Players eager for season
Kurt Krauth has a small problem.
The East Valley High School softball coach wants to finalize his lineup. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have all his players yet.
“I still have three players still doing basketball,” Krauth said. “They’re still at the state tournament and I can’t really figure out a lineup until I get them out here and see where they’re going to play.”
It’s a first for the East Valley program: This year’s basketball team is the first in school history to qualify for the state tournament.
At West Valley, second-year head coach Paul Cooley is having the same problem. A large contingent from the school is in Tacoma rooting on the boys basketball team – a tournament regular the past three seasons.
“We’re kind of running two practices at the same time,” he said. “One over in Tacoma, the other one here.”
Central Valley coach Jeff VanHorne has had everyone out, but doesn’t feel that far ahead.
“We haven’t been outside all that much,” he said. “We haven’t had very many days where the fields have had a chance to dry out. The girls have been working their buns off and are really anxious to get out there. They’ve even volunteered to practice twice a day – coming in at 5:30 in the morning and then asking if they can get outside in the afternoon. You have to admire a group of kids who want to play that badly.”
The chance of the annual jamboree actually getting played this season is not great. The Bears and Titans are scheduled to play at University High today, with a junior varsity jamboree set for Central Valley. University and Central Valley will be joined by Rogers and Shadle Park. East Valley will host a jamboree with Mead, Mt. Spokane and North Central.
“That’s your preseason, right there,” University coach Jon Schuh laughed. “You’ve got the jamboree and that’s it. You go right into the league season.”
Unfortunately, the spring has not been kind to softball fields around the area. The weather has not warmed enough to break the frost layer, which prevents the field from draining and drying out.
“Once these fields dry out, they drain pretty well,” Schuh said. “But you have to break the frost layer first and we haven’t done that yet. But that’s softball and baseball in the Pacific Northwest. We go through this every year.”
Central Valley Bears
The Bears are in solid shape up the middle.
“That’s where you like to be solid,” VanHorne said. “We have our two freshmen pitchers back from last year. We have our center fielder, Emily Anderson, back. And we have our catcher, Mickenzie Alden.”
Seniors Alden and Anderson, along with junior outfielder Stefani Siddoway, were first-team All-Greater Spokane League picks a year ago.
Alden, a four-year starter, has a scholarship to play softball at Rutgers next year and has her sights set on earning a starting position for the Scarlet Knights.
“Mickenzie will be playing softball in the Big East next year,” VanHorne said. “She’s such a great leader. She never mentions it in practice. In fact, she is so focused on this team and is so committed to making our young players better.”
Lauren Mandler and Alyssa Erickson pitched the Bears to a 14-5 league record as freshmen a year ago.
“They’ve officially graduated,” VanHorne laughed. “To sophomore status.”
Outside of pitcher, catcher and center field, the Bears lineup is in flux. A lot will depend on what the coach sees in the jamboree and first few leagues games.
“The early schedule is not kind to us,” he said. “We’re supposed to play five of our first six games on the road.”
Siddoway is a perfect example of why early season games are important, the coach said.
“She was not a starter at the beginning of the season last year,” VanHorne said. “She’s one of those kids you just can’t keep on the bench. She played herself right into the lineup and that’s where she’s stayed. We may end up moving her to the infield this year.
“She’s the kind of kid who comes to you and says ‘Where do you need me to play, coach? What’s best for the team?’ “
East Valley Knights
The Knights bloomed a year ago, advancing to the Class 3A playoffs where they got a taste of postseason success.
“For us to get into the playoffs was good,” Krauth said. “But to beat a good team like the Hanford team we beat was really exciting.”
East Valley opens the season today with a jamboree on its home field with Mead, Mt. Spokane and North Central. Beyond that, the team will have some extra preparation time before opening the GSL season Thursday at North Central.
Junior Bryana Manchester and her sophomore sister Morgan, along with senior Tiffany Bittner, all starters, are due out Monday. Morgan Manchester started in left field a year ago, but is likely to move in and take over at shortstop this spring. Bryana Manchester started every game at second base last season and is penciled in to do the same this year. Bittner was the team’s second-leading hitter and batted third in the lineup last year and is a three-year starter.
“We get the first bye on Tuesday,” Krauth said. “That will give us a little time with our basketball players back before our first game.
“The problem is we have kids out here playing behind someone they haven’t seen yet. It’s a little hard to get any perspective on things.”
Last year Krauth wound up bringing up four freshmen early in the season a year ago and they each grew into starting roles.
“That’s kind of created a logjam,” Krauth said. “We may end up with some juniors on the JV this year. We have a lot of flexibility with what we can do once we settle on where people fit defensively.
“I really like this team. This is a hard-working group.”
University Titans
The Titans are young, with just three seniors on the varsity to start the season, but they are experienced.
“We’ve got nine returnees, but we also have four freshmen on the varsity,” Schuh said. “I’m happy with what we have. The big thing for us right now, as we go through our defenses and our strategies, they’re finding that it’s a little more than they thought it would be. They’re coming along.”
Catcher Ashley Fargher returns for her senior season and is sure to continue her softball career at the next level next year, Schuh said.
“She’ll play somewhere,” he said. “We’re just not sure where that will be yet.”
Junior Shelby Bethel starts the season as the No. 1 pitcher, but freshman Mollie Buelow will be a quality No. 2.
Senior Michelle Wells and junior Alyssa Hawley will play center and right fields. Which player plays which position, however, is still up in the air.
Junior Riki Schiermeister and her sister Dakota, a freshman outfielder, were late turning out while helping the Titans reach the state Class 4A championship basketball game. Riki starts her third year as the Titans’ first baseman and is the likely lead-off hitter. Dakota is battling for a spot in the outfield.
Sophomore Alisha Warren played in a number of positions a year ago but settles into start at third base. Junior Amanda Hickman starts at shortstop with freshman Ashley Moon pushing for playing time.
West Valley Eagles
Cooley has nine players back from last year as West Valley settles into the Great Northern League.
“We’re in pretty good shape,” he said. “The only thing that will be unproven for us will be pitching. We have a number of pitchers, but no one with any real varsity experience.”
Four-year starter Haley Bauman is the team’s lone senior and will anchor the infield defense at shortstop. Sophomore Allie Isaac returns at catcher and also will be the team’s No. 2 pitcher.
From there, the Eagles are dominated by 11 juniors, with a senior, a sophomore and two freshmen.
Three juniors flesh out the rest of the infield: Shannon Garbe and Stephanie Hjortedahl return at first and third bases, respectively, while Camille Mackie, an outfielder a year ago, moves to second. Junior Brittany Anderson returns in center field and Hannah Begley, a part-time starter in the outfielder last year, starts.
Junior Missey Carey will play in the infield, and juniors Lindsey Shephard and Tanya Lund each will pitch and play in the infield.
Freshman Candace Boyd and Rachel Meagley figure in the mix. Boyd is a catcher/infielder; Cooley calls Meagley the dark horse in the pitching mix.
“I think before the end of the season, she’s going to be right in the middle of things,” he said. “I think we’re going to hit pretty well. Anytime you return a lot of players, your hitting improves just by experience.”