Softball preview: A look at the seasons ahead for Seneca, Sandwich, Fieldcrest and our Little Ten teams

Here is a team-by-team 2025 season preview for softball teams across The Times coverage area.

Editor’s note: Team previews for Ottawa, Streator, Marquette and Woodland/Flanagan-Cornell have already run in previous print editions and online at https://www.shawlocal.com/illinois-valley.

Seneca

Coach: Brian Holman (5th season)

Last season’s record: 33-4 (16-0 Tri-County champions)

Top returning players: Aurora Weber, RF, so.; Graysen Provance, LF, so.; Audry McNabb, CF, sr.; Alyssa Zellers, SS, sr.; Emma Mino, 2B, so.; Hayden Pfeifer, P/UT, so.; Kaylee Klinker, UT/PR, so.; Lexie Buis, C, jr.; Camryn Stecken, 1B, jr.; Tessa Krull, P, jr.

Top newcomers: Madison DeGrush, jr.; Kyra Wood, jr.

Worth noting: Conference and regional championships captured by last year’s Fighting Irish could be just the appetizer for this group despite the loss of a couple key components from that ballclub. Holman expects the 10 returning varsity players to man the starting lineup, led by all-conference/Times All-Area performers like Stecken (.436, nine HR, 38 RBI), Buis (.427, 36 RBI), Zellers (.369, 29 RBI), McNabb (.414, six HR, 32 RBI) and especially all-state pitcher Krull (25-3, 1.30 ERA, 267 K), a third-year varsity ace. “It’s hard to hide that we bring back a lot of talent from a team that advanced as far as any softball team in school history,” Holman said. “With that being said, we hope to start where we left off last season. Our biggest hurdle will be continuing to try to get better at the details and not to get comfortable with our talent.” A challenging schedule filled with state-ranked teams and the always tough top half of the Tri-County Conference opens Tuesday at home against Normal U-High.

Newark

Coach: Jon Wood (second season)

Last season’s record: 25-5 (9-1 Little Ten co-champions)

Top returning players: Dottie Wood, P/2B, sr.; Sadie Pottinger, C/UT, jr.; Kate Bromeland, 1B, sr.; Gwen Friestad, 3B, sr.; Adelaide Johnson, UT, so.

Top newcomers: Bailey Shutter, IF, so.; Cayla Pottinger, P/2B, fr.; Jade Mitchell, C/UT, fr.; Brooklyn Wallin, C/SS, fr.; Rylie Carlson, OF, fr.

Worth noting: The Norsemen lost three absolutely dominating seniors to Pomp and Circumstance, but still return some top-end talent for 2025 led by Wood (.445 batting average, 1.26 ERA last spring). It will take hard work to get a younger roster up to speed, but that’s exactly what coach Wood is seeing. “This is a very hard-working, dedicated team. We are multidimensional, possessing speed and power. In a word these kids are ‘relentless.’ We are a young team [and] will need to work on knowledge of the game and build confidence throughout the season, as well as developing softball IQ and situational play.” Still, he expects his Norsemen to be a very competitive team.

Earlville

Coaches: Shannon Cook & Sarah Johnson

Last season’s record: 3-10 (1-8 Little Ten)

Top returning players: Bailey Miller, C, jr.; Shelby Garbacz, 1B, jr.; Addie Scherer, P, so.; Mya Ramey, UT, jr.; Rylee Hill, UT, so.; Kiley Franzese, UT, so.; Sam Knauf, OF, so.

Top newcomers: Riley Kelly, P, fr.; Hailey Mathesius, UT, fr.; Savannah Majestic, UT, fr.; Audrey Scherer, C, fr.

Worth noting: There are no seniors listed on this spring’s Red Raiders roster. That said, there are quite a few players with varsity experience under their belts led by All-LTC performer Scherer – an area-best .591 batter least season with nine home runs who also carried a 3.80 ERA over 66 1/3 innings pitched – and three-year starters Miller and Garbacz. “All of the returning players have had a lot of varsity experience,” Cook said. “We will have experienced pitchers and catchers. We have no seniors on our team, so we will have to rely on our freshmen to play important roles and adapt to varsity games quickly. We hope to be competitive in our games and have more wins than last year.”

Somonauk/Leland

Coach: Hannah Bazan (fourth season)

Last season’s record: 7-14 (6-4 Little Ten)

Top returning players: Brooke Bahrey, SS/P, so.; Ady Werner, 3B, so.; Kennedy Barshinger, C/OF, so.; Kammy Ambler, 1B, jr.; Kaydence Eade, P/1B, so.; Kayla Anderson, 2B/SS, jr.

Top newcomers: Brooklyn Eads, OF/SS, fr.; Kira Barnes, C/3B, fr.; Ashley McCoy, C/SS, fr.

Worth noting: Last spring’s inexperienced freshmen and sophomores are this year’s field-tested sophomores and juniors on a Bobcats roster that is still young, but extremely versatile. “We have lots of girls who can/are willing to play multiple positions for the betterment of our team,” Bazan said. “Some girls are very comfortable playing other positions, and we will see a lot of movement this season. We’ve also got a lot of strong hitters, and we’d love to see that confidence out at the plate more.” Developing pitching and competing with the Little Ten’s top teams are additional goals for Somonauk/Leland. Ambler and Anderson are back for their third years as varsity starters.

Serena

Coach: Kelly Baker (19th season)

Last season’s record: 16-6 (7-2 Little Ten co-champions)

Top returning players: RayElle Brennan, C/3B, sr.; Maddie Glade, P/1B, sr.; Hannah McNelis, 2B/OF, sr.; Jenna Setchell, SS/P, sr.; Lanee Cole, 2B, sr.; Cassie Walsh, P,UT, jr.; Brynley Glade, OF/C, so.

Top newcomers: Maddie Young, OF, so.; Finley Jobst, 2B/OF, so.; Anna Hjerpe, UT, so.; Finley Brodbeck, 3B/C, so.; Emily Hoffman, OF, so.

Worth noting: A conference, regional and sectional champion last season, Serena looks loaded again for 2025 led by the likes of all-stater Brennan (.423, seven HR, 38 RBI), Brynley Glade (.384, 15 RBI), Cole (.319, 31 RBI), Setchell (.309, 21 RBI) and ace in the circle Maddie Glade (13-7 with a 3.38 ERA and 131 K). “I am excited to work with this group of girls that I’ve had the pleasure of coaching since they started our middle school program as sixth-graders,” Baker said. “They know the game inside and out and do an excellent job of picking each other up. They are hungry to go farther than super[sectional]s this season. A lot of the girls stated they want to have a state run for their team goal. They know they can get there.” An appearance in Peoria come early June is most certainly not out of the question.

Fieldcrest

Coach: Liz Kay (11th season)

Last season’s record: 2-19 (2-8 Heart of Illinois)

Top returning players: TeriLynn Timmerman, SS, so.; Jess Schultz, IF, sr.; Julia Ehrnthaller, OF/P, sr.

Worth noting: The Knights will be young – exceedingly so with only five upperclassmen on the roster. “Our strengths would be our willingness to step up and fulfill roles needed for the team,” Kay said. “We have positive team chemistry and great leadership.” Timmerman had a phenomenal rookie season, batting .500 and earning second-team All-HOIC accolades.

Sandwich

Coach: Mattie McGuire (10th season)

Last season’s record: 12-13 (6-8 Kishwaukee River)

Top returning players: Brooklyn Marks, SS/P, sr.; Aubrey Cyr, p/UT, sr.; Hannah Decker, OF, sr.; Kayden Cornelis, C/SS, jr.

Top newcomers: Kaylee Johnson, OF, sr.; Jillian Freemon, 3B/P, so.; Audryna Brain, OF, jr.; Paige Danner, P/CF, jr.; Makenzie Hemmingsen, 1B/P, jr.

Worth noting: A drop in overall program numbers has Sandwich fielding no JV team this year, and while McGuire recognizes the challenges that will present she also seems optimistic about the ballplayers she does have out in Orange and Black. “We are looking forward to playing our conference schedule again for some rematches and can’t wait to see what our pitching staff and lineup does and hoping this be the year that we finally break out of the habit of making it to the regional championship game but never winning it,” she said. The roster has some proven performers such as Marks (119 Ks last season, All-KRC), Cyr, Decker and Cornelis (All-KRC). Overall experience and team leadership both look to be strengths.