Softball: MSL West up for grabs again
Three state-ranked teams.
Three defending regional champions.
Two teams who graduated the Daily Herald all-area captains (Grace Huff of Palatine and Kendall Peterson of Barrington).
That's what you have in Mid-Suburban West softball this spring with Palatine, Barrington and Fremd, the top three finishers in the standings a year ago.
All look to make serious bids again.
The defending MSL champion Pirates welcome back several key players.
"We're lucky to have another great group of seniors," said Pirates assistant coach Kristen Proffitt, currently filling in for sixth-year head coach Nicole Capalbo who begins the season on maternity leave. "We are well balanced and have players from each grade which is nice since we always have lots of players with varsity experience."
Returners are senior pitcher and Wisconsin-Whitewater recruit Rhiann Dick (26-2, 368 career strikeouts), junior third baseman Kaitlyn Reed, senior outfielder Emily Brinckerhoff (. 296, 5 home runs), senior first baseman Mandy Logan (. 417), senior catcher Chase Friel (. 302).
"Our group has been working on communication and positivity," Proffitt said. "And I think that will translate to good things on the field. Our newcomers are ready to play hard, and they will make an immediate impact. Our team should be fast and fundamentally sound this year. We're looking forward to playing games and working together."
Barrington, is under the direction of hall of fame coach Perry Peterson (842-193 in 28 seasons), who is excited to start his 29th season.
Junior pitcher Jackie Albrecht leads the Fillies in the circle, finishing 2019 with a 12-1 record and 0.74 ERA. She struck out 85 batters in 94 innings, walking 19 batters.
Last year's 30-5 team (14-2 in the MSL) saw the emergence of freshman hitting star Brynn Nevers (. 410 batting average, 43 hits, 29 runs and 36 RBI).
The Fillies continue their rugged nonconference schedule with games against defending Class 4A state champ Huntley, south suburban power Sandburg, supersectional finalist Marengo, and Pontiac, led by Stanford pitching recruit Regan Krause.
Coach Josh Teschner's Fremd Vikings have eight returning starters from a club that loss to Class 4A state runner-up St. Charles East in the Glenbard West sectional semifinal.
The Vikings' schedule will match them against 12 regional champions and three sectional champions.
"We'll rely on Kalyn McCarthy (sophomore who stole a school record 54 bases last year and hit, 452) to set the table once again." said Teschner, who begins his fourth season.
Sophomores Elaina Kraus and Ava Jordan will look to add to the success of their all-area freshmen campaigns.
All-conference third baseman Cali DiVito returns after hitting .380 with 4 homers and 31 RBI.
Seniors Kelsey Brauer, McKenna Schneider, Sophia Crescio and Reagan Goluch (Carthage recruit) return to lead a hungry Viking team seeking its 21st regional title and third in a row.
All-area Brauer hit .408 with 4 homers and 34 RBI for an offense that averaged over 8 runs.
Also returning are pitchers Grace Hiller (junior) and Gina Dudley (sophomore). Hill had 11 wins.
Juniors Marisa Chalmers, Abby Cabrales and Maddie Johnson and freshman Anna Poss join the varsity to add significant depth.
Former Illinois standout infielder Allie Bauch is excited to have more consistency and experience for her second season as the Conant coach.
"We have 11 returners from last year and added three freshmen to a well-rounded group of girls," said the former Cougars standout shortstop.
Seniors Hannah Oh, Katie Maize, Amanda Santangelo and Kayleen Sebo will provide great leadership.
Juniors Emma Akers, Payton Andjulis, Ali Falcone, Julia Flaishaker, Tara Lovas, Emma Wokurka along with sophomore Janessa Gonzalez are versatile and have displayed a hard work ethic according to Bauch.
"Our three freshmen (Mikayla Nowicki, Elena Ruffolo and Natalie Spaitis) are eager to contribute to the program as well," Bauch added. "We are excited to play on our new field this year and look forward to competing in the MSL."
Schaumburg coach Ellen Abreu has quite a bit of returning talent to join new talent as she begins her tenth season.
The returners are seniors Talia Torosian (two-time all-conference selection) and Nikki Kolodziej, along with juniors Sophie Rainey, Sydney Kozlowski and Mariah Gutierrez and sophomores Marisa Vodicka, Jordan Karson, Morgan Miller, Abby Greenberg and Kim Kolodziej.
Newcomers are junior Izabel Gutierrez, sophomore Payton Dolecki and freshmen Bella Giometti and Brianna Linnemann.
"We are excited to get started and compete this season," said Abreu, a former standout pitcher at Fremd High School who led the Saxons to the Mid-Suburban League championship in 2015.
Former Illinois and Buffalo Grove standout Lindsey Hamma, the head coach at Hoffman Estates, welcomes back eight players for her 15th season.
"We are excited to build on their varsity experience from last season," Hamma said. "We are led by second year co-captains Bri Venegas at shortstop and Emily Grossi on the pitchers mound."
They've been varsity starters since their freshmen years.
"We expect big things from them as they finish out their high school careers," Hamma added.
The Hawks' sophomore battery of Ryan Cloherty and Gracie Velazquez have worked extremely hard in the offseason.
"We will look to them to contribute to the heart of our batting order as well," Hamma said.
Sophomore Emily Morris will join Venegas in the infield.
"We will look to senior Patricia Wadas to provide leadership in the outfield," Hamma added.
Madison Barnes and Jayleen Suarez gained experience in the outfield last season while newcomers Samie Nieves, Tori Spitz, and Sophia Steel are utility players who give maximum effort at whatever role they are asked to perform.