MEDFORD SOFTBALL PREVIEW - Young yet experienced team aims to stay on top

MEDFORD SOFTBALL PREVIEW

Two straight years of graduating large senior classes has completed a significant turnover in Medford’s varsity softball roster. While the group that has now taken over is still relatively young, it is not lacking for softball experience whether it’s at the varsity level or travel circuit.

For head coach Virgil Berndt and assistant Ron Fisk, the challenge as March turns to April is figuring out where all the pieces fit best.

The Raiders fortunately were able to get outside and test some things during the unseasonably warm first week of practice and they got an even better look at where they stand in the two-day Danny Mac Softball Classic in Rhinelander last week, where the Raiders went 1-2 to open the season.

“It was weird being outside that first week,” Berndt said. “We almost didn’t know how to react. But it was good. That helped, especially being that we played games so fast. Obviously those three early games helped us see some things we need to work on. I knew going in we were going to move people around and play some people out of position, especially with all of the seniors we lost last year and that group that had pretty much been together for three years.”

Medford was scheduled to host its home and Great Northern Conference opener Tuesday against Rhinelander, but the Sunday night snowstorm obviously changed those plans. Next on the schedule is a potential home game Tuesday against GNC rival Lakeland, followed by a non-conference road game at Hayward April 4.

If those don’t happen, Medford’s next chance to work out the early-season bugs would come at the Woodside Softball Challenge April 5-6 where the Raiders are scheduled to play Kewaunee, Stoughton and Reavis, Ill.

Medford’s most obvious loss to graduation was star pitcher Martha Miller, who is now playing for UW-Green Bay and was a three-time Great Northern Conference Player of the Year.

Sophomore Rylee Hraby is likely to take over the role of number-one pitcher. No one is expecting her to rack up the strikeouts like Miller did, but Berndt said Hraby throws strikes and has good movement. She went 3-0 in five appearances last season with a 2.67 earned run average. She struck out 23 batters in 21 innings and authored one shutout. Junior Victoria Konieczny and sophomore Kailyn Haenel also pitched at times Thursday and Friday.

“I thought all three pitchers threw well,” Berndt said. “They threw strikes. There were a couple of little struggles there, but overall our pitchers did well.”

With more balls expected to be put in play by opponents, strong defense will be a must for the Raiders to succeed.

That’s why Medford has been tinkering a lot, both in practices and in last week’s games to see who might work best where.

“We’re moving people around,” Berndt said. “We knew that going in it was going to be a challenge this year to figure out a lineup that’s going to work. We have a lot of experience back and some good young talent. We just have to put them in the right spot.”

Zayleah Leonhardt, an All-GNC firstteam pick as a freshman last spring, has claimed the catching position and figures to be next in the line of strong players Medford has had in that position over the years. She played well at third base last year, but now takes over for the departed two-year starter Eryka Seidl.

“She has a nice arm,” Berndt said. “When she gets it down there’s not many people that are going to steal on her.”

Konieczny figures to get most of the innings at first base after a solid sophomore season that saw her get secondteam honors in the GNC. Sophomore Laney Hraby is getting the first look at second base.

The left side of the infield starts with a much different look with sophomore Finley Arndt opening as the team’s shortstop and junior Chelsea Gebauer getting the first shot at playing third base. It’s a move Berndt said he was hesitant to make only because those two would be the team’s best outfielders. Arndt was a second-team All-GNC performer last season while playing rightfield while Gebauer got honorable mention while spending most of her time in leftfield. The team lost centerfield mainstay Morgan Huegli to graduation.

But the more he’s seen of Arndt and Gebauer in those spots, he’s believing that is the right move.

Of course, that leaves a lot to figure out in the outfield, where Medford has several candidates like sophomores Addison Brahmer, Jolie Steliga and Ava Hartl, juniors Grace Schmidtfranz and Kyanna Mallien and seniors Jada Surek and Paige Wilkins. Surek, Hartl and Brahmer all have varsity experience to their credit. Freshman Kayla Baumgartner also got innings in the outfield at the Hodag Dome last week. She may also work her way into the pitching discussion before season’s end.

Sophomore Ruthie Steinman could play multiple positions. She caught and played second base in the tournament and could be an outfield option too.

Good defense will be one way to help out Medford’s pitchers. The other one, of course, is to score a lot of runs.

Offensively, the Raiders didn’t quite reach the expectations it had the past couple of years, but there were encouraging signs in Rhinelander, especially from the top five hitters in the order.

“We hit,” Berndt said. “That top part of our order, the ones that were in the lineup last year, have gotten stronger and better. We made contact. We put the ball in play.”

Arndt filled the leadoff spot and had five hits in the three games. She hit .277 in her freshman season. Rylee Hraby had five hits, including three off Lakeland’s Saylor Timmerman, who figures to take over the title of GNC’s most feared pitcher. Leonhardt also had three hits off Timmerman and had a team-high eight hits in the three games.

Gebauer was one of Medford’s biggest surprises last year, hitting .250 and driving in 14 runs. She had four hits in the Danny Mac, including a two-run homer against New London. Konieczny hit .269 last spring in her first varsity season.

“We’re figuring out those final three, four hitters,” Berndt said. “Who’s going to step up and put the ball in play.”

Medford is on a run of three straight Great Northern Conference championships and three straight WIAA Division 2 regional championships.

In the conference, Berndt is expecting a three- to four-team battle at the top, potentially between his Raiders, Mosinee and Lakeland, if the Thunderbirds can get the defensive and offensive support it needs behind the hard-throwing Timmerman, who is just a junior and has already committed to the University of Arkansas. Antigo can never be counted out either. The Red Robins got a big pitching season last season out of Bethany Lewis, also now just a junior.

Tomahawk could be an improved team to watch out for as well, Berndt said.

Medford’s non-conference slate includes a tough trip to Shawano on April 13 where the Raiders will face the host Hawks and 2023 state runner-up New London again. Hayward and Stevens Point Pacelli also are solid clubs.

New London, Shawano, Mosinee, Lakeland and Antigo are all in the WIAA Division 2 sectional half-bracket with Medford as well.

“I think we’re going to see good pitching all year in the conference,” Berndt said. “Hopefully we can win a couple of those games (against the contenders) to put us in position at the end of the year. Steal a win or two here and there and let everyone else beat up on each other.

“It’ll be a fun year. It’s a fun group.”