Transfer student a hit

Jon Schuh had just finished directing his University girls softball team past Kamiakin when the opposition shortstop walked up.

“She introduced herself and told me she was going to be coming to University High School the following year,” he said.

Coaches hear that all the time, Schuh said. You get to a point where you don’t believe it until you see it. But I dropped by the office that fall and asked if there was a girl transferring from Kamiakin and there she was.

And thus, Ashley Fargher became a Titan.

“The only problem was that Ashley was a shortstop and we already had an all-league shortstop,” Schuh explained. “So I asked her what she thought about becoming a catcher”

And thus, Ashley Fargher became a catcher. In the course of one season behind the plate, the junior became not only an All-Greater Spokane League selection but also a major college softball prospect.

“I thought she was the best catcher in the league right from the start,” Schuh said. “But I might be a little biased. Having been a shortstop, she’s athletic behind the plate. And she does a good job.

“I laugh and tell people that a good catcher has to be a triple agent. She has to keep the pitcher happy, she has to keep me happy and she has to keep the umpire happy. Ashley does all three.”

One thing Fargher and her Titan teammates have not been able to do is change the early season weather. Cold temperatures combined with a triple dose of moisture – rain, snow and hail – combined to keep most teams either in the gym or off the dirt infields through much of the first weeks of turnouts.

“We just got on our infield Monday,” Schuh said. “But that’s better than Mt. Spokane. They haven’t made it onto their field at all – they’ve had some five inches of snow fall on them since we started.”

Central Valley Bears

Jeff Van Horne had the opposite problem with his roster. His top returning pitcher, three-year starter Whitney Daniels, moved to Oregon with her family for her senior season.

“Don’t remind me,” he laughed. “It was one of those things. Her father got a better job down there and the whole family moved. It happens.”

Despite losing a pitcher with an earned run average under 1.5, the Bears are on solid ground going into the season.

Junior catcher Mickenzie Alden returns along with both senior corner infielders Ashley Mayhle (third base) and Krista Osterwyk (first base), and junior center fielder Emily Anderson.

Freshman shortstop Alexa Morales has worked her way into the starting lineup and will pair with senior second baseman Rian Stiles.

“We have to work things out with our pitching,” Van Horne said. “I think we’ll be okay. I’ve got a senior (Lindsay White) who pitched a little for us last year and a couple freshmen who show promise.”

East Valley Knights

The Knights are young and start an all-underclass infield.

“The upside of being so young on the infield is that they will get a chance to play together for a couple years,” coach Kurt Krauth said.”

Junior Tiffany Bittner, a two-year starter at second base, shifts to first base to anchor the young group, while junior Alyssa Reinland is a quiet-but-aggressive anchor at third. Freshman Allie Burger earned the starting job at shortstop while sophomore Bryanna Manchester takes over at second.

Senior Jackie Adams starts at catcher.

Senior Erin Fredrick returns to the Knights to be the team’s starting pitcher.

“She played for us as a sophomore and then her family moved out of the area,” Krauth said. “They moved back and she’s doing a nice job for us. It’s too bad she missed that year with us.”

The Knights have benefited from a weather pocket around their school and a field that drains extremely well.

“We’ve been able to be out on our field about 75 percent of the time,” Krauth said. “We were even able to play our jamboree over the weekend. It was about 34 degrees, but we were able to play.”

University Titans

Like most teams in the GSL this season, Schuh is looking for pitching going into the season.

Senior Mandy Mikelson pitched well in relief last season and has been working over the winter with pitching coach Steve Fountain, who coaches most of the league’s pitchers.

“The last few years we’ve done well with pitchers in her position,” he said. “She knew she was going to have to throw over the winter if she was going to take on this job and she’s done everything we’ve asked.”

Sophomore Riki Schiermeister was injured a year ago, forcing Schuh to jockey his infield going into the playoffs – a move that will pay fringe benefits this season.

Senior second baseman Tonya Schnibbe, who shifted to first base for the playoffs, shifts to shortstop to start the season. Sophomore Alexis Obenchain filled in at second base in the playoffs a year ago and takes over the job full time to start the season. The development of sophomore shortstop Amanda Hickman could push Schnibbe back to second base and Obenchain to an open outfield spot.

Senior Alex Marquard holds down center field.

“Where we have to find people is for left and right field,” Schuh said. “We’re still working on that, but we have some options there.”

West Valley Eagles

Greater Spokane League coaching veteran Paul Cooley takes over the West Valley program and has a roster loaded with youngsters.

Last year’s coach was not retained following allegations he had an improper relationship with one of his players.

“After what happened last year we had a couple girls decide not to come back and play this year,” Cooley said. “I understand that decision perfectly and don’t blame them at all.”

Two of the Eagles leading hitters, both with batting averages well over .300, decided not to play.

Cooley, who has coached at both Rogers and Gonzaga Prep in the GSL, has a young, enthusiastic squad with promise.

Senior Kim Loberg is the team’s starting pitcher, with sophomores Allie Isaac and Payton Boone and junior Marla Paulson vying for playing time.

Sophomores Shannon Garbe and Stephanie Hjortedal are the likely starters for first and third base, respectively.

“If some things were to work out a little differently, I would have no problem shifting Shannon to the outfield – she’s that good an athlete,” Cooley said. “Every year I’ve coached I’ve had a freshman come in and just play her way onto the team. This year that’s been Raechel Paradise. She could play either at first base or in the outfield, too.”

Mostly, Cooley said, he needs to see what his team can do on the field instead of in the gym, where weather has forced them more often than not through the first two weeks of practice.

“We played our jamboree and I was pleased with how we played,” he said. “We turned a few double plays that I would not have expected. Mostly, I just need to see what we can do and how we’re going to respond.”