Softball: Senior-heavy Dixon striving for banner year

DIXON – With eight out of nine starters returning from last season and a senior-heavy roster, the Dixon softball team hopes it can finally raise a banner in Lancaster Gym this season.

“Our motto this year is ‘On the board in ‘22,’” Dixon coach Candi Rogers said. “And the gym in the high school, all the banners up there, softball’s the only one that doesn’t have anything listed on there, so we want to get on that board this year.”

Six seniors return to the 10-player team to aid that cause this year, including three all-conference performers from last season.

Pitcher/infielder Sam Tourtillott, a first-team Big Northern Conference selection, is back, along with a pair of BNC honorable mentions in catcher/outfielder Arianne Smith and infielder Izzi McCommons.

Senior pitcher/infielder Elle Jarrett also returns from a two-year absence to bolster the senior-dominated group.

With Jarrett back in the mix, Rogers feels especially optimistic about the pitching staff this season.

“Our strength will be pitching this year,” she said. “We’ve got Elle Jarrett back. She’s been gone the last two years. She was on varsity her freshman year, then sophomore year COVID, and then last year she had an injury, but she’s back this year. So that’s going to be a huge help for us.”

Jarrett feels Dixon will have a well-rounded team this year.

“I feel like we’re going to be really strong defensively,” she said. “I also think we’re going to have really hot bats this year as well. And overall, I think we just look really solid all-around. I think we’ve really improved our hitting and just our ability to stick together no matter what happens.”

With all of their experience and team chemistry, the Duchesses hope to rebound from last year’s 8-3 loss to Rock Island in the Class 3A regional semifinal.

With it being the final season for 60% of the roster, the players are especially motivated to go out on a high note.

“Yeah, I mean, we’ve played together for more than four years. We’ve grown up together,” Tourtillott said. “And for this year, our senior year, it’s even more emotional. We want it more, so we’re working harder and we’re really working together.”

Having so many players who have played together before and played at the varsity level is a big deal for Dixon. The Duchesses hope their experience, leadership and chemistry will take them far this season.

“For us, it’s great. These seniors have brought the leadership that we haven’t had in the past,” Rogers said. “And they’ve really taken ownership. Just great leadership here.”

“It’s so helpful knowing almost every girl has a year of varsity experience,” Jarrett said. “And we just have such a good bond now that we’ve been playing with each other for a while.”

“That gives us a lot of trust in our players,” Tourtillott said. “In every single position we have trust in our players, so it helps us a lot.”

Looking at the schedule and examining the Big Northern Conference this year, Dixon is sure to have some tough opponents. The nonconference schedules includes Sterling, Rock Island, Yorkville, Rochelle and Princeton. In the BNC, North Boone looks like a tough adversary, as do Stillman Valley, Oregon and Rock Falls.

“We’ll have some good competition [in the BNC], they always give us a run, but I think we can really compete in it this year,” Tourtillott said. “We play Sterling. That’s always a good team, so that’ll be a good game. We’ll compete with them. And then our first game is Princeton, I heard they’re pretty good, but we’ll be ready to compete with anyone this year.”

“North Boone, Stillman and Oregon,” Rogers said. “They’re gonna be the tough ones.”

Jarrett says Dixon won’t overlook anyone this season.

“I think we’re going to treat every game like it’s our toughest game of the year, and we’re going to put everything into each game,” she said.

Dixon opens its season 11 a.m. Saturday at home against Princeton.