Young Bluejays are now soaring
By Casey Krautkramer
The Athens varsity softball team lost six of its nine starting players from last season to graduation, therefore it’s understandable if it’s taking the younger players some time to adjust to their new roles on the varsity squad.
Athens lost the following starting infielders Sophia and Sydney Coker, Jazelle Hartwig and Addison Lavicka, infielder/ outfielder Jenna Handschke and outfielder Paige Westaby to graduation last spring. This is Matt Ellenbecker’s second season coaching the Bluejays varsity softball team.
“We lost six seniors from last year, all of whom were starters for multiple years,” Ellenbecker said. “All were all-conference award recipients of some kind last year, including the conference Player of the Year Sophia Coker. We lost a very talented group of athletes who committed a lot of time to the program.”
Athens’ top returning varsity softball players this season are senior McKenzie Belter (out for the season with a knee injury), senior infielder/catcher Abby Diethelm, senior pitcher/outfielder Danica Diethelm, senior infielder Kyana Janda, junior outfielder Alyvia Haehlke, sophomore catcher Autumn Diethelm and sophomore pitcher/infielder Karly Eckert.
The team’s top newcomers this season are junior infielder Taylor Hein, sophomore outfielder Ava Erickson, sophomore infielder/outfielder Aubrey Kottke, freshman infielder/pitcher Ayva Haehlke and freshman infielder/pitcher Jaelin Switlick.
Danica Diethelm was the Bluejays’ starting pitcher last season and Eckert, as a freshman, also saw work in the pitcher’s circle.
“Danica had a very bad ankle injury toward the end of her basketball season,” Ellenbecker said. “We were very relieved to hear that it wouldn’t cost her the softball season, but she spent several weeks in a boot and is still working back to 100 percent. She deals with soreness and some swelling yet, but she’s been pretty much a full participant since practice started. We’ve pulled back here and there to be cautious.”
“Losing six high quality starters from last year is never a good thing, but the silver lining is that we return our top two pitchers from last year. As for a rotation, we’ll take it game by game. Danica typically started games for us last year but Karly started our first game this year. It’s great to not have a lot of pressure to use Danica too much early on while she still recovers from her ankle injury. On top of those two returning, both Ayva Haehlke and Jaelin Switlick join us as freshmen who can and will throw some innings for us. Jaelin got her first inning of varsity work versus Newman.”
Athens won its season-opening game against Newman Catholic, 16-6, on April 8. It was a back-and-forth contest early on as starting pitcher Eckert gave up two runs in the top of the first inning. Athens scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning on Ayva Haehlke’s three RBI double and Janda’s RBI single.
Newman Catholic scored three runs in the top of the second inning to take a 5-4 advantage. The Bluejays recaptured the lead, 8-5, in the bottom of the second inning when Danica Diethelm walked to score a run, Switlick singled to score two runs and Erickson drew a walk to score a run.
Eckert was the winning pitcher who surrendered four hits and five runs (one earned) over four innings while striking out three and walking one. Switlick appeared in relief. Athens lost its next three games by scores of 11-0 at Nekoosa, 16-6 versus Rib Lake and 10-0 at Rib Lake before exploding for a 24-17 road win in five innings against Colby/Abbotsford on Monday. Ellenbecker said his Athens squad will experience both highs and lows during the course of this season.
“It’s been a roller coaster already,” Ellenbecker said. “We have 12 girls on the roster but that included McKenzie who lost her basketball season and now her softball season to an ACL injury. That’s awful and you feel horrible for her, but to her credit, she has been at nearly every practice to this point and is an important part of our team this year. We’ve had strep throat and other illnesses knock players out up to this point, so we’ve had to cancel our trip up to the Hodag Dome and our game with Stratford. We played our first game against Newman with nine girls suited up, and that may be where we are at for a while. It’s not ideal. You’d like to at least have an option as a courtesy runner or a replacement for a potential injury, but this is our reality right now.”
“I’ll say this though that we have a pretty solid team, made of girls who show up to work and support one another each day. We’re going to have to be gritty and out hustle everybody and find ways to win, but we have everybody pulling in the same direction right now, and when that’s the case, you can make a lot of things happen and surprise some people. Obviously we need to stay/get healthy from here on out, but we have enough quality players who are very versatile to allow us to compete even with our low numbers.”
Switlick earned the pitching win in Athens’ 24-11 victory against Colby/Abbotsford in five innings on Monday. Switlick allowed five hits and six runs (five earned) over three innings, striking out four and walking four.
See ATHENS SOFTBALL/ page 20
ATHENS VARSITY SOFTBALL- Introducing the 2025 Athens varsity softball team. Players pictured, from left to right, front row: Alyvia Haehlke, Aubrey Kottke, Karly Eckert and Ava Erickson; back row: McKenzie Belter, Kyana Janda, Autumn Diethelm, Abby Diethelm, Ayva Haehlke, Danica Diethelm and Jaelin Switlick. Missing is Taylor Hein.
PHOTO BY CHRIS KEPNER Athens softball
Continued from page 12
Eckert drove in five runs on two hits to lead the Bluejays at the plate. Athens collected 11 hits in the win. The Bluejays opened the scoring in the top of the first inning after Alyvia Haehlke grounded out to score a run. Colby/Abbotsford scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning to take the lead.
Athens flipped the game in the top of the second inning by scoring six runs on two hits to take the lead, 7-3. The biggest blow in the inning was Abby Diethelm’s three-RBI double.
The Bluejays scored 12 runs on seven hits in the top of the third inning. Eckert had a two-RBI double, Alyvia Haehlke had a two-RBI single, Abby Diethelm had an RBI single, Ayva Haehlke had a two-RBI double, Janda had an RBI single, Eckert had a two-RBI double, Danica Diethelm drew a walk to score a run and Abby Diethelm was hit by a pitch to score a run.
Athens scored five runs on one hit in the top of the fifth inning. Abby Diethelm drew a walk to score a run, Ayva Haehlke had a two-RBI double while Switlick and Janda each had an RBI groundout to score a run.
Ellenbecker is fortunate to have solid assistant softball coaches helping him out again this season.
“Jeff Haines returns as my assistant coach for the second season,” Ellenbecker said. “He works a lot with our outfielders and corner infielders and is catching first base for us. Chris Czech is an Athens softball fixture and will continue working with our pitchers throughout our program and he adds a ton of knowledge and wisdom in all areas to our squad. I’m happy to have some consistency from my first to second years. That helps a great deal. The girls know us and what to expect and we also have established trust to allow us to make some changes and not have to worry too much about the girls buying in.”
CAUGHT STEALING- Athens softball shortstop Ayva Haehlke tags Rib Lake’s Kiana Dallmann on the back to catch her attempting to steal second base in the third inning. Athens catcher Abby Diethelm made a great throw down to second base for the out. Athens lost the road game, 10-0, to Rib Lake in five innings on April 17.
SN PHOTO/MATT FREY
FIELDING THE BALL- Athens right fielder Ava Erickson fires the ball back into the infield after fielding a base hit by Rib Lake’s Avery Niemi in the bottom of the first inning of the game on April 17. Centerfielder Karly Eckert is shown backing her up on the play.
SN PHOTO/MATT FREY
