Softball Preview : Colonels Aim High After 16-Win Season

Posted: March 11, 2016
By ROBERT STOCKS
The Winchester Star

James Wood sophomore Lindsay Anderson, a first team All-Conference 21 West selection, led the Colonels with a .429 batting average and also drove in 27 runs last season. (Photo by Ginger Perry/The Winchester Star)

James Wood sophomore Lani Spielman gets tagged out by Clarke junior Kendall Benoit during a game last season. Both Spielman and Benoit return this season for the Colonels and Eagles, respectively. (Photo by Jeff Taylor/The Winchester Star)
WINCHESTER — On the heels of a record-setting season where James Wood High School’s softball team set the school mark for victories, the Colonels head into the 2016 season with some lofty goals.

Sophomore pitchers Lauren King and Lani Spielman, who combined for all of the Colonels’ victories, return with a year of varsity experience in the circle and that’s just one of the reasons why second-year coach Todd Baker hopes his team can make a big leap into regional play — and beyond.

King, a first team All-Northwestern District and second team All-Conference 21 selection, went 9-3 with a 2.24 earned-run average and 95 strikeouts in 811/3 innings. Spielman, who earned second team all-district honors, finished with a 6-3 record, a 3.46 ERA and 66 Ks in 622/3 innings. Add in catcher Lindsay Anderson, a first team all-conference selection who batted a team-best .429 with 27 RBIs, first team all-district and all-conference infielder Courteney Harper (.356 and a team-high 27 runs) and second team all-conference and all-district infielder Alyssa Brown (16 RBIs, 23 runs) and it’s easy to see why Baker thinks this year’s team can be even better.

“We had 16 wins with a fairly young team and that was the most wins of any softball team in James Wood history,” Baker said. “We lost a couple big games at the end of the season by blowing some leads late, but I’m sure another year of varsity experience will help with that.

“Everyone knows we’re pretty talented, but we just need to stay focused, pay attention to detail and be mentally tough. We plan to put pressure on our girls that anything short of advancing through regionals isn’t acceptable. We want to get to the state tournament. We just feel like we’re ready to do that.”

Baker knows his team will face tough competition from Conference 21 West rivals Woodgrove, who finished as the Group 4A state runner-up (falling 1-0 to Carroll County in the state final), and longtime rival Sherando.

“It’s always tough with Sherando in there,” Baker said. “I’m not sure what Handley and Millbrook will bring to the race this year, but Woodgrove is the team to beat.

“We played [Woodgrove] to a 3-1 game last year and lost it late. We’re looking forward to a home game with Woodgrove this year. They advanced to the state championship last year and it was a game we felt like we could’ve won. The girls are really motivated by games like that and they’re pushing themselves to get to that level.”

Sherando joined perennial state power Woodgrove as regional qualifiers a season ago, but the Warriors must replace six players from last year’s team that reached the regional quarterfinals. The Warriors must replace Northwestern District Player of the Year and outfielder Carly Nixon (now a freshman at Potomac State College) along with first team all-conference pitcher Hannah Lockhart and second team all-conference selections Heidi Brown, Sara Stickman and Katie Manson.

Lockhart led the area hitting .500 with 28 RBIs and also posted the area’s best record in the circle, going 14-6 with 119 strikeouts in 1111/3 innings. Lockhart, Brown, Nixon and Manson combined to drive in 104 runs last season.

Despite the roster turnover, the Warriors, led by first team all-district and second team all-conference infielder Lexi Schlag (.482, 20 RBIs, 30 runs), return what Smith believes will be a solid nucleus of players and talented newcomers that should help the program remain competitive.

“We still have some talent — we’re young but our [younger players] are extremely talented,” Smith said. “They have some big shoes to fill but they work very hard. Everyone on the team is working hard to taking it as a challenge to not have the drop off that everyone outside of the program is expecting.”

With Woodgrove — who has been a state finalist every season since 2011 and won state championships in 2012 and 2014 — returning five all-conference players including catcher Hallie Daughtry, the reigning player of the year, and James Wood coming off a 16-win season, Smith said the games that matter most are the five that count for the conference.

“Woodgrove — until they’re knocked off they’re queens of the hill,” Smith said. “We’re looking up to them now but not shying away from the competition. James Wood returns three freshmen who were the heart and soul of that team and they have a lot of talent.

“... We still fill a 20-game schedule and we’ll see James Wood and some of the other teams twice but only one is the counter [for conference seeding] so we’ll have a lot of games and to advance to regionals you have to finish in the top two. You have 15 other games to make sure those five counters really count. I think we’ll have a fighter’s chance.”

Clarke County coach Susan Grubbs likes her team’s chances to be in the mix for one of the top spots in the Bull Run District as well as Conference 35.

“You’ve got Central with its pitcher [Bekah Ansbro] back and she’s a D-I signee with George Mason University, and we always fight hard with Madison and they’ve had our number for a while so we’ll have a real challenge there,” said Grubbs, whose team plays a pair of non-district games against both James Wood and Sherando. “They were the top two teams in the district last year. I’d like to jump in top two and make it on to regional. Page isn’t in our conference now, so if we can get in the top two, we can get on to regional. We definitely want to go beyond conference play and get later into postseason.”

Millbrook

Coach: Mandee Madden, fourth year.

Last year: 5-16 (2-6 Northwestern)

Key losses: Sarah Clark, Natalie Roy, Rebecca Miller and Hannah Croyle (who opted to run track for the Pioneers).

Top returnees: Katie Tirona, Soph. IF (.354, 26 RBIs, 15 runs, second team all-district); Harleigh Crowl, Sr. OF (15 runs); Logan Priest, Sr. IF; Shannon Smith, Soph. OF

Key newcomers: Eliza Grigsby, Soph. OF; Rylee Warchola, Soph. OF/C; Danielle Vanderhoff, Fr. P; Holley Smith, Fr. OF; Kaitlyn Mayatte, Jr. IF; Angela Riemer, Jr. IF/C; Zoe Ackerman, Soph. P.

Madden’s outlook: “We’re very young but they’re incredibly eager to learn and take instruction well. Even with so many new kids, they’re really finding their chemistry together which is awesome. Right now, we’re just trying to figure out where everyone fits as a unit. It’s going to depend a lot on practice and where they’re comfortable during games.”

First game: Tuesday, vs. Harrisonburg, 5 p.m.

Sherando

Coach: Clarence Smith, fifth year.

Last year: 17-6 (7-1 Northwestern)

Key losses: Hannah Lockhart, Heidi Brown, Carly Nixon, Katie Manson, Sara Stickman and Maryssa Walker.

Top returnees: Marissa Webb, Jr. IF/OF/P (11 RBIs); Lexi Schlag, Sr. 3B; Madison Clark, Sr. 2B (12 runs); Niki Marshall, Sr. LF/P (.314, 15 runs, 14 RBIs); Dani Edmonds, Sr. OF (26 runs); Korenn Paige, Soph. 1B (15 RBIs, 15 runs); Tori Seymour, Soph. SS/3B (.317).

Key newcomers: Brooke Moses, Fr. OF; Ashton Clark, Fr. IF; River Baird, Fr. P; Emily Walker, Jr. OF; Sarah Marshall, Soph. C.

Smith’s outlook: “We’ve got a bunch of girls who can play a bunch of different positions. There’s a lot of innings to be won. None of them are shying away from that opportunity and they’re eager to prove they can perform just as well as the girls before them.”

First game: Monday, vs. Broadway, 6 p.m.

James Wood

Coach: Todd Baker, second year.

Last year: 16-6 (6-2 Northwestern)

Key losses: Taylor Rizzari, Laura Gates, Kenzie Garrett.

Top returnees: Lauren King, Soph. P/IF/OF (.333, 15 RBI); Lani Spielman, Soph. P/IF/OF (.302); Lindsay Anderson, Soph. C; Taylor Woolsey, Sr. CF (.322, 19 runs, second team all-district); Alyssa Brown, Jr. IF; Courteney Harper, Jr. IF.

Key newcomers: None mentioned.

Baker’s outlook: “The big reason for last year’s success was the help of my assistant coaches — Patrick Gibson and Steve Hicks. Surround yourself with great players and great coaches — and good things will happen. The attention to detail is what we’re focusing on. Attention to detail is what wins big games at the end.”

First game: Tuesday, vs. Warren County, 6 p.m.

Handley

Coach: David Stokes, third year

Last year: 0-21 (0-8 Northwestern District)

Key losses: Callie Veach, Catie Whittle and Oakley Johnson

Top returnees: Lizzy Beaudoin, Sr. OF; Gabby Mammano, Sr. SS; Linsey Martin, Soph. 1B/P; Robin Blowers, Soph. P/2B.

Key newcomer: Amelia Strawderman, Soph. C.

Stokes’ outlook: “The hopes are to improve on last year. I’m looking for experienced players to help some of our younger players develop through the season. My expectations are to win some games this year. I know the overall record didn’t necessarily show it, but we were only shut out twice last year which was a huge improvement.”

First game: Monday, at Park View, 6 p.m.

Clarke County

Coach: Susan Grubbs, 28th year.

Last year: 11-13 (9-7 Bull Run District)

Key losses: Allie Hicks, Sarah Miller, Jaime Hoggatt

Top returnees: Kendall Benoit, Jr. IF/OF (.350, 13 runs, 12 SB); Jade Feltner, Soph. P/1B (.354, 17 RBIs, 21 runs); Megan Hicks, Soph. P/1B (4-7, 4.43 ERA, 55 Ks); Chelsea Trenary, Soph. C (.392, 26 RBIs, 24 runs); Morgan Withers, Jr. IF (.343, 18 RBIs, 20 runs); Mercedes Banks, Sr. OF.

Key newcomers: Sheilia Nappi, Jr. IF; Soph. Olivia Olinger, 1B/OF.

Grubbs’ outlook: “Offensively, we do have a lot of team speed and a lot of girls who can put the bat on the ball. We have four left-handers and not all are just slappers. We have some versatility up-and-down the lineup. I look for a good off season for us. We have 11 returners so I’m really looking to step it up a notch.”

First game: Tuesday, vs. Riverside, 5 p.m.

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