By Chris Parker
Marionville softball is chasing its first winning season since winning a district championship in 2015. This year’s version of the Lady Comets will find leadership from every corner of the roster.
“Going into this season, I am optimistic about leadership roles. A lot of people look at leadership as far as seniority. However that is not the case for me, I am looking for individuals that show up and put in the work not only on the field but also off the field,” Marionville head coach Hailey Hudlow said. “Two individuals who have already shown leadership characteristics are sophomores Bailey Hosbach, pitcher, and Katlin Carr, catcher. Rarely have they missed a single off-season workout, and they work hard on and off the field. I have a handful of seniors in Bre Schapeler, Hunter Forester, Madison Essary, Lanie Williams I am looking at to bring leadership to the table. I look for them to be positive role models for the younger players, as well as stepping in wherever they are needed for their team. There are also freshmen that will contribute to the leadership for the softball team, Maggie Murphy and Brooklyn Holder definitely have what it takes to add leadership to our program.”
Hosbach will do most of the pitching, but Holder will also be able to take some innings at pitcher. Hosbach was an honorable mention all-conference selection last year.
“Bailey Hosbach will see a lot of time in the circle. She spends a lot of time in off-season working out at school as well as at home and with her travel ball team. Last year, she was my only varsity level pitcher and she did a great job filling that position. When things got tough she gritted her teeth and did her absolute best to perform to the best of her ability,” Hudlow said. “Thankfully this year freshman Brooklyn Holder will see time in the circle as well, and it will be awesome to see her perform and be able to share that time with Bailey. I see them working well together to add a competitive edge and throw well throughout the season.”
Carr returns behind the plate at catcher after earning first-team all-conference honors last year. She led the team in batting average (.449), on-base percentage (.526) and runs scored (15). Murphy will also see time at catcher.
“Katlin Carr will catch a significant amount of games. She has a high softball IQ and knows how to work batters alongside her pitchers. Katlin caught every varsity competition last season and was recognized at the conference and district level in many different categories,” Hudlow said. “Freshman Maggie Murphy also catches, in which she will see some time behind the dish. This will provide an opportunity for Katlin to have a break. I look at her to do well behind the plate as well.”
CLICK HERE FOR LINKS TO ALL OF THE SPRING SPORTS PREVIEWS
There will be a lot of familiar faces on the infield with many players returning.
“As far as projected lineups infield and outfield, luckily we have the majority of our lineup from last year returning. The infield players I suspect to see in the lineup are seniors Hunter Forester (3rd base), Bre Schapeler (2nd base), and Lanie Williams (infield and outfield). Junior Olivia Hopkins will cover up first base for us a good majority of the time. Sophomores Katlin Carr (catcher/utility), Bailey Hosbach (pitcher/ outfield). Freshman Brooklyn Holder, Maggie Murphy, and Anna Bright will also see time on the field,” Hudlow said. “In the outfield senior Madison Essary will be a key player, and sophomore Kierstan Smith has been working hard in the off-season. Freshman Anna Bright, Brooklyn Holder, and Maggie Murphy could also see time in the grass as well. Other individuals that have the opportunity to see time in the dirt and in the outfield are Jacy Leech, Tori Ebright, Tiara Carey, Lexi Brayfield, Brooke Carey, Audrey Venable, Hannah Oczkus, Lexy Gaines, and Kalsee Garoutte. Hard work goes a long w
ay, and at any given time I look for any player to be able to step in and be able to play wherever it is they are needed for the best interest of the team.”
Forester earned second-team all-conference honors last season. She hit .444 with 11 RBI and 14 runs scored. Hopkins, Essary and Schapeler all earned honorable mention all-conference honors. Hopkins hit .327 with a .389 on-base percentage and a team-high 14 RBI. Essary posted an OPS of .719 last season. Schapeler scored nine runs and had a .302 on-base percentage in 2021.
“As a team, I would say we have a pretty solid leadership group, as well as the flexibility to move people around as needed,” Hudlow said. “I see us having more depth in all positions this year, and we can utilize them when needed. Last year we had several athletes that received honors at the conference, district and state level. I believe that our team chemistry is going to be stronger and better than it has in the past.”
Marionville opens the season on Mar. 18 at Crane.
“Overall, I want to see us be highly competitive on the diamond, going as far as possible into the district competition,” Hudlow said. “I would like to see us winning more ball games than we have in the past. Not just be more successful overall as a team, but I would like to see more individuals gain honors at varying levels. Overall just being a more cohesive team in many different ways.”
