C/A turns to experienced returners to lead squad in 2025
By Nathaniel Underw’ood
It will be a mix of the familiar and the new for this year’s Colby/Abbotsford softball team. On one hand, they will be returning five starters from last season’s team, but on the other, they will have to try to fill the gaps left by graduating seniors and injuries. The co-op will be turning to some of their newest additions to step up into the lineup right away, a significant difference from last year’s more experienced squad.
Finding a way to maximize the experience that last year’s starters have and get some of their new players up to speed will be the key for Colby/Abby early on.
Turning towards their three returning senior starters will be where the co-op will start the process.
Tatum Bargender, Nevaeh Treankler and Lucia Perez all have significant varsity experience having been in the lineup for most of their high school careers. Bargender, who won first-team all-conference honors as a freshman and a second-team all-conference award as a sophomore, has been the co-op’s primary option on the mound for the last three years and is primed to continue to hold down the pitching duties for the team once again. Treankler has played in the middle infield for the co-op while offering speed on the basepaths over the course of her career and Perez has had some flexibility defensively, playing both in the outfield and infield after stepping up into an everyday starting role the past two seasons.
“We have Tatum as a starting pitcher and she’s been looking really well so far in practice here,” head coach Al Rniefl said. “Nevaeh has done some pitching, shortstop, second base so she’s a big help in the infield. Lucia started as a freshman and hadn’t played softball before. She’s been doing really well in the batting cage and showing really good signs that she will be a big contributor in the lineup.”
Sophomores Audrey Fleischmann and Elizabeth Perez will also return from last year’s starting lineup. Fleischmann stepped up into a catching role in 2024 and Perez typically played on the left side of the infield for the co-op. The Colby/Abby staff will be looking for both to take another step forward this season.
“Audrey did some catching last year and she’s going to probably be our full-time catcher,” Kniefi said. “Elizabeth Perez, solid player, she does well on the infield and her batting is stepping up as well.”
While the infield is filled with experience for the co-op, the outfield is the team’s biggest question mark heading into the season. Two seniors from last year’s squad, second-team all-conference centerfielder Kylie Orth and left-fielder Torrance Bloome will need to be filled in for defensively and Colby/Abby will likely have to look to either flex some of their more experienced players onto the grass or look to their newcomers. They will also have to try to come up with additional offensive production from last year’s senior Josie Higley, who was named honorable mention all-conference.
Kierslyn Orth, Kyra Peterson, Maria Saso, Jenni Monroy and Ella Schreiber are all new to this year’s varsity squad and will all likely factor into the lineup at some point this season. Bringing them up to speed and finding the right fit is the primary job for the coaching staff early in the season.
“One of the things with having such a small team and having first time players is that skill level difference,” Kniefi said. “We will be looking to the seniors to be good team leaders. Typically if you have enough girls out, you’d have a JV team and they would be playing and getting that experience there, but that’s not where we are at right now.”
“If we can keep the ball in the infield, I think we can hold our own,” he added. “If the ball is getting into the outfield, it might be causing a little bit of havoc.”
Last season, the co-op was often competitive for portions of games, but then a tough inning would snowball and have the game get away from them. Finding a way to try to limit those innings is another focus this season.
“One of the biggest problems that we are running into right now is that we always have that one inning that it seems like everything that could go wrong, goes wrong,” Kniefi said. “So if there’s anything that’s hurting us, it’s trying to finish off a game.”
After having to cancel their home opener on Tuesday afternoon against Aubumdale, the co-op will be looking to get their season started with a non-conference road game next Monday against Eau Claire-Regis. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.
2025 COLBY/ABBOTSFORD SOFTBALL TEAM - This year’s 2025 Colby/Abbotsford co-op softball team Is, In the back row, left to right, head coach Al Kneifl, Nevaeh Treankler, Tatum Bargender, Audrey Fleischmann, Kierslyn Orth, Harrison Schmitt, and assistant coach Cassidy Huber. In the front row, left to right, are Maria Saso, Jennl Monroy, Kyra Peterson, Lucia Perez, Elizabeth Perez, and Ella Schrelber. staffphoto/nathaniel underwood
