Despite returning much of its lineup, the Conneaut Spartans softball team enters the 2026 season with a focus on growth, confidence, and steady improvement.
The Spartans finished 4-14 overall last season and placed sixth in the Chagrin Valley Conference Lake Division. With seven starters and seven letterwinners returning, head coach Lexi Adams hopes the experience gained from last spring will translate into more competitive performances throughout the schedule.
“Although we have a lot of returning players, we are still a very inexperienced softball team,” Adams said. “We have a group of girls who have been working hard at their fundamentals, and we are hoping to put those together and compete in every game.”
Returning Core Provides Foundation
Several upperclassmen return to anchor the lineup, including junior shortstop Maddy Drew, who earned Honorable Mention All-CVC and second-team All-Ashtabula County honors last season. Drew hit .233 with a .377 on-base percentage, four triples, a home run, and six RBIs.
“Maddy is one of the leaders of our team this year,” Adams said. “The other girls look up to her as she loves the game and works hard to compete to get better every day. I enjoy coaching someone so passionate about the game.”
Junior Vina Sanford also returns after a strong start last season before a knee injury cut her year short. Sanford led the team offensively early in the season and finished with a .500 batting average and .565 on-base percentage.
“Vina can play multiple positions in our infield if we need,” Adams said. “She can play second base, or first base, along with third. Vina led our team offensively for the first half of our season last year, then we unfortunately lost her for the second half of the season due to a knee injury. We are looking forward to having Vina back healthy.”
Junior first baseman Chloe Boyle also brings experience after hitting .250 with eight RBIs last year while contributing in the pitching circle.
“Chloe has been working really hard to improve on her skills,” Adams said. “She has come a very long way since her freshman year, and I am so proud of her. She will be an important key piece in our offense this season.”
Youth Adds Energy to the Lineup
Conneaut will also rely on several underclassmen to step into key roles this spring.
Freshman catcher Lexie Colucci is expected to play a major role behind the plate.
“Lexie is a coach’s dream,” Adams said. “She is an extremely hard worker, she understands the game, she is a vocal leader, and she has great skills. I am really looking forward to Lexie being a part of our team this year.”
Freshman Aurianna Hunt is another newcomer expected to contribute offensively while also seeing time in the outfield.
“Auri is another freshman that we are looking forward to having on our team this year,” Adams said. “She has some travel softball experience, and we are looking forward to helping her grow. We are looking forward to having her in our lineup along with in the outfield.”
Sophomore Cassie Redding adds speed to the middle infield after posting a .233 batting average and .361 on-base percentage last season.
“Cassie has great speed,” Adams said. “We are hoping for her to become more confident in her decision making this year, both offensively and defensively, in which she can use that speed to her advantage.”
Speed and Leadership in the Outfield
The Spartans will feature an experienced outfield led by senior Avery O’Brien, junior Grace Todaro, and junior Rylee Mooney.
O’Brien’s leadership has been particularly valuable for the program.
“Avery is a great leader,” Adams said. “She is like the glue that keeps us together at times. Avery may not have the best overall stats on our team; however, she is the teammate every player wants to play with and be around.”
Mooney, last year’s Most Improved Player for the program, brings speed to center field.
“Rylee is so fun to coach every day,” Adams said. “She is always working hard to get better. She has come such a long way and improved so much at her skills. Rylee is one of our fastest players. We love having her speed in the outfield.”
Pitching Outlook
Conneaut will look to a pair of pitchers to lead the way in the circle.
Freshman Bella Young is expected to take on a significant role early in the season.
“Bella has been pitching since a very young age,” Adams said. “We are hoping she can help lead us in the circle this season.”
Boyle will also provide innings after continuing to develop her pitching skills.
“Chloe has worked very hard at her pitching skills and has come such a long way,” Adams said. “She is eager to get better and better each day, which we appreciate.”
Keys to Success
While experience returns across the roster, the Spartans know they must overcome depth challenges and a lack of year-round softball experience compared to some conference opponents.
“The biggest challenges we will face this spring are our depth and lack of softball experience,” Adams said. “We do not have a lot of players who play softball all year like others do in the conference.”
For Adams, building confidence will be one of the most important goals for the season.
“In order for us to be successful this season, our girls need to learn how to be confident on the field,” Adams said. “If they are confident in themselves, then good things can happen.”
The Spartans’ primary goal remains simple: compete in every game and build toward a stronger future.
“Our expectations for this season are to compete in each game,” Adams said. “We are hoping to win as many games as last season and add a few more to that total.”
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