Play (soft)ball!

How does one define powerhouse as it regards high school athletics?

Look no further than the Coeur d’Alene High softball program.

If winning two straight State 5A championships and playing in nine of the last 10 state title games – as the Vikings have – doesn’t describe powerhouse, then nothing does.

Coeur d’Alene is coming off its best four-year stretch in school history. It’s no coincidence that the key cog the last four years was pitcher Jenna DeLong, a four-year starter who has moved on to Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. DeLong was named the Inland Empire League’s player of the year three times.

Here’s a look at Coeur d’Alene, Lake City and Sandpoint.

Coeur d’Alene

The Vikings (28-2 overall, 16-2 IEL) no doubt have big shoes to fill with the departure of DeLong.

Overshadowed somewhat by DeLong last year was pitcher Amber Coburn, who pitched enough to post a 9-1 record. She inherits the No. 1 role, but juniors Amanda Edwards, who moved to CdA from Canada last summer, and Kathy Comack, also will see innings.

“Coburn and Edwards are just a little bit ahead, but Comack is definitely nipping at their heels,” coach Larry Bieber said. “With three pitchers we can afford to change it up, throw a change of pace at people, if teams start measuring somebody. I told them they can’t have an ego about pitching. If I take them out, it’s nothing personal.”

The best thing about the pitchers, Bieber said, is they’re juniors, and will be around for two years.

Coburn started in left field when she wasn’t backing up DeLong. She was a first team all-IEL pick last year. Five other starters return. They are seniors Lauren Horton (catcher), Danielle Erickson (right field) and Katie Bologna (third base) and juniors Jessica Kraft (shortstop) and Amanda Brouillard (second base).

Kraft, who split time at third base last year, moves to shortstop, replacing three-year starter Lindsey Stark.

Horton, Erickson and Bologna are the Viks’ only seniors. The biggest class represented is juniors with eight.

Kraft, Brouillard and Erickson were second team all-IEL selections last year.

Erickson is starting for a third straight year at right field. In fastpitch, right field is an important position, and Erickson has proved her value there. She took nine potential hits away from opponents last year by using her speed to chase down line drives and get assists at first base.

Edwards and junior Lindsey Ritzheimer will split time at first base. Comack will back up Brouillard at second base. Junior Jessica Dotts will see time at third base and left field. And junior Jill Meredith will start in center field.

“We have a number of kids who can play multiple positions,” Bieber said. “They understand in order to make the team they have to be able to play more than one position.”

In 5A, the IEL receives two state berths. While tradition-rich and two-time defending state champ CdA has earned the respect as the favorite to win the league title, Lake City, Post Falls and Lewiston will certainly make pitches for one of the state berths.

“There won’t be any day’s off,” Bieber said. “All four teams have good pitching and all four have quality position kids back. It’s the most parity I’ve ever seen. The league champ won’t go undefeated.”

CdA’s goal won’t be anything less than aiming for another state title.

“These girls understand the tradition at Coeur d’Alene High School,” said Bieber, who is in his 14th season as head coach. “They have that swagger that when they’re on the field they’re there to play softball.”

Bieber said a key will be defense.

“The other teams will put the ball in play more this year than they were able to against Jenna,” Bieber said. “We’ll have to manufacture some runs and have a defense that makes those runs hold up.”

Bieber knows his team has a target on its back.

“We’re willing to accept that target and appreciate what it does for us,” Bieber said. “We’ll get everybody’s best games. It’ll make us better, too.”

Lake City

The Timberwolves (17-10, 11-7) were the preseason pick a year ago to win the league title and challenge for a state title.

But the T-Wolves fizzled late in the year, and they never recovered. Post Falls ended up beating LC four out of six games, including a 3-1 win in a Region I loser-out game.

LC is using last season as motivation. It left a sour taste in the T-Wolves’ mouths.

“It was frustrating,” LC coach Laura Tolzmann said. “We had the talent, we had what it took to get there (to state). But our chemistry was off and we didn’t quite get the key hits in the end when we needed them.”

LC easily returns the most experience in the league. The T-Wolves only have to replace one defensive spot – shortstop.

The returning starters are seniors Haley Petersen (left field), Kimberly Lynn (pitcher), Jordanna Walker (right field), Amanda Krier (first base) and Janey Ortega (catcher), juniors Lela Work (pitcher/third base/shortstop) and Jessica Ross (center field) and sophomore Jamie Hall (second base).

Petersen and Ross were second team all-IEL picks last year.

Shortstop Richelle Fenenbock graduated and the player expected to take over, Kaitlyn McDonald, moved to Montana. So Tolzmann is going to use Work, junior Brittani Waide and junior transfer Jennifer Robertson to fill the void.

“Sometimes it’s hard to find a shortstop, and I’d be comfortable with any of the three,” Tolzmann said.

Work (8-5) and Lynn (9-6) will carry the pitching load again. Tolzmann said she could end up using Lynn mostly in relief because Work has improved greatly since last year.

The fourth-year coach sees a dogfight for the two state berths.

“It’s the first time that all four teams are pretty equal,” Tolzmann said. “I think we’re going to have a lot of fun games. We have pretty much our whole team back so it would probably give us an edge over the other teams.”

Sandpoint

Continue to call the 4A Bulldogs (6-20, 0-16) a work in progress. Sandpoint didn’t win a league game last year, but the Bulldogs broke through with a win over Lakeland in the Region I tournament.

“We’re still taking baby steps as a program,” fourth-year coach Derek Dickinson said. “I think we’re continuing right along that course. We lost three or four good players, but the kids we have back are going to be better.”

Sandpoint returns five starters. They are senior Amanda Rodriguez (outfield), juniors Nicole Adams (outfield) and Kim Guercio (shortstop) and sophomores Molly Givens (pitcher/second base) and Rachel Hammack (pitcher/third base).

“Molly is our No. 1 starter, but Rachel has really come on since last year,” Dickinson said. “She throws harder than Molly, but Molly has more control and added a couple more pitches to her arsenal.”

Dickinson likes the potential. He sees his team contending with defending regional champ Moscow and Lakeland.

“I like where we’re headed,” Dickinson said. “Defensively we’ll be better, and our pitchers will throw strikes and they should do enough to keep us in games. I don’t see why we can’t compete with (Moscow and Lakeland).”