‘Cats adapting to change

By Casey Krautkramer

Change is inevitable in life. Edgar’s varsity softball team is making the transition this season to no longer relying on senior Makayla Wirkus as its ace pitcher like it has the past three years.

Wirkus’ shoulder surgery this winter will likely sideline her during the entire spring softball season. She is working hard to recover from surgery in preparation for her college softball playing career at Northern Iowa Community College after she graduates from Edgar High School this spring.

Edgar’s starting catcher the past three seasons, senior Morgan Streveler, is the team’s new ace pitcher this season in place of Wirkus. This means the Wildcats have a new catcher in freshman Alyssa Kolano. It’s certainly taking the team some time early this season to transition to having a new ace pitcher and catcher.

Kevin Brown is in the midst of his third season as Edgar’s head varsity softball coach. He was co-head coach the past two seasons with his daughter, Samantha, who is not coaching this spring. Hannah Schoenfuss is Edgar’s varsity assistant softball coach this spring. Macy Borchardt and Stuart Davis are coaching the Wildcats junior varsity squad.

It was just two years ago that Kevin Brown and his daughter guided Edgar’s softball team to its first state tournament appearance. Edgar competed in Division 5 in the 2022 season but last year went up to Division 4 in the playoffs. Stratford’s softball team, meanwhile, dropped down from Division 3 to Division 4 last season and ended up hosting Edgar in the regional championship. Stratford broke a scoreless tie against Wirkus with five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to win the game. Stratford ended up making its first state tournament appearance in school history last season.

Edgar’s hitters only mustered two hits against Stratford ace pitcher Laney Pankratz in the Division 4 regional championship loss last season. Brown outlined how the Wildcats’ hitting approach will be against opponents’ dominating pitchers this season.

“As hitters we need to keep working on the fundamentals of hitting and learning to put the ball in play and quit striking out as often,” he said. “We need to put the ball in play to put pressure on opposing defenses and really work on having a good two-strike approach. Also, we might need to play more small ball.”

Streveler has done her best in the pitcher’s circle this spring. She only surrendered three hits in Edgar’s 10-0 home win against Colby in five innings on April 9.

On Friday, Streveler struck out 10 Marathon hitters in her complete-game 7-1 home loss to the Red Raiders. Only four of Marathon’s seven runs were earned.

“Morgan Streveler has stepped into the position as the team’s No. 1 pitcher,” Brown said. “She’s been a three-year starter at catcher so it’s been an adjustment for everyone but she works hard, leads on the field and gives us an opportunity to win as long as we can learn to stay focused for seven innings and play solid defense behind her.”

Brown said the Wildcats return four starting players from last year’s team and two other players who also started games last season.

Edgar’s top returning players are senior pitcher, third baseman and catcher Morgan Streveler; senior centerfielder Taylor Lemmer; senior left fielder Libby Woller; senior first baseman and outfielder Maycie Yonker, junior second baseman Emery Borchardt and junior infielder and outfielder Riley Mueller.

Brown said the team’s top newcomers who will see varsity playing experience this season are senior shortstop Alexis Schara, junior pitcher and third baseman Alyson Kolano, junior infielder and outfielder Chloe Mellenberger, sophomore outfielder and pitcher Brandi Halvorsen, freshman catcher Alyssa Kolano and freshman shortstop Isabella Kaiser.

The Marawood South Conference is shaping up to be one of the top small school softball conferences in the state again this spring.

“I would say the conference title is up for grabs as it is every season,” Brown said. “This conference is going to be brutal every night because anyone could beat an opponent on any given night. Stratford, Auburndale, Assumption and Newman all return at least one of their starting pitchers while Marathon and Auburndale also have real good freshman pitchers. Our team’s goal is always to compete for the conference title, but with the changes we’ve had to make I want our team to keep improving and be playing its best softball when it’s time for the playoffs.”

EDGAR SOFTBALL TEAM- Introducing the 2024 Wildcats softball squad. Pictured, from left to right, front row: Emery Borchardt, Alyson Kolano, Isabella Kaiser, Brandi Halvorsen, Alyssa Kolano, Riley Mueller and Chloe Mellenberger; second row: Laura Davis, Carlie Stahel, Jorja Knetter, Abby Christiansen, Lucy Kolodziej and Ellia Dejong; third row: Emma Hartway, Kendra Mucha, Lily Schroeder, Laura Mucha, Maddy Schilling and Ella Baumgartner; back row: Alexis Schara, Maycie Yonker, Autumn Schreiner, Makayla Wirkus, Taylor Lemmer, Libby Woller and Morgan Streveler. Not pictured is Grasci Yonker.

PHOTO BY JIM STEINKE