2023-24 Bureau Valley softball preview: Dave Shepard takes over Storm coach

MANLIUS - There’s a new, but familiar face in charge of the Bureau Valley Storm softball team this spring.

Dave Shepard, who has been involved in the program on and off for several years, last year serving as JV assistant, has taken over as head coach. He takes over for Greg Sayler, who stepped away to be able to watch his daughter, Tyra, a former Storm pitcher, play her sophomore season at Sauk Valley College.

“Someone asked me the other day how long I’d been coaching softball and I had to laugh,” Shepard said. “I started coaching girls softball 31 years ago when Sam (his daughter) was basically a year old. Jack Gustafson and Buzz Gustafson said we (Wyanet) need a coach for C League girls and I got the job whether I liked it or not.”

Shepard, who helped start the former Bureau County Blaze travel softball team with former Princeton coach Bob James and has also coached BV baseball, one year as varsity coach, is looking forward to the next chapter of his coaching career.

“I’m really looking to enjoy my first year as varsity coach with a great group of athletes,” he said. “Looking forward to a great year where hopefully we are competitive in every game and hopefully make a great postseason run.”

Shepard inherits a Storm squad 15-strong, featuring four seniors, six juniors, four sophomores and one freshman.

Senior Carly Reglin (8-3, 4.77) and Madison Smith (6-11, 3.72) give the Storm a strong 1-2 punch as pitchers. Reglin will also play second and Smith in center field when they aren’t pitching.

Junior Lesleigh Maynard, an all-BCR first team pick, a slap-hitting leadoff hitter, who led all area players with a .576 average and 18 steals, returns for her third year at shortstop.

Senior Olivia Eckberg returns at first base and Kate Stoller and Emma Stabler are back in the outfield and sophomore Emily Wright at catcher/third.

The Storm welcome two new players in transfer students Sadie Bailey, a junior pitcher/first baseman from Lowpoint-Washburn, and Kadyn Haage, a sophomore catcher/third baseman from Somonauk.

Rounding out the Storm squad are senior Josie Edlefson (OF), juniors Leigha Johnson (OF) and Emma Stull (1B), sophomores Abby Jamison (OF) and Paige Ledergerber (OF) and freshman Mallory Maubach-Williams (P-IF).

“Our pitching should be top of the line and we’ve got two really good catchers who can handle the pitching,” Shepard said. “The question is always, ‘Are they going to hit?’ I would like to score three to five runs a game and hold them under two. It’s not like you’ve got to go out ad score a 100 runs. We need probably five to be where we should be.”

The Storm will open the season at Princeville on Wednesday, making their home debut Saturday against Putnam County.

“I told the girls the first 10 days is about them and coming together as a team. Don’t worry about the rest of it,” Shepard said. “Find that common ground where you’re going to have each other’s backs and you’re going to take care of business and finding out what works and (the coaches) finding out what works.”

There are 25 girls in the program with Jim Nugent coaching the F/S squad and Abby Shipp assisting in the varsity dugout.