(Guthrie Center, IA) — It was some ups and downs for ACGC softball in 2024 — the Chargers would win a few then lose a few and finished right at the .500 level — 13-13 overall and 8-12 in the tough West Central Conference.
The Number One issue facing ACGC is pitching — the Chargers lose Senior starter Emerson Van Meter who had a solid 2.68 ERA with 102 strikeouts. Head Coach Eric Van Meter had two other girls throw in the circle this year and hopes one of them steps up to be the ace that Emerson Van Meter was
Van Meter was happy with the team’s defense but needs to find a way to produce some more runs next year. The Chargers only hit .258 as a club and ranked last in the West Central Conference in runs scored with just 123. The three leading hitters are all graduating — Seniors Jenna Rowley (.338, 1 HR, 11 RBI), Reagan Carney (.377, 2, 25) and Mersadez Richter (.365, 0, 10) will leave a void at center field, shortstop and catcher respectively. Coach Van Meter hopes there will be a lot of batting practice for his returning players in the off-season
Three Juniors — Paige Van Meter, Jayla Hoover, and Belle Fagan — plus a large group of sophomores will be looking to lead ACGC in 2025 and Van Meter hopes they be able stay with the game despite their participation in other sports
ACGC had to deal with tough competition, most notably Van Meter the 2A state champions plus Earlham, Interstate 35 and Pleasantville who all finished ahead of the Chargers in the West Central Standings. The Chargers will look for improvement — especially with their hitting to contend next season.
