Young Teams Offer Promising Season To Coaches

GNL softball

Youth is the watchword of North Side Great Northern League softball teams, but coaches aren’t singing the blues.

Lakeside is looking to repeat the turnaround it made during the second half of the season last year.

“I’m not concerned about wins and losses,” coach Bill Bender said, “I want these girls to be fundamentally sound players, and then we will see what happens (in the second half of the season).”

Bender took over the Eagles during mid-season last year after they opened with a 1-6 record. The team finished with a 9-2 flourish for a District Tournament berth.

Although five Deer Park players have graduated, coach Lisa Collins is not dismayed.

“We’re going to have a better team than last year,” said Collins, who has led the Stags to the playoff’s five times out of her six years coaching. “These girls seem to gel together a lot better and the chemistry is right.”

After a league record of 2-16 last season and two years in the Frontier League, Riverside coach Joe Peterson welcomes the return to the Great Northern League.

“I feel like I’m more at home,” he said. “We will be more competitive.”

Still, another Frontier League refugee, state-placing Colville, will be the team to beat when the league season begins.

“From there on it’s anybody’s ball game,” said Peterson.

Freshman class is Lakeside future

This year’s squad is young with more freshmen and sophomores on the team than Bender can remember.

It may be similar to last year’s team in the sense that it may not shine until the second half of the season.

Four players, Nikki Petticrew, Brooke Hamilton, Caryn Grubbs, and Jenna Giampietri just completed basketball.

Petticrew, a shortstop-pitcher has not decided whether she will be back this season.

Hamilton, one of the few seniors on the team, plays second base.

“Brooke made huge progress at the end of last season.” he said. “I’m curious to see how she will be this year.”

Grubbs, a catcher, and Giampietri, an infielder are part of a freshman class that Bender says will make Lakeside known for more than basketball by the time it graduates.

“This group has a sincere interest in softball,” he said, “and they are willing to work in the off-season to get better.”

Other players to look for this season are senior catcher Emily Guidinger, a catcher, and Teanna Naccarato, a transfer from Oregon.

Deer Park has no seniors

Without a single senior, Deer Park could be the youngest team in the league.

Returned are third-year juniors, pitcher Jenna Krieger and Breanne Smith, who moves from shortstop to catcher.

“Jenna and Breanne are my leaders,” said Collins. “They’ve just played so much softball that they really know the game. This is their favorite sport and their goal is to someday play in college.”

Junior Jenny Lee Williams, another three-year letterman, will move to shortstop and be backup pitcher while sophomore outfielder Kerry Ann Hardie, was the team’s batting leader last year. of the team.

Newcomers include freshman first baseman Jill Watts, sophomore catcher Jessica Anderson and junior Sara Skocilich.

“It’s going to be a good season and we’re going to play some good games,” said Collins. “Our goal is to make the playoffs this season and be real competitive in our league.”

Frosh pitcher holds Riverside key

Freshman Thera Hattenberg will be a key to the resurgence of Riverside’s softball team.

“We will live and die with her,” Peterson said. In a year or two, when she gains more experience she will be “very dominating.”

All but two of Riverside’s team also played for Peterson in eighth grade.

Riverside has two catchers in sisters Lacey and Jamie Darby. Lacey can play other positions, and Jamie also pitches.

Other returning players include seniors Brandi Barnes, Jenny Tolbert and Brianna Mueller, juniors Jackie Hattenberg, Sarah Lebahn and Tamara Harter, sophomores Sarah Marsura and Rhonda Blake.

Newcomers are senior Amanda Merdanian, juniors Mia Bogoquez and Keisha Marsh and freshman Amanda Rodriguez.

Peterson isn’t sure exactly who will play where, but feels confident that his defense can help return the Rams to former league prominence.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Rob Milligan, Kathryn Crum and Dustin Newlun Correspondents