Detroit News top softball teams: 'Determined' Warren Regina ready to defend Division 1 title
Apr. 16—David Goricki of The Detroit News breaks down the top 10 high school softball teams in Metro Detroit.
Warren — Diane Laffey was making her way behind the center-field fence at Warren Regina's softball complex to turn on the power for the scoreboard prior to her team's season-opening doubleheader against Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard on Tuesday.
Laffey couldn't wait to get the season underway.
After all, Laffey was getting ready for her 50th year as Regina's head coach last year when COVID-19 ended the season before it even began.
Regina was set to use the momentum from its previous season that ended with the Division 1 state championship following a thrilling 3-2 win over Howell in eight innings at Michigan State University's Secchia Stadium.
Laffey is a legendary figure in high school softball, entering the season with a state record 1,212 wins while going 7-0 in state title game appearances.
So, how difficult was it to not have a season last year?
"It was awful to not be able to play last year," Laffey said. "Knowing we had a lot of good kids coming back, I felt so bad for those seniors last year that they didn't get a chance to play their senior year."
How great was it to get back on the field again?
"The irony of it is the first base umpire (Joel Petrie) in the first game (of Tuesday's doubleheader) was our third base umpire in the state final," Laffey said. "I said to him before the game, 'Do you remember the last time I saw you?' He said, 'Yes, in Lansing. I remember.' It really did bring back memories.
"This group right now is just so glad to be out on the field and able to play. These kids who are back, these girls are very determined this year. As far as they are concerned, we're still the defending champs because there wasn't one last year, so we have to prove our point that we can still battle everybody. They've worked very, very hard."
Laffey points out that Regina — The News' No. 1 team in the Metro Detroit area — returns several players who were a part of that state championship team. That includes Mia Konyvka, who was the starting first baseman as a sophomore, hit over .400 and went 1-for-2 in the title game.
Konyvka (George Mason) showed she will be a big impact player for Regina, tossing a 1-0 shutout in the opener Tuesday and working out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh by striking out the final two batters to end the game. She then hit a grand slam in the second game, a 6-0 win.
Junior Abby Hornberger was the starting shortstop two years ago and went 1-for-2 in a 4-0 semifinal win over Bay City Western. She is being recruited by Ivy League schools.
Junior first baseman and pitcher Adriana James had the game-winning single in the state title game. She pitched the shutout in the second game against Gabriel Richard Tuesday.
Junior center fielder Jenna Holt was also a key player in the state tournament run, going from first to third on a sacrifice bunt and eventually scoring the winning run in the championship game.
Senior Megan Maiuri was the backup catcher two years ago and is now taking over the top spot to work with Konyvka and James.
2. Howell
Howell knows what it takes to make it to Michigan State to compete for the state championship, losing to KLAA rival Hartland in the 2018 semifinals and to Regina in 2019 final.
Howell arguably has the top player in the state in senior pitcher and first baseman Avrey Wolverton, who will play at Furman next year.
Howell hit 62 homers in 2019 — the second most in state history to New Baltimore Anchor Bay, which hit 63 the same season — and Wolverton was a big reason why. She hit .470 her sophomore year with 17 homers and 60 RBIs, while going 8-1 with a 1.40 ERA as a pitcher.
Wolverton is now the ace of the staff, going 3-0 this season while allowing just one run. That includes a perfect game in a win over Livonia Stevenson where she struck out 19 of the 21 batters she faced.
Howell also returns senior shortstop Maddie Springer (Central Michigan), who hit .452 her sophomore year.
"We have seniors who have experience and Final Fours are all they know," said coach Ron Pezzoni, who added he expects a big season from sophomore third baseman Natalie Savage.
"We have a dominant pitcher and we're athletic, so our expectations at Howell is to be finishing again in East Lansing."
3. Hartland
Hartland has an outstanding one-two punch on the mound in senior left-hander Rachel Everett (South Alabama) and sophomore right-hander Kylie Swierkos.
Everett (49-8 career record, 380 strikeouts in 352 2/3 innings) throws in the low 60s and has great control, while Swierkos has great poise and is not afraid to get batters off the plate.
Shortstop Delaney Robeson (Kent State) and outfielder Kelsey Zampa (Duke) will anchor Hartland's lineup.
Zampa, who has an outstanding arm and was 4-for-8 in a season-opening sweep of Northville, hit .453 her sophomore year with six homers, 53 hits, 61 runs scored and 39 RBIs.
4. New Baltimore Anchor Bay
Anchor Bay slugged its way to the MAC Red championship in 2019, hitting a state record 63 home runs.
Coach Mike Downey has four seniors in Dani Keighley, Taylor Wolfe, Amanda Schick and Genevieve Decker.
Keighley plays first base and hit .480 her sophomore year. Wolfe is an excellent center fielder, hitting .450 in 2019, and will play at Western Michigan next year.
Decker is a middle infielder who hit .390 and Schick is a catcher who hit 11 homers her sophomore year.
Downey expects big things from junior pitcher Allison Vogt, who throws 60 mph and has great control.
5. Macomb Dakota
Former Detroit Mercy assistant coach Dan Vitale takes over at Dakota.
Vitale feels he has a lot of talent to work with, led by the combination of sophomore pitcher Megan Nuechterlein and junior catcher Briana Bumbalough.
Bumbalough is a Western Michigan commit who hits with power and is strong and fast. Nuechterlein throws hard, hits her spots well and has great poise on the mound.
Vitale is thrilled with Dakota's leadership, led by senior outfielders Madison Neuner, Alina Bugenski and Carly Sierzenga, and expects big things out of junior shortstop Angela Petrovitch, left-handed slap hitter who is getting interest from Central Michigan and Bowling Green.
6. Farmington Hills Mercy
Mercy showcases an outstanding trio of infielders in Northwestern-bound shortstop Grace Nieto, second baseman Maggie Murphy (Miami of Ohio) and Kendall Spivey.
Nieto is a great leader who has great range and a strong arm at shortstop. Murphy makes all the plays at second and hits with power, posting a .584 batting average with 12 home runs her sophomore year. Spivey is a great fielder who hits with power from both sides of the plate.
Corey Burras is in his first year as head coach at Mercy and will send a pair of freshmen to the mound in Asia Barbato and Sophia Paluk.
7. Richmond
Howard Stuart is in his 42nd year as head coach and is thrilled to be back. His Richmond team last won the Division 2 state championship in 2016 and lost in the state title game the following year.
Stuart ranks No. 9 in career wins in state history (1,043), including a 27-4 record in 2019.
Richmond will be anchored by senior shortstop and pitcher Shea VanScoter, who throws 65 mph and was the starting pitcher her sophomore year. She also showed some pop at the plate, hitting .426 with eight homers and 56 RBIs as a freshman in 2018. VanScoter will play at Goshen College next year.
Other key contributors include sophomore shortstop and pitcher Piper Clark, junior center fielder Lauren Creon, who has great range and a great arm; and junior middle infielder and catcher Olivia Theut.
"Shea VanScoter has great speed and has great movement on the ball," Stuart said. "Piper Clark has worked hard, now throwing close to 60 (mph) and has good range and a strong arm at shortstop. She works well with our pitching coach who is her mother, Nikki (Caperton) Clark who played for me and then at Wayne State."
8. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep
Notre Dame Prep is off to a 5-1 start, features a hard-hitting lineup and has a one-two punch on the mound in freshman Ani Wachowiak and sophomore Ryann Simmonds.
Jordan Smith, a junior catcher and Central Michigan commit, anchors the lineup. She's already hit five homers with 16 RBIs and has a .500-plus batting average in the first six games.
Senior shortstop Elena Schwegman has also gotten off to a great start, going 5-for-5 and hitting for the cycle with two home runs in a 19-6 win over Bloomfield Hills. She also went 4-for-6 with two homers and a double in a doubleheader sweep of Flint Powers. Schwegman has four homers on the season.
Senior center fielder Ella Easterwood and junior first baseman Alina Stanczak are other key contributors.
9. Trenton
Rick Tanguay took over as head coach at Trenton last season and replaced John Biedenbach (1,050 wins, No. 8 in state history), who had guided the program since 1975.
Tanguay didn't get a chance to get on the field in his first season and is excited with his team's 4-1 start with junior catcher Lillian Vallimont, a transfer from Allen Park Cabrini, leading the way.
Vallimont, who hit .557 with 11 home runs and 49 RBIs during her freshman year, has already hit two homers this season to match the team lead with junior third baseman Sophia Castillo and sophomore outfielder Gracie Rickman, who is hitting .600.
Junior Alia Johnson is the ace of the staff and other key contributors include senior third baseman Olivia Raymond (.611 batting average), freshman infielder London Williams (.714), junior Olivia Hickman and senior Kayla Everingham.
Trenton has a new softball field that it will debut Thursday in a showdown with defending Downriver League champion Allen Park.
10. Allen Park Cabrini
Debbie Norman was looking forward to seeing what her team could accomplish last season after building it for a potential run to MSU, only to find out it would never happen due to the pandemic.
Then, standout catcher Lillian Vallimont transferred to Trenton.
Norman — who guided Cabrini to a state record 80 consecutive wins from 2006-08, including consecutive state titles in 2006 and 2007 and a national record for fewest runs in a season (one in 2007) — still has talent to work with in infielder/outfielder Wyndhem Reid (Bowling Green) and senior pitcher Mackenzie Noah (Taylor University).
Norman, who enters her 22nd year, will move junior Samantha Graf from the outfield to catcher. She also expects big contributions from junior outfielder Ella Nowc and freshman infielder Brianna Manning.
Others to watch
Allen Park, Canton, Clarkston, Novi, Plymouth, Saline, South Lyon.
