(Avoca) Only one senior is gone from AHSTW’s 2019 softball team which finished 4th in a competitive Western Iowa Conference.
AHSTW softball coach GG Harris sheds some light on how relieved he was when Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union okayed the season. “Definitely looking forward to it. When they gave us the go ahead that we were going to do stuff I was needing it, I was craving it, and I know the girls were too.”
The excitement is for good reason when you look at the Lady Vikes roster. “We return a lot from last year. We did lose Katie Anzalone who was a super experienced, athletic, and explosive player for us. We return a lot and what we are gaining in some underclassmen and some newcomers is just as exciting. It’s going to make us even more competitive in practice which always turns into becoming more competitive during the season in games.”
The talented roster includes 2-3 varsity caliber pitchers. Nothing is written in ink in terms of the lineup. “When you take 10-12 weeks off you aren’t sure who is going to show up and what you’ll have. Everyone that has shown up has had a great attitude and our effort has been really, really good. We are excited to start solidifying things next week.”
As underclassmen last year, Kailey Jones and Ally Meyers each saw at least 50 innings in the circle. Both posted a 3.31 ERA. Some of the top hitters statistically from a year ago were Jones, Paige Osweiler, Myers, and Natalie Hagadon.
Goals are high. “These girls want to win, they want to compete, and they want to do something special. I know myself and coach (Jill) Vanderhoof are going to do whatever we can to give these girls the opportunity to compete at a high level and achieve those goals.”
The Lady Vikes will play eight conference games and two non-conference games this year. The season starts June 15th at Treynor. They’ll also play Riverside and Treynor in the first week along with a Saturday tournament at Martensdale-St. Marys.
