After winning an historic state championship in what is essentially its own backyard, Turners Falls High School is ready to defend its Franklin County League softball title as well as its Western Massachusetts and state crowns.
The Indians have a few starters to replace, but talent and depth have been the hallmarks of the Turners program for decades and this year shouldn’t be much different. Having the best returning pitcher and catcher in the FCL doesn’t hurt, either.
Beyond that, things could get awfully interesting.
Frontier Regional School is usually the first team mentioned as a potential challenger for the crown, but the Red Hawks lost eight seniors from a season ago and may experience rebuilding pains.
That could open the door for three teams to ascend – Athol, Greenfield and Mohawk Trail Regional high schools. All three qualified for the postseason last year and have proven veteran pitchers.
Pioneer Valley Regional School, which just missed qualifying but played several teams tough, is another team to keep an eye on.
Hopkins Academy could surprise, with several returning starters, while Mahar Regional School has a new coach and will try to replace four graduated seniors.
Most teams start the league season on April 19, although Turners Falls heads to Mahar on April 15 for the FCL opener.
Here’s a closer look at the league, in the order of last year’s finish:
Turners Falls (24-1)
Indians head coach Gary Mullins has experienced his share of turnover through the years. Now in his 37th season, the Hall-of-Fame mentor faces more questions than usual despite graduating only three regulars.
Thankfully for him, none of those questions involve his up-the-middle defense, which is usually top notch.
Senior Mackenzie Phillips, who’s headed to WPI in the fall and is coming off a phenomenal 2015 season, returns as one of the valley’s best hurlers. She’ll also benefit from her batterymate, junior catcher Gabby Arzuaga, who has become a solid backstop and key hitter in the Indians’ power-packed lineup.
Turners hasn’t lacked for talent in the middle infield, and second baseman Jenna Putala and shortstop Jordan Meattey are arguably the best duo in Division III.
Putala, who has recovered from a pair of serious knee injuries to become arguably the best player in the program’s history, will continue her career when she heads to Wesleyan in the fall. Meattey, meanwhile, was recently cleared to play after her second serious knee injury in as many seasons.
Hailey Whipple – whose critcial fifth-inning double turned into one of the biggest and most important hits in Turners’ storied postseason history – returns to start in center field for her senior season.
After that, as Mullins surmised, anything is possible with the corner infield and outfield spots.
One of the possibilities at either corner infield spot is senior Jessica Loynd, one of Phillips’ backups in the circle. Juniors Melissa Hersey and Jordyn Fiske – both of whom started or saw time in the outfield – are also first-base candidates, as are sophomore Lexi Lacey and promising eighth-grader Aly Murphy, who could get work at all four infield positions, with a focus on the corners.
“She’s definitely getting a varsity uniform,” Mullins said of Murphy, who will become the fourth second-generation player on the squad. “She swings the bat fairly well for a young kid and attacks the ball. She had a ton of swings this winter, and she’s impressed me an awful lot.”
Another youngster who could force Mullins’ hand is freshman Cassidhe Wozniak, who can play three infield positions, including third.
“She’s a good athlete,” offered Mullins. “She has speed and is very talented.”
Mullins added that sophomore Abby Loynd could get some innings at either catcher, third base and outfield.
Another valuable utility player is junior Nicole Thibeault, who filled in capably for a then-injured Putala at second base early last season. She’s also another option at catcher.
Junior Maddy Johnson – who earned some spot starts last season – and sophomore Sienna Dillensneider are in the mix for outfield innings.
Phillips’ backup is sophomore Peyton Emery. “She had a real solid JV season,” said Mullins. “She has a real sneaky fastball, and a ball that moves a ton.”
Although there are still plenty of questions, Mullins is pretty confident he’s wll on his way to answering the pressing questions.
“It looks like we’re closing the doors on positions,” said Mullins “I think we have a pretty competitive practice situation.”
Frontier (16-4)
The Red Hawks will have to replace eight players from last year’s squad, which advanced to the WMass semifinals.
Now, the only major issue for fourth-year head coach Carrie Fydenkevez is deciding on a starting pitcher. She has three capable prospects to fill that void – sophomores Lauren McDonald and Emma Wesoloski, and freshman Lauren Davenport.
Fydenkevez said she’s not looking at them for any other position at the moment, although she didn’t rule out the possibility.
Regardless of who earns the starting spot, they’ll be throwing to experienced senior catcher Mindy Esposito.
Fydenkevez appears to have nailed down a starting infield. Junior shortstop Sarah Meunier is the only returning veteran, while senior Mariah Morris is the likely option at first and sophomore Lexa Boyden – who saw innings at first last season – will get the nod at third. Junior Hannah LaClaire, a varsity newcomer, will start at second base.
Senior Hannah Adams and sophomore McKenzie Patterson return to center and left field, while the right field job is still up for grabs between junior Alexis Ackerman and sophomore Kelsey Jarvis.
Jarvis, who will also back up Esposito, “has a pretty good bat. She’s a good all-around athlete,” said Fydenkevez.
Another player who could force her way into the lineup is freshman Ava Harper, a corner infield who’s also a good hitter, according to Fydenkevez.
Depth is definitely an issue, but Fydenkevez won’t be afraid to reach down to the junior varsity for players.
“We recognize hard work and getting better,” she said. “If you’re working harder and playing better, you’re coming up.”
Frontier’s offense may struggle early but don’t expect Fydenkevez to lower her team’s expectations.
“It all depends on the bats,” she said. “This has to be the youngest team I’ve ever coached, but there’s a different attitude, they’re workhorses. They’ll get out of it whatever they put in. We’ve been able to make postseason every year and I expect them to do what every other Frontier team has done: win.”
Athol (14-7)
The Red Raiders must replace five starters and a head coach, but the players will be familiar with their new mentor – Sharon Chauvette moves up after coaching the junior varsity squad for the past four seasons.
Chauvette has already coached a numbers of the players, so putting together a starting lineup has been easier than anticipated.
Her transition should go more smoothly with both parts of the battery returning. Jessica Soucie is back in the circle and Hope Parker returns behind the plate. Both are juniors.
Athol should be strong up the middle with senior shortstop Kayla Robideau and junior second baseman Abby Leadbetter both back. They’ll be joined at the outset by seniors Ana Ricko at first base and Shelby Roussel at third.
The outfield is still a work in progress, but junior Julia Carey is back to play left field. From there she’ll choose from juniors Legacy Brooks (a Mahar transfer), Brie Geise, Destiny Ricko and Hannah Arsenault and sophomore Amber Mahony.
Brooks, Geise, Destiny Ricko and senior Vanessa Baptista are all working in middle-infield spots as well as outfield, and Arsenault is Soucie’s backup as well as another option at first. Senior newcomer Callie Jillson will fill a utility role.
Chauvette is pleased with the roster flexibility.
“One thing I asked of them is be willing to play more than one position,” said Chauvette. “I personally think as long as we don’t get down on ourselves, if we can compete in our first four games (Monson, Southwick, Gardner and Turners), we’ll be fine.”
Greenfield (10-9)
Green Wave coach Rian Lovett graduated only lost three players and returns a strong core from last year’s WMass tournament-qualifying team, which ascended to fourth in the FCL standings.
Now in her fourth season, Lovett has a veteran group and only needs to fill a few spots in the starting lineup. With a number of athletic kids battling for those spots, she can be assured of a solid starting nine no matter who’s playing.
Lovett is also in the enviable position of having depth at both pitcher and catcher. She’ll start the season with sophomore righthander Kirsten Ward in the circle and senior Leah Wallner behind the plate, but she also has freshman righty Olivia Joy waiting in the wings and new sophomore Lizzy Howland as the main backup to Wallner.
If Lovett opts to get Joy some varsity innings, Ward can hit for her. Also, she can give Wallner a rest and play her at first base or designated hitter to get Howland some innings.
Lovett has a mix of veterans and youth in the starting infield. Seniors Amber Avery and Kelsey Roberts are back at first base and shortstop, while freshmen Samantha Smith and Audrey Bresciano are Lovett’s choice to open at second and third. Joy is also a potential option at second.
Freshman Raegan Hickey will start in center field, and she’ll likely be joined by Howland and junior Molley Duclos.
Junior utility player Grace Kennedy is expected to get innings in the outfield, while freshmen Nicole Miner and Morghan Blanchard are other infield options.
“I see a different drive this year,” said Lovett. “Making the tournament really showed them how well we can play and how good they are. We want to make the tournament and go further, and having almost the entire starting nine back is huge. … Hitting is going to be our main focus. We need to work on confidence at the plate.”
Mohawk (11-11)
The Warriors managed to post a 10-win season and qualify for WMass, then won a postseason game before falling in the quarterfinals. Now that the numbers and overall interest have increased, third-year head coach Katy Williams isn’t taking anything for granted – nor should her players.
Williams was adamant that everybody needs to earn their starting spots, and that several players could be moved around to give the Warriors their strongest possible lineup.
A primarily young roster is led by three seniors: Samantha Cairns, Briana Benz and Hope Lively. Cairns is one of the options at catcher and possibly the outfield, while Benz and Lively are likely to play somewhere in the infield.
Williams also has four juniors who could make a major impact. One of them is pitcher Emily Page, who has progressed immensely, according to Williams. Hayley Lowell can play virtually anywhere in the infield or outfield, Rebecca Scranton is an outfield candidate and Olivia Dubrule will see the bulk of her time in the infield.
The only other returning player is sophomore Lydia Donahue, who started most every game last year. However, Williams was noncommittal on who would open as the starter.
Despite having several candidates for the remaining varsity spots, Williams mentioned only three who could likely spend the majority of the year on varsity – sophomore Mikayla Bompastore (infield/catcher), and freshmen Caitlin Johnston (catcher) and Ashley Reynolds (infield/outfield).
“I think this team is going to go just as far (as last year),” said Williams. “We did lose some great bats but I can see us getting there again with some work. We have great potential. They’re putting the effort in and it’s showing.
“We have great leadership. The seniors have been awesome filling the roles that I need as leaders,” added Williams. We just need to work on batting and trying to get some more consistency at the plate.”
Pioneer (8-12)
Graduation only claimed one player from the Panther roster, but two other players elected not to come back. Add in a key injury that will create more questions, and head coach Joel Cole will be searching for a consistent lineup until the team gets healthy.
Junior center fielder Jessica Scoville, one of eight returning players, is recovering from shoulder surgery and isn’t expected back until early May, meaning she’ll probably miss the first eight games (based on the current schedule, and if there no postponements).
Cole has a nice dilemma this season. Sophomore lefthander Kailee Gibson returns to the circle after making great strides throughout the 2015 season. This year she has competition from junior Lizzie Fuller.
When asked if Gibson remains the starter, Cole simply said, “It’s her job to lose.”
“The way we ended up last year with Kailee was very positive,” he added. “It’s nice to have Lizzie pushing her, and they work well together.”
The rest of the infield consists of juniors – Shelby Avery returns at catcher, Brianna Jobst will open at first base, Samantha Belhumeur takes over full-time at second, Logan Anderson is the mainstay at shortstop and Amelia Marchand will occupy third base.
In Scoville’s absence, Cole will move Sophia Peduzzi-Nelson to center field and Alexus Vergobbe – who returns after missing all of 2015 due to knee surgery – will play left. Freshman Olivia Rowe will be the primary right fielder, but Cole said that Fuller may see some innings there as well. Junior Jillian Gadreault is the only other varsity player.
“We’re going to roll with 11 and hope injuries don’t come into play. Hopefully Jess returns and the kids can pitch well. … I think we have the ability to play with anybody. Iit’s whether we want to show up and execute. It’s that simple.”
Hopkins (3-15)
Paula Cristoforo takes over as the Golden Hawks’ head coach and she inherits a squad that lost three players to graduation but returns most of its starters.
Sophomore pitcher Erin Turdyn is back after pitching sparingly as a freshman, and she’ll receive the signals from junior catcher Kelsey Cristoforo.
All four infielders started most of the innings a year ago – seniors Caroline Judge (first base), Emily Young (second base) and Bridget Lashway (shortstop) and junior Sandra Noonan, who missed part of the season with a knee injury.
Senior Caroline Cristoforo will start in left field, sophomore Margaret Michalak – Tudryn’s backup – will likely open as the center fielder, and the right field job is shaping up as battle between Lauren Sieracki and Ella O’Brien, both of whom are juniors.
Coach Cristoforo will carry four more players who saw some time on varsity last season. She said that juniors Greta Kurtz (first base) and Taylor Robbins (third base) will both see time. Sammy Setler will back up second base and Sarah Scagliarini is the first outfielder off the bench.
Coach Cristoforo will also benefit from two quality assistants – Moe Madzunovic, a 2003 New England USSSA Softball Hall of Fame inductee, and former Amherst Regional standout Emma Mendoker, who played for East Carolina and UMass in college. She’s hoping that their presence and knowledge will help Hopkins move closer to a postseason berth but acknowledged that it won’t happen overnight.
“I would really like to be there but I want to be realistic and take it step by step,” the rookie coach said. “I want to increase the positivity and get the girls to be as enthusiastic as I was about the game. I want to take small step and progress from there.”
Mahar (3-17)
The Senators also have a new head coach in former Athol muti-sport athlete Gerry Duguay, who is focused on building the program into a respectable foe.
Duguay is working with a group of 10 players and will likely add to that by the season opener. It’s still a young team overall, with only two seniors: Alex Temple and Alexis McClure. Temple is expected to start in either left or center field, while McClure will see the bulk of her time between second base and outfield.
Starting pitcher Kacy Ninteau is one of three returning juniors, along with infielder Hannah Britt and infielder/catcher Joslyn O’Brien.
Ninteau’s backup is sophomore Sophia Smith, who is primarily a middle infielder. The only other 10th-grader on the current roster is Hannah Paul, who may start at first or play the outfield.
Duguay, who coached the junior varsity for the past two seasons, will have one eye on the future as he plans to carry at least three freshmen on the opening-day roster – Lani DeDiego (catcher), Sarah Graeff (third base/shortstop) and Jordan Berry (outfield). All three could earn starting spots.
Duguay – who’s evaluating at least four more players to potentially add to the varsity roster – is hoping to create a positive atmosphere while fielding a competitive league team.
“I want the girls to enjoy themselves,” he said. “We have new uniforms, the attitude is great and I’m looking forward to it. My goals are to be competitive, get better every day and play seven innings each game. I want to create a good culture, have fun every time out and try to get some wins. I’m pumped up about it.”