK: Junior pitcher Amanda Beeson returns after finishing with a 1.15 ERA and a .340 batting average last season. Sophomore Taylor Flodman returns after finishing with a .424 batting average and 17 RBIs last season.

YORK

COACH: Danyel Seevers.

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: First-year team.

OUTLOOK: Several juniors and seniors will make up the squad this season. Christina Hanson and Harley Horner will lead the team as pitchers.

Class C

ASHLAND-GREENWOOD

COACH: Amy Scheil.

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: 10-17, unranked.

OUTLOOK: Ashland-Greenwood returns a great group of girls with great attitudes according to Scheil. Center fielder Liz Romans returns for her sophomore season after batting .360 last season, while senior Lexie Martin finished with a .364 average and a 1.73 ERA.

BISHOP NEUMANN

COACH: David Emanuel.

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: 19-13, No. 7 final ranking.

OUTLOOK: Several key players from last year’s state tournament team return. The Cavaliers will look to that experience to motivate and guide them through the season and a return trip to state. Four seniors will lead Bishop Neumann as Emily Kmiecik, Erin Prohaska and Riley Jelinek combined for 58 runs last season.

CASS COUNTY CENTRAL

CO-COACHES: Lindsey Brinkman and Kim Hammer.

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: First-year team.

OUTLOOK: This is the first year for the coop of Weeping Water and Louisville. Weeping Water had been teaming with Conestoga in previous seasons. Shelby Wipf returns at pitcher after finishing with a .301 batting average as a sophomore. 

CENTENNIAL

COACH: Megan Faris.

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: 20-15, unranked.

OUTLOOK: A strong returning group of players led by pitcher Kerra Grantski (1.41 ERA) and second baseman Kasey Romohr (.327) will key the Broncos.

CROSS COUNTY

COACH: Laureen Powell. 

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: 19-14, unranked.

OUTLOOK: Senior pitcher Melanie Baker returns after batting .411 last season. “Consistency could be a problem until we get some experience,” Powell said.

FALLS CITY

COACH: Joe Dunn.

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: 7-15, unranked

OUTLOOK: Sophomore Julianne Kopf leads the Tigers with a .323 batting average, while her twin sister, Lisa returns at pitcher.

FILLMORE CENTRAL/E-M

COACH: Steve Adkisson.

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: 22-8, unranked.

OUTLOOK: Fillmore Central/Exeter-Milligan must replace four-year all-state player Kim Sladek at pitcher, as well as three-time all-stater Morgan Kleinschmidt. Lindsey Eichelberger and Maddy Emshoff will be looked to for pitching. Emshoff finished with a .323 batting average.

FRIEND

COACH: Michael Moore.

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: 3-13, unranked.

OUTLOOK: Friend, in its second season of softball, will look to sophomore pitcher Krista Menke, who pitched every varsity game last season. Menke finished with 144 strikeouts in 98 innings.

MILFORD

COACH: Tom McCall.

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: 23-5, No. 3 final ranking.

OUTLOOK: Milford will need to replace all-stater Traci Aschoff at pitcher as well as the majority of its infield, but will look to senior catcher Sarah Weber for leadership. Weber is a two-time all-state selection and finished with a .372 batting average last season. “We have a number of very good players who have had to wait their turn to play,” McCall said. “We expect to be very good by the end of the season.

RAYMOND CENTRAL

COACH: John Kliment.

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: 5-17, unranked.

OUTLOOK: Five senior starters return, led  by catcher Tasha Eddy, who batted .215 last season.

SOUTHERN

COACH: Jeff Schiebur.

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: 15-14, unranked.

OUTLOOK: After losing eight seniors in 2007, Southern will look to its sophomore class to step up and perform. Catcher Shelby Baker leads the class, batting .235 last season.

SYRACUSE

COACH: Tim Isaacs.

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: 22-10, No. 4.

OUTLOOK: Syracuse, which earned its first trip to the state tournament last season, returns four starters, including three-year starting catcher Traci Bassinger. The addition of junior pitcher Natalie Hauschild from Lincoln Pius X should aid the Rocket cause.

THAYER CENTRAL

COACH: Deb Bulin.

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: 11-16, unranked.

OUTLOOK: With no seniors, the Titans look to rebuild. Four juniors and a sophomore return — led by junior pitcher Melissa Bulin, who finished with 280 strikeouts last season. Bulin also finished with a .375 batting average.

WAHOO

COACH: Katrina Christen.

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: 18-11, unranked.

OUTLOOK: Five senior starters return for Wahoo, including pitcher Shelby Partridge and catcher Jordan Hinrichs.

WILBER-CLATONIA

COACH: Keith Muller.

2007 RECORD, FINAL RATING: 2-22, unranked.

OUTLOOK: Wolverine pitchers Bridget Murkle and Camry Fikar are both freshmen. Third baseman Amanda Baldwin batted .414 last season, while second baseman Lacey Hyde finished the season at .404.