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Aurora Christian
Coach: Tonia Logan
Last year’s record: 5-10
Top returning players: Anna Beaumont, so., Madi Kossakowski, jr.
Top new players: Jada Vizcaya, fr., C/SS, Vaila Johnson, fr., P/1B
Worth noting: Logan, who has been playing and coaching the sport for a quarter-century, said the Eagles, who have no seniors, will be a fresh, young team willing to put in the work to win. “I love building a team and a community through softball,” she said. “We are looking to improve our record from last year. It will be fun to watch all our girls grow this season.”
– Daily Herald
Aurora Central Catholic
Coach: Mark Pasqualini (fifth season)
Last year’s record: 23-6, 10-2, Girls Catholic Athletic White champion
Top returning players: Kate Gambro, sr., RHP/OF, Sophia Delgado, sr., C/IF, Ashley Moore, sr., 1B/OF, Corina Miller, jr., RHP/2B, Charlotte Brummel, sr., LHP/1B, Morgan Vaghy, jr., IF
Top new players: Grace Grunloh, jr., UTL, Abby Gambro, so., OF, Aly Salazar, so., C
Worth noting: The Chargers are shooting for the program’s first back-to-back 20-win seasons and have the firepower to work toward that goal with seven players already with college plans in Brummel (North Central College, 5-2, 60 Ks, 45 IP, .356 batting average last season), Kate Gambro (Benedictine, .424, six HRs, 33 RBIs, 38 runs, 7-1, 60 Ks, 50 IP), Moore (Waubonsee Community College, .371, 28 RBIs, 33 runs), Addi McCarty (Bethel), Jessica Pleckham (Trinity University), Maddy Torrance (Waubonsee) and Miller (Illinois College, 11-3, 3.14 ERA, 102 Ks, 102 IP). Vaghy (.356, 4 HRs, 22 RBIs, 22 runs) and Grunloh also are getting college looks. Delgado hit .453 with 43 hits, 14 doubles and 30 RBIs. Kate Gambro, Miller (second team) and Delgado (third team) were All-State selections last spring. “Overall experience should be our biggest strength,” Pasqualini said. “We’ve only had two seniors graduate since 2022. We return 11 players from last year and all have contributed significantly since they started at ACC.” The Chargers return their entire pitching staff for the third year in a row. “While we do not have the huge 65-plus-mph arm, we do have three pitchers who have logged well over 100 innings each on the varsity and have earned the trust of their teammates,” Pasqualini said. Kate Gambro had a breakout 2024 season after working back from wrist surgery. Grunloh, a star on the ACC girls basketball team, can be just as good on the diamond, said Pasqualini, who calls Grunloh the team’s most versatile player. Grunloh is able to catch and play shortstop and center field. Pasqualini said St. Francis, IC Catholic Prep and Chicago De La Salle are teams to keep an eye on in the GCAC White. “We should be near the top,” he said.
Batavia
Coach: Torry Pryor
Last year’s record: 5-25, 1-13 DuKane Conference
Top returning players: Gwen Shouse, sr., SS; Grace Sartain, sr., 3B/2B; Amira Mendoza, jr., C/OF; Teagan Sullivan, jr., C/OF; Mackenzie Krauch, jr., OF/P; Lexi Coonrod, so., P/IF
Top new players: Grace Deppe, sr., OF; Claire Fennel sr., OF; Emma Hirschauer, sr., C/IF; Ellie Swanson, jr., IF
Worth noting: Batavia is looking to improve on its second straight five-win season after returning a solid core from last year. Expected to lead the charge for the Bulldogs again on offense is Shouse, a North Central College commit who earned all-conference honors last season.
Burlington Central
Coach: Bill Morrow
Last year’s record: 15-19, 7-11 Fox Valley Conference
Top returning players: Allie Botkin, sr., OF/P; Addisyn Petersen, sr., P; Oliva Sutton, sr., C; Nina Garcia, sr., 1B; Izzy Reed, jr., P; Mei Shirokawa, so., C/SS
Top new players: Gwyn Falk, so., 2B/OF; Madison Butler, fr., OF/UTL
Worth noting: The Rockets showed significant improvement last season, going from nine wins to 15 under Morrow in his first year. It was the program’s most wins since going 18-5 in 2018. Burlington Central last won a regional championship in 2016. Reed was a Kane County Chronicle All-Area honorable mention selection and named to the All-FVC team. She posted a 3.13 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 76 innings. “Depth in pitching will be key to our successes,” Morrow said. “We will spend hours working on defense and minimizing compound errors.”
– Alex Kantecki
Geneva
Coach: Annie Plackett
Last year’s record: 5-23, 1-13 DuKane Conference
Top returning players: Kat Cerwin, sr., 3B; Kaitlyn Sprague, sr., SS/OF; Maddie Parsons, jr., OF; Megan O’Connor, jr., IF
Top new players: Clara Lyons, fr., C; Jillian Bultmann, fr., IF/OF; Madison Gates, so., P; Summer Ayersman, fr., P
Worth noting: Geneva lost a lot of players to graduation and will be looking to rebuild with the help of Cerwin and Sprague, who batted at the top of the Vikings' order last season. Despite the youth, Plackett said she has a positive outlook on the season and is hoping to improve on last season’s record.
Kaneland
Coach: Mike Kuefler
Last year’s record: 11-14, 6-4 Interstate 8
Top returning players: Brynn Woods, jr., P/1B; Natalie Naab, jr., C/3B; Ellie Peck, jr., P/2B; Angelina Campise, sr., SS; Graycin Slou, sr., OF; Gianna Cellini, sr., UTL
Top new players: Maddie Anderson, jr., OF; Lillyana Crawford, fr., C/UTL; Addison Coulter, fr., P/1B/3B; Makayla Jonutz, fr., P/3B/UTL; Ansley Ruh, so., C/1B/OF; Riley Cooper, so., P/UTL
Worth noting: Kaneland won a regional title for the ninth straight season last year and will be looking to extend the streak to 10 in a row. The Knights will be led by Woods, who was named to the Class 3A All-State third team last season, in the circle. Campise, Slou and Cellini will lead a relatively young Knights team on offense.
St. Charles East
Coach: Jarod Gutesha
Last year’s record: 21-13, 8-6 DuKane Conference
Top returning players: Eden Corcoran, sr., UTL; Lexi Majkszak, jr., P/OF; Alyse Price, sr., IF; Holly Smith, sr., UTL; Hayden Sujack, jr., C; Makayla Van Dinther, jr., P/OF; Addison Wolf, sr., IF
Top new players: Morgan Beers, so., P/OF; Kyli Dunn, sr., P/UTL; Taylor Grendzinski, jr., UTL; Caleigh Higgins, so., 3B/1B; Alyssa Powers, jr., UTL; Alicia Beltrame, so., P/UTL; Ari Bigda, so., UTL; Leighton Colley, so., UTL/C; Mia Scialo, sr., OF
Worth noting: After making it to the sectional championship game last season, St. Charles East is hoping a quality nonconference slate will help it improve on its fourth-place finish in the conference last season. The Saints return key bats in All-Stater Sujack (South Carolina commit) and Wolf (Maryville commit) and have plenty of pitching depth to help replace the hole left by Grace Hautzinger in the circle. Gutesha hopes that will be the recipe for success in helping the Saints to their first sectional title since 2019. “Look for us to compete at a high level again as we return offensive threats and have plenty of newcomers that will also be impactful at the plate,” Gutesha said.
St. Charles North
Coach: Tom Poulin
Last year’s record: 26-6, 9-5 DuKane Conference, Class 4A state champion
Top returning players: Paige Murray, sr., P; Mack Patterson, sr., OF; Addie Umlauf, sr., 2B/OF; Ivy Gleason, senior, OF; Anna Lamb, senior, INF; Lauren Seyller, sr., P; Allison Francesconi, sr., P; Ginger Ritter, jr., SS; Abby Zawadzki, jr., 1B/P; Julianna Kouba, so., 3B; Ella Heimbuch, so., C/SS/OF; Faith Maleski, so., UTL
Top new players: Carrigan Rich, jr., P/OF; Miranda Quigley, jr., C/OF; Macey Larson, jr., INF; Jordyn McBride, so., UTL; Brooke Hauser, so., OF; Autumn Busleta, fr., P
Worth noting: Fresh off its second Class 4A state championship in three seasons, St. Charles North looks primed to make another deep postseason run in 2025. The North Stars return seven of their 11 starters from the state title game with All-Staters Murray and Patterson (Loyola commit) headlining the returnees. The North Stars enter the season as the top-ranked team in Class 4A, according to the Illinois Coaches Association. “We are looking to continue the tradition of using the regular season to prepare us to be playing our best softball when the tournament arrives,” Poulin said. “If we have growth individually and develop as true teammates during the season, we will be competitive when it matters most.”
St. Francis
Coach: Ralph Remus
Last year’s record: 17-7-1, 7-4-1 Girls Catholic Athletic Conference
Top returning players: Lauren Kennedy, jr., SS, Maggie Stewart, sr., 1B/P, Hannah Grivetti, so., OF, Lilly Konen, jr., 2B, Mackenzie Murlick, so., C/IF
Top new player: Alyssa Freeman, fr., P/IF
Worth noting: Kennedy has committed to Louisville, which plays in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Spartans have seven starters back from a Class 3A regional title team a year ago. “We should have a solid offense and a very solid defense that will allow us to compete very well in the conference and all season,” Remus said. Remus said the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference should be well-balanced.
– Daily Herald