Lady Bulldogs hope a year older means a season better
Photo by Trent Makela - St. Ignatius junior Mattea Grant stretches into a pitch at practice last Monday. Grant sat out all of last season with an injury, but is in a three-way race to be the team's starting pitcher.
By Trent Makela / Leader Staff
The St. Ignatius softball team will enter a fresh season in a new division, but with one more year of grizzle on a familiar, senior-free core.
The Lady Bulldogs started as many as eight freshmen last season, finishing the regular season at 9-11 before maturing during a state-tournament run.
"Those freshmen got thrown right into the fire last year and they didn't get much time to develop at the junior varsity level," Wolls said. "We got off to a really slow start, but they adapted during the season and hopefully we can take off from where we left off."
A sub-.500 record will not carry St. Ignatius to state this season, though, after Class B-C was split into a western and an eastern division in the offseason. The new format will draw the top four teams from each division to the state tournament. Previously, the 16 teams with the state's best records battled it out.
The Lady Bulldogs appear ready to battle for one of the west's top four slots, having lost just three players from last season's squad. Graduated starting pitcher Ashley Mitchell and outfielder Kelly Wagner will be missed, as will the do-everything skills of new Alaska resident Makenzy Foust.
Woll had only 13 players signed up prior to the team's practice, including four juniors who must play the part of senior leaders this season; Carlee Allstead, Hollie Hart, Mattea Grant and Jenna Bosley.
Bosley was one of the team's primary offensive weapons last season, finishing with a .323 batting average and knocking in 21 runs.
"Offensively putting the ball into play and manufacturing some runs will be a big concern for us this season," Woll said. "We need a lot out of our upperclassmen."
The sophomores that provided the bulk of last year's team will return, including Katie McDonald, Dalena Weaselhead, Jasmine Gileard, Rachel Jensen and Della Dally.
McDonald will attempt to build on solid freshman numbers, including a .321 batting average and three home runs.
Only two freshman signed up for the team this season, but Woll expects newbie Kyla Olson to compete with Grant and Dally to be the team's starting pitcher.
"Pitching is a huge key to every season," Woll said. "[Grant] broke her leg and never made it into a game last season but she's our upperclassman in the mix. I told the girls that whoever rises to the top will get the spot — no favorites."
The Lady Bulldogs' opponents in the new Western B-C Division include Eureka, Plains, Noxon, Thompson Falls, Loyola, Florence, Deer Lodge, Drummond and Troy.
St. Ignatius will begin the season at home against Thompson Falls on March 27 and at Eureka on March 28.