2025 softball preview: 4th-year starters Makenna Ondrey, Mya Zavada ready to lead Streator

A large senior class headed by a pair of four-year varsity starters and a few sophomores who contributed as freshmen make up the bulk of the 2025 Streator softball roster.

There are proven top-end pitchers, proven clutch hitters, proven speedy threats on the base-paths and proven fielders.

So what will be the Bulldogs' biggest strength this spring?

“I think it’s still to be determined,” fifth-year Bulldogs coach Louis Ondrey said. “I can say I’ve seen a lot of good things at practice, in the cage and on the field, and right when I think this is going to be our strong suit, something else jumps out.”

Having quality pieces across all facets of the game will be a good place to start for a team looking to snap a streak of three consecutive losing seasons, including last spring’s 10-20 record. It’s the longest such stretch in the history of what over the past five decades has been Streator’s winningest sports program.

Led by four-year starters OF/UT Mya Zavada and P/UT Makenna Ondrey, Streator is scheduled to open the season March 20 at home against Marquette for what it hopes is its first above-.500 campaign since Coach Ondrey’s first season at the helm.

“Our goal this year is going to be to get to the regional championship, to get there and to be successful,” Coach Ondrey said. “The last few years we’ve been third, fourth in the conference. We want to get higher.

“To get to our goals we’re going to have to come together as a team. We have to be there for each other through the ins and outs. There’s going to be highs, and there’s going to be lows. We just have to have each other’s back.”

Zavada will be in center field and Makenna Ondrey in the circle – relieved at times by sophomore Caitlin Talty – for the majority of the Bulldogs' efforts in reaching those goals.

Zavada is coming off a Times All-Area honorable mention season after hitting .320 with 31 runs scored, four home runs and 24 RBIs. Makenna Ondrey, the Bulldogs' ace, carried a 3.56 ERA with 193 strikeouts over 139⅔ innings pitched, also batted a team-high .330 with three homers and 25 RBIs on her way to Times All-Area first-team accolades.

“I am expecting a little bit more out of her this year,” Coach Ondrey said of his daughter. “The first couple years when she pitched she had a lot of nerves, but I think over time that’s been worked out.

“Mya has a big bat and really controls the outfield, but this year I think we’re going to need her to play everywhere at some point. She’s going to see some time at third, at short, in center field. She’s an all-around athlete.”

Other seniors include returning contributors from last season OF/2B Alexcia Middleton, 1B/C Joyce Walkling and 3B/OF Lyla Gengler as well as other seniors such as OF Addison Mumm, hard-hitting 1B/OF Madison Wahl and OF Zoe Alderson. OF Isabel Gutierrez is the lone junior.

“We’ve got a big senior class coming out this year, which is great to see,” Coach Ondrey said. “A few of them are coming back to softball, and we obviously start with Mya and Makenna, our four-year varsity players. Hopefully the seniors can lead the team to a few victories.”

As mentioned at the start, the sophomore class will be vital, even with IF/P Ava Glisson and OF Natalie Smith out because of injuries. SS/P Talty and C/OF Morgan Kostal both developed into cornerstones last spring, with fellow sophomore OF Kyleigh Essman joining varsity.

Freshmen – namely UT Katherine Pierce, 2B/OF Kieran Black and OF/C Alexis Thomas – round out the roster.