Inland Empire League softball

Defending league champ: Coeur d’Alene

Defending regional champs: Coeur d’Alene (5A), Moscow (4A)

Returning all-league picks: First team – Richelle Fenenbock and Kellee Jost, Lake City; Brianna Robson and Jackie Lenz, Coeur d’Alene; Heather Glaze, Post Falls. Co-most valuable player – Heather Helmhout, CdA. Newcomer of the year – Jenna DeLong, CdA. Second team – Kelli Bridges, LC; Katie Ness, Post Falls. Honorable mention – Justine Winn, Post Falls; Julie Andrews, Lewiston.

League: Coaches wanted to play the teams in their respective classifications more times than the others, but that created an unbalanced league schedule as 5A teams will play each other four times and 4A teams twice, while 4A teams will play each other four times and 5A teams twice. That gives 4A teams 18 league games and 5A teams 16 league games. Athletic directors didn’t discover the uneven schedule until it was too late to modify. So they decided that the league championship will be determined by winning percentage and regional seeding will be based on games involving teams from the same division. The athletic directors also decided to go back to a balanced league schedule next year.

Postseason: The regional champs earn automatic state berths. The runners-up can also capture state berths in play-in games against District III (Boise area) teams. The State 5A and 4A tournaments will be close to home for area teams. The 5A tourney is May 19-21 at Ramsey Park in Coeur d’Alene and the 4A tourney will be held the same dates at Post Falls High School.

In predicted order of league finish:

Coeur d’Alene Vikings

2004 records: 29-2 overall (State 5A runner-up), 20-0 league (league champ)

Current records: 4-1 overall, 1-0 league

Coach: Larry Bieber

Years coaching: 12th

Returning lettermen, starters: 10, 5

Key players: Sam Ritzheimer, senior, third base; Jenna DeLong, sophomore, first base/pitcher; Heather Helmhout, junior, p/third base; Cassandra Neal, jr., second base; Jessyca Le, jr., shortstop; Jackie Lenz, jr., center field; Brianna Robson, jr., right field.

Coach’s comments: “They (the players) understand it’s every pitch, every play, every day. There are a lot of high expectations, but we’ve got to play the games. They’re not going to mail us the trophy. So far the kids have buckled down and worked hard. They have great work ethic and great heart.”

Outlook: The Vikings return 10 of 13 players from a team that finished 24-0 in the regular season. The Viks have played for the state title in six of the last seven years, and they’re not shooting for anything less this year. In fact, the Viks are tired of finishing runner-up – especially to Eagle, which has won three straight state titles and four of the last five. CdA has the ingredients to make another run at a state title.

Lake City Timberwolves

2004 records: 18-10, 15-5

Current records: 2-0, 0-0

Coach: Laura Tolzmann

Years coaching: 1st

Returning lettermen, starters: 8, 5

Key players: Kellee Jost, sr., p/3b; Alysha Krier, jr., c; Richelle Fenenbock, soph., 2b; Kelli Bridges, jr., ss; Chantal Waide, soph., 1b; Dani Ghramm, sr., 3b; Kathleen Capone, jr., cf.

Coach’s comments: “They really want to win a league title and get to state. They have a new attitude. There are no attitude problems this year like last year.”

Outlook: A 1996 LC graduate, Tolzmann takes over for Darren Taylor, whose teams were 132-43 in six years, including a state title in 2001. Tolzmann, an LC assistant the past three years, was a two-year letterman at Coeur d’Alene and played her final two years at LC after the school opened in 1994. LC has never had a losing record in softball and Tolzmann plans to continue the winning tradition. At the worst, LC should capture a state berth via the play-in game. It’s been three years since the T-Wolves qualified for state. Speed is probably LC’s best asset.

Lewiston Bengals

2004 records: 15-10, 13-7

Current records: 2-0, 2-0

Coach: Amy Stark

Years coaching: 1st

Returning lettermen, starters: 5, 4

Key players: Amy Seale, sr., cf; Julie Andrews, sr., lf/p; Wesli Kalbfleisch, sr., ss; Amber Harrison, sr., 3b/of; Sara Dufour, sr., c; Jordan Largent, sr., p.

Coach’s comments: “We have great team chemistry. They’re really hard workers and dedicated to the program. We need to overcome weaknesses. We’re breaking in some new pitching.”

Outlook: The Bengals have become much more competitive with CdA and LC in recent years, thanks largely to pitching. Largent steps up from the junior varsity and Andrews is moving from the outfield to the mound in hopes of filling losses to graduation. Hitting will have to carry Lewiston early.

Post Falls Trojans

2004 records: 13-17, 7-13

Current records: 0-2, 0-1

Coach: Jake Foster

Years coaching: 9th

Returning lettermen, starters: 8, 6

Key players: Justine Winn, sr., ss; Heather Glaze, sr., c/of; Katie Ness, sr., p/of; Sean Topp, soph., p/3b; Amy Musch, jr., 3b; Haley Roland, jr., utility; Nicole Bennett, jr., 1b; Erika Willy, jr., 1b.; Lisa Steinbach, soph., p/2b.

Coach’s comments: “Potentially, we could be better offensively with the experience we have back. They’ve all played quite a bit. We have a chance to be a solid team.”

Outlook: The Trojans won’t contend for the league title, but they’ll be in the mix with Moscow and Lakeland for the top 4A honors. Post Falls qualified for state for the first time since slowpitch gave way to fastpitch in 1995, and the Trojans brought home the fourth-place trophy. If the Trojans’ hitting comes through, they could be playing hosts at state in May.

Lakeland Hawks

2004 records: 23-5, 14-1 (Intermountain League champ)

Current records: 1-2, 1-0

Coach: Colleen Nave

Years coaching: 3rd, 1st at Lakeland

Returning lettermen, starters: 8, 5

Key players: Mallory Twidt, jr., c/3b; Jodee Janhsen, sr., 1b; Heather Simpson, sr., cf; Jaymi Fyfe, sr., p/of; Melissa Frank, jr., ss/2b; Sam Owen, soph., p/inf; Amanda North, soph., c; Kayla VanDuyne, jr., p.

Coach’s comments: “I just love being back at Lakeland. We want to keep the tradition going. It’s awesome to be in 4A. I think Lakeland could have competed very well at this level a long time ago.”

Outlook: Nave, a 1999 Lakeland grad, replaces Jim Pizelo, who resigned to take a head coaching job at Gonzaga Prep. The Hawks were 135-30 in six years under Pizelo and captured 3A state titles in 2001 and ‘02. Lakeland has qualified for state all 10 years fastpitch has been in existence. The Hawks have speed, pitching and defense to challenge Post Falls and Moscow.

Moscow Bears

2004 records: 9-24, 3-17

Current records: 0-1, 0-1

Coach: Jessica Shawley

Years coaching: 2nd

Returning lettermen, starters: 6, 4

Key players: Dana Weaver, sr., rhp/1b; Jenny McMillan, jr., rhp/1b; Sara Helbling, sr., of; Emily Nelson, jr., ss.

Coach’s comments: “We were inexperienced and young at the start last year and that’s where we’re at this year, but we expect to compete. We’ll continue to get better every day.”

Outlook: The Bears lost senior Stephanie Helbling, a first-team all-league shortstop last year, to a knee injury suffered in basketball. She’s not expected to return. Moscow struggled in league last year before putting things together at regionals and finishing third at state.

Sandpoint Bulldogs

2004 records: 2-23, 2-18

Current records: 0-3, 0-2

Coach: Derek Dickinson

Years coaching: 1st

Returning lettermen, starters: 5, 2

Key players: Amy Hilland, sr., p/1b; Emily Reina, sr., c; Kyra Crabb, soph., cf; Beth Radonich, jr., ss.

Coach’s comments: “We’re starting over from scratch. We want to get the program back to where it was a couple of years ago. We might not have the skills and abilities of some of these teams, but we’re going to battle. Hopefully, by the end of the year people will realize Sandpoint is rebounding.”

Outlook: Dickinson isn’t new to head coaching or softball, for that matter. He was Sandpoint’s head baseball coach for two seasons. He coached the junior varsity softball team last year. Dickinson said things may get worse before they get better. But he believes there’s a commitment to turning around the program.