Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
The Huskies softball team graduated four seniors last year and, combined with turnover in the team, they are young but experienced and talented as they start a new season.
Returning players include Becky Spencer, the team’s only senior. She will play at first and third base. Paige Niemi, a junior, will play center field, and Lacey Mink, a junior, will play at second and shortstop.
Among those graduating were all-state pitcher Makenzie Marchbanks, honorable mention shortstop Michelle Cliver, catcher Sara Brocard and Olivia Lake.
Joining the team are freshman pitchers Bayli Riggs and Tasha Saunders.
“They’re very talented,” Coach Steve Hummer said. “It’s nice to have two pitchers that are very good.”
They’re young and inexperienced on the varsity field, but both have three to five years of American Softball Association traveling team experience.
Hummer plans to expand the team’s pitching options, he said. Two years from now, he plans to have five pitchers in the program.
“We’re building for the figure, and we need to have more than one,” Hummer said.
The team this year has six freshmen, Hummer said, but all of them played summer softball, about 50 games as eighth-graders against 16-and-up teams, giving them a lot of experience and confidence.
“It’s a great challenge for me as a coach and them as athletes, and we’re not going to break down,” Hummer said.
On the field, Spencer is a great leader, Hummer said. “If I was going to have one senior, I’m not sure I could’ve picked a better one than Becky.”
Spencer will play at first and third, Hummer said, and she also will need to be able to several things.
Riggs will fill in at first when she isn’t pitching. Saunders will play outfield. They will rotate as starting pitcher.
“I want them both pitching a lot,” Hummer said. “(In) two years, I want a stable.”
At short and second, “Lacey’s very fast,” Hummer said. Ideally, he would like to see her handle shortstop with junior Tiffanie Cuilla and freshman Ashley Cochran competing for second base and freshman Hailee Huenergardt filling in at short and third.
Freshman Shelbey Gillespie will play catcher.
The outfield will include Saunders while not pitching, Niemi, freshman Dakota Hesperg and sophomore Ryan McKendree.
The team has eight games scheduled in the first two weeks of the season, Hummer said, and that’ll be a time for figuring things out and making adjustments.
“When you’ve got nine new people, you’re finding yourself as a team,” Hummer said. “I’m looking to take these young girls and make them a team fast.”
Early on, the record won’t be so important, he said, but “we’ve set a goal to go to the state playoffs. We’ve set a goal to be in the top two. We’re going to be the underdog because no one thinks we’ve got anything in the trunk. We’re going to surprise some people.”
The Val-Co includes the state champion, Central, which graduated no one. Eight of them are juniors this year.
Newport finished third in league behind Central and Sweet Home and returns four or five starters with a solid JV team last year, Hummer said. Philomath was fairly young last year so will return with some experience.
Hummer will be assisted by coach Chris Hiaasen, who has coached at Santiam High School and Oakridge. She is a 1977 SHHS graduate and teaches English at the high school.
Melissa Klumph, a math teacher, and Pam Lafollet, an English teacher, are coaching the junior varsity program.
The new coaches succeed Doug DeMille and John Seiber.
The junior varsity team includes Mindy Smith, Kishya Davis, Jazmine Morris, Cortnie Cuilla, Julie Bosso, Erin Rose, Brianna Yost, Kayla Norman, Jenny Hamn, Dawnita Justham, Laura Gourley and Amanda Russell.