Despite returning just two starters, Cardinal’s softball team has reason to be optimistic heading into the 2024 season.
The Huskies return eight letter winners from last season, and their offseason work has them poised to improve upon their 5-10 record from last spring.
“Heading into the 2024 season, our outlook for the season based on what we have returning and what we’ve seen out of our newcomers early in the preseason is overall positive,” said Cardinal coach Haley Adams. “The team has been working extremely hard in the month of February and as we get all of our winter athletes back and healthy, we are super excited as a coaching staff to get things underway. We have a lot of young ladies that are competitive and driven and they want to continue to mold the Cardinal softball program to be better.”
One of Cardinal’s biggest challenges this spring will be keeping its young lineup healthy.
Already, many athletes are nursing injuries from their winter sports season, and with limited depth, the Huskies need their lineup intact.
“The biggest challenge our team faces this spring is trying to stay healthy,” Adams said. “We had some athletes that competed in the winter and are rehabbing to come back healthier. Our numbers have grown significantly, but we need to warm up and stretch well, and recover well after practices and games. It is difficult to avoid the injury and illness bug, but our coaching staff has done a great job of making sure those athletes that had injuries early this season that they recovered slowly and correctly with our athletic trainer, Mitch.”
Sophomore Maggie Grant carried the Huskies last season as a freshman.
As a pitcher, she recorded 70 strikeouts in league play and hit .365 with 21 runs scored and a team-high five doubles with three home runs on the way to earning All-Chagrin Valley Conference honorable mention honors.
“Maggie carried a very large load last year as a freshman,” Adams said. “She recorded a 3.65 ERA, and we are expecting those numbers to come down significantly. At the plate, she recorded a team-high .365 average with 21 runs scored and a team-high three home runs.”
Sophomore Dakota Gillispie and freshman Natalie Soltis also will see time in the circle.
Gillispie threw 10 1/3 innings last spring, notching 11 strikeouts. She also knocked in five runs at the plate.
“We are looking to bring Dakota in for a closer position and pick up some saves,” Adams said. “Natalie is a freshman whom we are hoping to get some innings under her belt so that she is ready to go by her junior and senior seasons. We are looking at adding some JV games so that she can get experience under her belt, but she has been working hard at practices and has been very receptive as an athlete.”
Seniors Alaina Rupinski and Morgan Soltis are back at first base and in left field, respectively, and Adams will lean on them to provide leadership to the younger players as well as produce consistently each game.
“Every coach on our staff this year believes that ‘Rip’ will have a breakout season. She struggled at the plate last season, but her confidence has reached a new level. We are very excited to see how Alaina will respond to being a senior leader this spring. A player that usually will lead by example more than being a vocal leader, Alaina has grown the most within the last several weeks of preseason,” Adams said. “Morgan had one of the hottest bats last season and we hope that continues this season. She hit just under .300 last year and recorded her first home run of her career. She is a senior who is leading by example, but also vocally. She is somebody who is always asking questions on how to improve her game.”
The rest of Cardinal’s projected starting lineup will be filled by freshmen.
Adelyn Grant will catch.
“Adelyn is a player full of toughness and grit, and that’s all the coaching staff can ask for from a catcher,” Adams said. “Being Maggie’s younger sister, she is always keeping her laughing and having her play light, but we’ve also seen the two girls pull the most and best out of each other and they aren’t afraid to get on each other. Adelyn is also confident at the plate and has put in a lot of work throughout the last several years to be ready for varsity.”
Emily Pleva will play second, Natalie Soltis is the shortstop, and Olivia Krebs rounds out the infield at third base.
“Emily is one of our quicker girls on the team. She has a quick transition on the field at second base as well. One of the hardest workers on the team, she will put in extra hours at home as well. Many of our athletes have that quality this year, but Pleva provides a leadership role on the field just by her play,” Adams said. “Natalie is another fearless freshman. She can play shortstop and pitch some innings for us as well. Her toughness prevailed on the basketball court this winter, and we are excited to see the connection that Emily and Natalie establish while at second base and shortstop. One of Krebs’ best characteristics is that she is fearless. Every drill, practice, scrimmage, game that we have, she goes at it at 100 percent. Her competitive mindset becomes very visible at the plate as well. Every swing is a hard swing, and the results are visible.”
Ivy Kaminsky will patrol center field and Laney Schamberg will play right.
“Ivy is one of the fastest girls on the team and covers a lot of ground in the outfield,” Adams said. “We are looking at Ivy to become a little bit more vocal and take charge in that centerfield position, vocally, but also physically with hits that fall in between girls. Laney’s speed in the outfield proves that she can track any ball hit to her. With some speed in the bottom half of the lineup, we are hoping that it will help turn the lineup back to the top of our order with some power hitters.”
Freshman Nova Young will provide depth.
“Nova has shown great grit and determination thus far,” Adams said. “She fought hard to get a starting position on the field, and we are extremely pleased as a coaching staff from her. She is always ready to compete when the coaches ask her to, and she does exactly what is asked of her.”
While the Huskies are young and have limited experience, Adams is confident her players will put in the work and focus on the fundamentals in leading the team to a successful season this spring.
“Our team’s strength this year is their competitive drive and just their willingness to want to get better day in and day out,” Adams said. “It’s been fun to watch the girls compete against each other in practices and scrimmages knowing it will make the team and the future of the program better. Our coaching staff looks at these practices and scrimmages and understands that any team that Cardinal competes against, we will be competitive.”
Adams hopes the additions to her coaching staff—Dave Krebs and Martha Barcikowski—will help the Huskies as they set out to win their first conference game since the 2018 season.
“They have been a great addition,” Adams said. “Dave is very passionate about the game and is very intelligent about the game of softball. Martha has been very patient with some of our younger girls and taught them the fundamentals of the game. Our coaching staff has been dedicating countless hours of fundraising, renovations, and more to the softball program and we are excited and proud to show everything off this season. Even in a small town like Middlefield, we want teams and other people to know that Cardinal softball is on the rise.”
