Differing approaches
Three Spokane Valley high schools head into their second season of fall slowpitch softball with differing approaches.
University, which finished 16-0 a year ago to win the league and district titles, uses the sport as a fall training camp for its fastpitch program. Central Valley, too, fields a squad full of spring softball players. The Bears reached last year’s semifinals before losing to Rogers, 14-4.
“The idea of adding slowpitch softball was to give players who wouldn’t normally turnout for another fall sport a chance to play,” U-Hi coach Jon Schuh said. “Of the 32 or 33 players I have out this fall, only three or four of them would have played a different fall sport. It just works out that most of them also play fastpitch for me.”
Schuh said he’s glad his players have a fall sport.
“I just want the kids to play a sport,” he said. “I don’t really care what sport it is, I just want them to be out and active and having fun. That’s kind of the way I approach slowpitch. I am not as intense as I am in fastpitch – well, I try to be less intense.
“The idea is to get in some good workouts and have a little fun.”
East Valley, meanwhile, does not have the same kind of luck when it comes to attracting fastpitch players to the fall league.
“Most of the girls who play fastpitch for me play other sports in the fall,” coach Kurt Krauth said. “Most of my fastpitch players already had a fall sport. They’re integral parts of the volleyball team and the soccer team.
“And since most kids this age don’t play slowpitch softball, we just try to teach as much as we can and have fun. We had a couple girls turnout for slowpitch last year and like it so much they turned out to play fastpitch for us.”
Schuh said he coaches his players the same, no matter how the ball is pitched.
“We work very hard on how we play defense,” he said. “You still field a ground ball the same way whether its fastpitch or slowpitch. And my outfielders get a lot of balls hit to them in slowpitch where they don’t see a lot in the spring. It gives them a chance to work on their technique.
“I teach hitting the same way, too. The only difference is teaching the kids to wait on the ball, and that’s a tough lesson to learn.”
Central Valley
Central Valley returns first-team All-Greater Spokane League catcher Hailey Saxby as well as All-GSL fastpitch outfielder Stephanie Siddoway, along with second-team All-GSL slowpitch infielder Alyssa Erickson for a team that jumped out to a 3-0 start to begin the season.
The Bears have been an offensive juggernaut, scoring 53 runs in their first three games, including a 19-6 win at North Central Monday.
Central Valley finished 10-6 a year ago.
East Valley
The Knights are led by twins Catie and Calie Huston, who will pitch and play third base.
“They’re two of the few who have played some slowpitch before,” Krauth said. “They’ve played some church league softball. Our first baseman, Deborah Scully, also has played some church league softball.”
Catcher/outfielder Vanessa Purcell improved by leaps and bounds a year ago and the sophomore appears ready to pick up where she left off this season.
University
The Titans return a infield that has played together three seasons seasons – with three infielders beginning their fourth season as starters.
Third baseman Ali Warren, shortstop Amanda Hickman, second baseman Lexi Obenchain and first-baseman Riki Schiermeister are all softball veterans. Scheirmeister, Warren and Hickman, along with outfielder Alyssa Hawley, all were named first-team All-GSL a year ago and Scheirmeister, Warren and Hawley were all-league first-teamers in fastpitch.
University did lose last season’s most valuable player in Ashley Fargher.
“We’ve got a real veteran group back this year,” Schuh said. “That’s not going to be the story next year. We’re going to be hit real hard by graduation after this year.”