By Staff
INMAN – Due to injuries, the 2022 Inman softball team suffered a winless season while playing games with very low numbers, but with that brings experience and that is the hope for 2023 as the Lady Teutons look toward returnees and staying healthy as the keys to having success.
Bre Ryan begins season number six as the head of the program and due to numbers it has not always been easy including an overall mark of 6-49 which includes the 0-19 mark for 2022.
“We had several unfortunate injuries that caused us to have really low numbers,” explained coach Ryan. “We faced a lot of hardships and adversity due to those challenges. But overall, we looked to take away several positives from that which we can use to help build a more competitive team in 2023.”
Assisted by Jalaynna Leonhardt, coach Ryan will need to replace two graduates, Lexi Milne who was the heart of the infield in 2022 and Emily Markley the teams most solid defender in the outfield.
As coach Ryan noted, “Both Lexi (Milne) and Emily (Markley) provided senior leadership that was great for our many underclassmen, we hope they took in enough of it to replicate this season.”
Not all is lost though as the Lady Teutons welcome back eight players with starting experience, these include seniors outfielders/utility players Joee Hurley and Alyssa Johnson along with pitcher/first baseman Emma Brown. Also coming back will be five juniors in Savannah Smith (catcher/third base), Kambrey Woods (infielder), and outfielders Lexi Hase, Bailey Breding, and Olivia Bradley.
The coaches smile when they discuss the solid group of incoming freshmen who will be bringing a lot of energy, enthusiasm, and experience to the field. Both Aoife Turcotte and Macy Frank should see some time in the circle pitching while Cora Johnson, Chesney Black, Kenna Woods, and Allison Schrag will look to work their way into positions around the infield.
Coach Ryan finished up her reflections on the upcoming 2023 season by saying, “Everyone is anxious to see how we will stack up this year. I think we have a lot of strengths which we will be able to build on throughout the season. We will still be pretty young in terms of experience, and with our new facilities being built, we will travel for every game. That may be one of the mental challenges we will have to overcome since we won’t be able to play in front of true home crowd this season.”
The Inman school district has torn down and in the process of rebuilding the softball complex, which means all home games will be played at the opponents field.
Tuesday, March 28 is when the Lady Teutons debut their 2023 season with a road trip to Sterling while their first ‘home’ doubleheader will be Friday, March 31 against cross-county rival Moundridge in Moundridge.
(The Staff covering events for the MAC AREA SPORTS NEW can be reached by email at crossdovewriter@gmail.com)