‘Jays on six-game win streak

By Casey Krautkramer

The Athens varsity softball team has now won six straight games following its dominating 21-3 road victory against Philips on Tuesday. The Bluejays will attempt to beat the Loggers again this Thursday, April 25, in Athens to put itself in the driver’s seat to win back-to-back Marawood North Conference championships.

Athens has a new head coach this season as Bluejays alumni Matt Ellenbecker has taken over the reigns from alumni Craig Diedrich. Ellenbecker has plenty of experience himself coaching high school softball because he was Merrill’s varsity head softball for 10 years from 2012 until 2021. His roots are playing softball in Athens.

“I actually started playing fast pitch softball when I was probably 13 years old in the Athens men’s league and I played in it every year until COVID put an end to the league in 2020,” Ellenbecker said. “The game has been an important part of my life for over 25 years.”

Ellenbecker taught high school English in Merrill for 12 years before working for Marathon County Special Education this school year as an Athens High School special education teacher. Returning home to the Athens School District was a natural fit for him.

“I really enjoyed my time in Merrill and I worked with some great people but I have a 10-year-old son and eight-year-old daughter in the Athens School District,” Ellenbecker said. “Coming back home to work had become more appealing each year as my kids got more involved in activities.”

His wife, Jenna Ellenbecker, supported his decision to begin working in the Athens School District and become the new Bluejays varsity head softball coach.

“Coaching is something I have always done and enjoy doing,” he said. “The softball coaching opening wasn’t what motivated me to switch jobs. The opportunity was exciting, though. There’s a different feel when you are coaching in your hometown. This program has had so much success over the years, all the way back to when I was in school. Once I got the OK from my wife Jenna to take on that head coaching roll (she knows what kind of commitment that is) I put my application in. Her being supportive and even excited about it made this an easy choice.”

Athens’ top returning softball players this season are senior second baseman Sophia Coker, senior first baseman Sydney See ATHENS SOFTBALL/ page 11

ATHENS VARSITY SOFTBALL TEAM- Introducing the 2024 Bluejays varsity softball squad. Players pictured, from left to right, front row: Ava Erickson, Autumn Diethelm, Karly Eckert, Alyvia Haehlke and Taylor Hein; middle row: Addisyn Kottke, Kyana Janda, Danica Diethelm, Aubrey Kottke, McKenzie Belter and Abby Diethelm; back row: Jenna Handschke, Jazelle Hartwig, Sophia Coker, Sydney Coker, Addison Lavicka and Paige Westaby. PHOTO BY TANILLE HARTWIG Athens softball

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Coker, senior utility Jenna Handschke, senior shortstop Jazelle Hartwig, senior third baseman Addison Lavicka, senior outfielder and pitcher Paige Westaby, junior pitcher and outfielder Danica Diethelm, junior catcher and infielder Abby Diethelm, junior utility McKenzie Belter and junior infielder Kyana Janda.

“We bring back an experienced team with eight starters back from last year’s sectional team,” Ellenbecker said. “I believe we’ve basically had the same infield of Addison Lavicka, Jazelle Hartwig, Sophia Coker and Sydney Coker for four years now. That’s unreal. Hopefully we’ll have this entire group back late this month when Addison comes back to play. That will provide a huge boost to us. Addison has been a great player for three years but I think it will be a really big boost in morale. She has done everything she possibly can to get back to playing softball. She’s been practicing for weeks with minimal limitations. She’s been in the dugout during games searching for any way to contribute to the team’s success. It’s going to be a great moment when she’s able to get back on the field and compete with the team.”

Lavicka is supposed to get cleared by her doctor to start playing in softball games this Thursday, April 25, from surgery on her knee that she injured while playing basketball last summer.

“Jenna Handschke has taken her at third base in Addison’s absence,” Ellenbecker said. “She has had experience in the outfield and behind the plate in the past, but she’s really hopped in and is getting more comfortable each day at third base. She’s getting the footwork down and making strides. Her willingness to move to a spot she’s never really played before has been admirable. She’s approached it the right way and she continues to improve.”

Athens’ top newcomers to the varsity squad this season are sophomore outfielder Alyvia Haehlke, sophomore infielder Taylor Hein, sophomore pitcher Addison Kottke, freshman catcher Autumn Diethelm, freshman pitcher and outfielder Karly Eckert, freshman outfielder Ava Erickson and freshman pitcher and outfielder Aubrey Kottke.

Danica Diethlem is Athens’ ace pitcher against this season.

“Danica has a lot of ability,” Ellenbecker said. “When she’s throwing well she has the ability to shut down a good offense. Early on she has struggled with her control by walking too many hitters. She has shown she can do it, though, so we’re going to keep working until she figures things out. One thing we learned while playing our season-opening games in the Hodag Dome is that we have some pitching options. Paige Westaby has thrown meaningful innings in the past and she’ll be a lefty option for us again this year. Karly Eckert has impressed early on as a freshman. She threw some very good innings for us in the Hodag Dome. She really attacks batters and displays impressive confidence for a young ball player.”

Ellenbecker is hoping to guide the Athens varsity softball team to its first state tournament appearance in school history.

“I have come into a situation with so many great things already in place,” he said. “From the structure and culture of the high school program down to the well-established youth program, Athens softball has so many things going for it. State tournaments aren’t easy to get to. We fell a game short three times when I was in Merrill. I think if we keep an environment where learning and playing softball is a fun experience through our youth and middle school programs, we’ll keep a high number of kids playing softball to set ourselves up for success. You have to do the work, though. There’s no way around that.”