This spring, Wickliffe moves from the Chagrin Valley Conference’s Chagrin Division into the Valley Division and it’s only fitting that several Blue Devils also shuffle from one position to another.
“We are returning five varsity starters this year but our returners are finding new roles,” Wickliffe coach Marlana Mucciarone said. “Whether it is starting at a new position, moving to a new spot in the lineup, or even becoming more of a team leader, just like every year, I hold my team to high expectations. Every year it is a new group of girls and new team dynamic. Regardless, they are expected to work hard, be dedicated, resilient, patient and focused. This will lead to constant improvement throughout the season and if this happens, then in my eyes we had a successful season.”
Senior Gianna Ranallo started in left field last year. She’s bouncing over to center. Junior Hannah Levon played first base but will be the team’s starting pitcher this spring. Sophomore Mia Welms started in right field last year but moves into the starting spot behind the dish this spring and junior Olivia Clark moves from the outfield to second base.
“We lost four very talented varsity starters to graduation last year–pitcher, catcher, second and center,” Mucciarone said. “So we are looking to rearrange the puzzle pieces to find the combination that fits best for us. We have a lot of young talent and versatility, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to do.”
Senior Olivia Wills returns at third base and junior Caitlyn Henderson is back at shortstop providing the Blue Devils with some stability in the infield.
Junior Amy Apgar and sophomore Danielle Wood will play utility roles for the Blue Devils and sophomore Lily Ross will play first and catch. The Blue Devils also added talented freshmen Bryanna Butler, Haylee Timothy and Gigi Kron.
“All of these girls are versatile and can play multiple positions, which makes them valuable assets to our team,” Mucciarone said. “They will see time in the infield and outfield throughout the season, but offensive productivity will be a major key in who wins a starting spot in the lineup.”
The Blue Devils finished 14-8 overall last season and 12-2 in the Chagrin Division.
Success in the Valley Division will begin with Levon’s ability to find success in the circle. She was 5-1 with a 1.69 earned run average and 46 strikeouts in 29 innings pitched last spring. She’ll also be counted on to produce at the plate.
“In the last two years she has been in the top two for hits, batting average, RBIs, and extra base hits,” Mucciarone said. “I expect she will continue this trend the next two seasons.”
Ranallo also figures to be one of Wickliffe’s top run producers as she batted .407 last spring with six doubles, a triple and one home run with 18 RBI.
“She is extremely versatile and can play any position,” Mucciarone said of Ranallo. “Over the last several seasons, she has played an important role in the outfield and will be our starting center fielder this year. She is very quick and can cover a lot of ground, not to mention she can track down fly balls effortlessly. At bat, she will be towards the top of the lineup as she was very productive at the plate last year.”
When it comes to offense, the Blue Devils have plenty of versatility.
“Everyone not only works on swinging away, but everyone can also lay down a bunt from either side of the plate,” Mucciarone said. “This gives us the opportunity to utilize our speed and play small ball to move runners and put pressure on the defense.”
Defensively, Wickliffe will rely on its versatility to plug the holes left by graduation.
“Our biggest weakness right now is inexperience,” Mucciarone said. “We have a young team. The girls don’t have a lot of time playing with each other, and some don’t have lot of situational game experience. The only way to overcome this is by playing as much as possible and learning from both our successes and failures throughout the season.”
The good news is the Blue Devils have the work ethic and drive to succeed.
In each of the past four seasons, Wickliffe has received an academic award from the Ohio High School Fastpitch Coaches’ Association. Last year, the Blue Devils posted a team GPA of 4.084, good for fourth highest in the state.
“Academics and athletics are often directly correlated,” Mucciarone said. “Hard work, dedication and success in the classroom lead to hard work, dedication, and success on the field. I truly feel this is one of the main reasons why we have had a successful program in the last several years.”
