Loyal-Greenwood softball team has strong numbers and talent

In the second year of its co-op, the Loyal-Greenwood softball team has emerged as a top competitor in the Eastern Cloverbelt Conference title. With a large pool of players, the team has both offensive and defensive strengths that will make them a challenge during the regular season and even into the post-season.

A total of 26 girls from Loyal and Greenwood make up the softball team this year, with a mix of returning players and a large freshman class filling up the roster. Coach Greg Brock said the team was able to make a lot of progress last year in cooperation with each other, and the players have picked up where they left off both in skill and in teamwork.

“We have a very good mix of kids,” he said. “Our team cohesion went straight from last year into this year. There were no problems last year and the kids hit it off again this year. I really think, though, that the benefits of the co-op will really start to be seen next year.”

While Brock said the team’s future looks bright, its present is not too bad, either. On both the offensive and defensive side of the field, the team looks solid with good pitching depth and a strong batting roster.

“Our one through nine batting roster is solid,” he said. “At any game on any night any one of those girls can get three hits. We are solid one through nine, there is not a hole in the lineup. For pitching, we have three quality pitchers. We haven’t had to use them yet, but we can use them at any time. Our offense and defense both look good.”

Since the team has a lot of talent, Brock said practices this year will work on honing the skills of those players, passing knowledge on the the junior varsity members of the team and finding ways to keep them engaged on the field.

“They have come to play and to learn,” he said. “We have good numbers, but we have had a hard time finding teams to play our JV girls against. Having them get that experience though should help us in the long run. We’re trying to do something different every day to keep the kids engaged so that on game day we are ready.”

With such a group, Brock said it is easy to see that they will stand a good chance to place among the top teams in the conference. Beyond that, he said it is hard to say as there are many great teams out there they may have to face in the playoffs, and games can always go either way.

“We should be competing for conference and plan to be in the top three,” he said. “Everyone goes into the season thinking they will do good, but we are actually off to a great start. We are going to take the playoffs one game at a time. On game day, it is anyone’s game.”

Emma Schlough and Mesa Rasmussen are the two seniors on the co-oped softball team. Delaney Kirchner, Morgan Raese, Anna Lindner, Courtney Rakovec, Aspen Hagen and Koral Lindner are the juniors on the team and sophmores are Mya Rueth, Tiffany Mitte, Gianna Petkovsek, Lou Gallay and Breanna Rowe. They will be joined by a dozen freshmen: Addison Davidson, Tysen Lindner, Lizzie Lindner, Destiny Kind, Emily Hebert, Jordynn Corder, Hannah Brehm, Sky Allen, Taya Rakovec, Raelyn Rueth, Karsyn Penk and Kaitlyn Hutcheson.

CHEYENNE THOMAS/STAFF PHOTO

CHEYENNE THOMAS/STAFF PHOTO