The Charlotte Observer’s 2024 high school softball preview

Here is a preview for Charlotte-area high school softball for the 2024 season:

Teams to Watch

Butler: Almost all starters are back from a 14-7 team last season, and seven freshmen were regulars on that squad. Shortstop Cherie Carter (.557, 29 RBI) and catcher Ava Williams lead the offense, and pitcher Abi Sawyers also returns.

Cannon School: The N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association’s defending 4A champion lost some pieces from last year (notably, all-everything Brie Biddle), but the Cougars have pitcher Maddie Sturgill (138 strikeouts in 133 innings) returning. Joining her are catcher Kenzie Sturgill (.411) and outfielder Jolie Matthews (.440, 14 stolen bases).

Catawba Ridge: What do you do after a 25-3 season that ended with the 4A state championship? You reload and hope to repeat, behind South Carolina Player of the Year Sara Rocheleau, a junior outfielder, and pitcher Chloe Burger, who has 740 strikeouts in four years with the varsity. The Copperheads will need to be tough, however, to fend off York, led by third baseman A.K. Dover and catcher Avery Smith.

Charlotte Christian: The Knights were dethroned as NCISAA 4A champs last season by Cannon School, but coach Kevin Hinde’s team is powerful again. Anna Hinde (.509, 12 doubles, seven homers) and pitcher Morgan Banks (180 strikeouts in 135 innings) lead a very talented team without a senior on the roster.

The No. 1 junior softball player in America is going to the ACC. She’s from Charlotte

East Lincoln: The Mustangs went 25-3 last season and won the 3A state championship, and they have standout returnees in junior Taniyah Thomas (.520, 39 hits, 12 stolen bases) and seniors Tatum Marion (.494, 38 hits) and Madison Currence (.406). But they’ll miss the power hitting of Betsy Eatmon, who graduated after a 13-HR, 43-RBI season.

Hickory Ridge: The Ragin’ Bulls reached the state finals last season, and coach Justin Davis has plenty of returnees from that 27-4 team. Furman commit Kristyn Embler had a 1.52 earned run average on the mound and drove in 30 runs at the plate. Seniors Tori Kirkpatrick (.333) and Chloe Woodward (a defensive standout) also return.

Hough: Senior pitchers Morgan Flowe and Simone Mack are a combined 31-12 the last two years, and that is a big reason why the Huskies look like the favorite in the Queen City 3A-4A. And if that’s not enough, senior first baseman Madden McMahan-Waters owns several Hough career offensive records.

Marvin Ridge: 4A state semifinalists the past two years, the Mavericks might be able to take the next step this season. Senior infielder Anna McGowan (.477, 14 home runs last season) and junior outfielder Ella Tracy (.438, 13 home runs) lead the attack, and junior pitcher Anna Phifer will be on the mound for the third straight season. She was 18-5 a year ago.

Myers Park: Hannah Hubbard, the SoMeck 4A Pitcher of the Year last season, returns after going 10-3 with 184 strikeouts in 84 innings pitched as a junior. Nine players graduated off last year’s team, but Hubbard and senior Lara Howard (.447 batting average) anchor what should be another powerful team.

Union Academy: The defending 1A state champs have a huge hole to fill, after the graduation of pitcher and leading hitter Gracie Hollingsworth. But a pair of Wingate commits, senior center-fielder Riley Griffin (.612, 63 hits) and junior left-fielder Paisley Boatright (.523) should give the Cardinals enough to contend in a very tough Yadkin Valley 1A Conference.

Players to Watch

Kristyn Embler, junior, pitcher-shortstop, Hickory Ridge: Embler compiled a 1.52 ERA and hit .447 with 14 homers and 47 RBI.

Madden Glossner, sophomore, shortstop, Charlotte Catholic: She hit safely in 17 of 19 games last season, earning all-conference, all-district and all-state laurels.

Jordan “Jem” Grice, sophomore, pitcher-outfield, North Mecklenburg: Grice hit .553 last season, with 26 hits and 29 RBI.

Anna Hinde, junior, infield, Charlotte Christian: Some scouting services rank Hinde as the No. 1 player in the junior class nationally. She received 20 intentional walks last season.

Natalie Johnson, junior, catcher-third base, Independence: Johnson led the Patriots with a .469 batting average in 2023, totaling 11 doubles and seven home runs.

Anna McGowan, senior, first base, Marvin Ridge: She earned district Player of the Year honors in 2023, batting .477 and slamming 14 home runs.

Madden McMahan-Waters, senior, first base, Hough: A Gardner-Webb commit, she holds the career school records for hits (86), runs (88), home runs (11) and RBI (108).

Sara Rocheleau, junior, center field, Catawba Ridge: A Clemson commit who was named South Carolina’s Player of the Year last season, she hit .506 for a Copperhead team that won the 4A state title.

Sarah Terrell, senior, catcher, Lincoln Charter: A Longwood commit, she batted .643 last season and never struck out in 51 at-bats.

Abby Williams, junior, pitcher, Northwestern: As a pitcher, she struck out 107 in 95 innings and earned all-region honors. At the plate, she hit .389 and led the team in runs, doubles, triples and home runs.

Key newcomers

Payton Elwell, outfield-third base, sophomore, Hough.

Olivia Hartsell, outfield, grade 8, Providence Day.

Ali Hoefling, infield, freshman, Charlotte Catholic.

Alexa Hooks, pitcher, freshman, Concord.

Hadley Johnson, infield, grade 8, Buford.

Amariah Miles, outfield, freshman, Sun Valley.

Katie Rhyne, catcher-outfield, junior, Hickory Ridge.

Morgan Shane, catcher-utility, freshman, Jay M. Robinson.

Addison Studney, third base, junior, Marvin Ridge.

Jenna Volturno, pitcher, freshman, Ardrey Kell.

Olivia Wakem, shortstop-catcher, freshman, Providence.

Notes

▪ After five years at Providence that resulted in some deep playoff runs, head coach Don Mace has retired.

▪ Micah Kinnaird has the job of replacing Mace at Providence. The Panthers have seven regulars returning.

▪ Holy Trinity Middle School was unbeaten in softball last season. Several of those players are now freshmen on the Charlotte Catholic roster.

▪ The SoMeck 4A has a pair of very fast players. South Mecklenburg junior Tia Montgomery had 23 stolen bases last season, but Ardrey Kell junior Emersyn Presutty led the district with 11 triples in 2023.

▪ Elsewhere in the SoMeck 4A, Olympic alum Cierra Keelan has taken over the program and has launched a rebuild after the Trojans lost most of their players to Palisades High.

▪ Sydney Turner had a 0.83 ERA and was among the state’s private school leaders in strikeouts. But she pitches for Charlotte Latin and is overshadowed by fellow CISAA pitchers at Cannon School and Charlotte Christian.

▪ By the time Addison Crawford finishes her junior year at Central Academy, she could hold the school career records for every pitching and hitting category. She batted .492 last season.

▪ Longevity award: Kevin Baker is in his 14th season as coach at Forestview.

▪ North Iredell returned to the 3A playoffs last season after a nine-year drought. Coach David Riddle has several returnees, including senior Martha Parlier, who hit .403 in 2022 but missed most of last season with a knee injury.

▪ Playing in the Yadkin Valley 1A-2A is not for the faint of heart. Union Academy is defending 1A state champion, and South Stanly won the title the previous year. Mount Pleasant, a 2A power, has seven of nine starters returning.

▪ Queen’s Grant Charter keeps fielding 1A powerhouses. The Stallions are led by sophomore pitcher Addi Benton, who was 11-6 last season and had 13 extra-base hits.

▪ A newcomer in the 1A ranks: Corvian Community is fielding its first softball team this spring, under coach Stephanie Wicks.

▪ Alexandra Cunningham, a senior infielder, is back at Rock Hill after sitting out her junior year. She was an all-region pick in 2022.

Predicted finishes

Queen City 3A-4A: 1. Hough; 2. Mallard Creek; 3. North Mecklenburg; 4. Hopewell; 5. West Mecklenburg; 6. Chambers; 7. Harding; 8. West Charlotte.

SoMeck 4A: 1. Myers Park; 2. South Mecklenburg; 3. Ardrey Kell; 4. Palisades; 5. Olympic; 6. Berry Academy.

Southwestern 4A: 1. Butler; 2. Charlotte Catholic; 3. Independence; 4. Providence; 5. East Mecklenburg; 6. Rocky River; 7. Garinger.

CISAA: 1. Charlotte Christian; 2. Cannon School; 3. Covenant Day; 4. Charlotte Latin; 5. Providence Day; 6. Charlotte Country Day.

Greater Metro 4 4A: 1. Hickory Ridge; 2. Mooresville; 3. Lake Norman; 4. Cox Mill; 5. West Cabarrus; 6. South Iredell; 7. A.L. Brown.

Southern Carolina 4A: 1. Marvin Ridge; 2. Porter Ridge; 3. Weddington; 4. Cuthbertson; 5. Sun Valley.

Big South 3A: 1. Kings Mountain; 2. Crest; 3. Stuart Cramer; 4. Forestview; 5. South Point; 6. North Gaston; 7. Hunter Huss; 8. Ashbrook.

South Piedmont 3A: 1. West Rowan; 2. Central Cabarrus; 3. Jesse Carson; 4. East Rowan; 5. South Rowan; 6. Jay M. Robinson; 7. Northwest Cabarrus; 8. Lake Norman Charter; 9. Concord.

Western Foothills 3A: 1. East Lincoln; 2. Fred T. Foard; 3. North Iredell; 4. North Lincoln; 5. St. Stephens; 6. West Iredell; 7. Hickory; 8. Statesville.

Rocky River 2A-3A: 1. West Stanly; 2. Piedmont; 3. Central Academy; 4. Anson County; 5. Parkwood; 6. Forest Hills; 7. Monroe.

Catawba Valley 2A: 1. Bandys; 2. Maiden; 3. West Caldwell; 4. West Lincoln; 5. Newton-Conover; 6. East Burke; 7. Lincolnton; 8. Bunker Hill.

Catawba Shores 1A-2A: 1. Lincoln Charter; 2. Pine Lake Prep; 3. Mountain Island Charter; 4. Christ the King; 5. Bradford Prep; 6. Langtree Charter; 7. Corvian Community.

Southern Piedmont 1A-2A: 1. Cherryville; 2. Burns; 3. Highland Tech; 4. East Gaston; 5. Bessemer City; 6. Shelby; 7. Thomas Jefferson Academy.

Yadkin Valley 1A-2A: 1. South Stanly; 2. Union Academy; 3. Mount Pleasant; 4. North Stanly; 5. Gray Stone Day; 6. Albemarle.

Metro 1A: 1. Queen’s Grant Charter; 2. Piedmont Community Charter; 3. Sugar Creek Charter; 4. Carolina International.

Metrolina Athletic Conference: 1. Metrolina Christian; 2. Hickory Grove Christian; 3. Gaston Christian; 4. SouthLake Christian; 5. Concord Academy.

S.C. Region 3 5A: 1. Clover; 2. Nation Ford; 3. Blythewood; 4. Fort Mill; 5. Rock Hill; 6. Spring Valley.

S.C. Region 3 4A: 1. Catawba Ridge; 2. York; 3. Northwestern; 4. South Pointe; 5. Indian Land; 6. Lancaster.

S.C. Region 5 2A: 1. Chesterfield; 2. Buford; 3. Andrew Jackson; 4. Cheraw; 5. Central Pageland; 6. North Central.

Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle