IHSAA Softball: Where Bloomington-area teams stand heading into sectionals
Note: Stats and story compiled through Thursday, May 19.
Bloomington North
The Cougars are riding some momentum going into the postseason.
North (9-11) won its last two games of the regular season — both away from home, and both against teams with winning records in Owen Valley and North Daviess. The Cougars also won four of their last five games.
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However, North suffered a setback in the penultimate week of the regular season. Freshman Kendyl Feutz suffered an elbow injury in the Cougars' win over Southport that will prevent her from pitching in the postseason. Feutz narrowly led the team in innings pitched in the regular season over senior Caitlyn Boteler.
Feutz is unable to throw because of the injury, but she'll be able to hit. She'll serve as North's designated player in sectional games. The Cougars have a bye to the semifinals, when they'll face either Columbus North (18-3) or East Central (16-11).
The Cougars will now have to rely on Boteler in the circle in sectional play. She's not a pitcher by trade — she's heading to Purdue softball in the fall as a corner infielder. Freshman Molly Klein is also an option. She pitched 25 innings this season, and she's turned in back to back solid performances on the mound since Feutz' injury. Klein is likely to get the start in the sectional game with Boteler in relief.
If either pitcher struggles, the Cougars' offense will have a lot of work to do.
North's hitting has been its strong point this season. Junior catcher Natalie Burns owns a 1.567 OPS with 39 RBIs and a program single-season record 11 home runs. And Boteler, junior shortstop Ella Piercy, senior second baseman Paris Stuffle, and junior first baseman Alyssa Frye all have an OPS above 1.100 — a strong benchmark.
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The offense has been inconsistent, at times, particularly against strong competition. If North is to succeed in sectional play at home, its hitters will have to step up against tough competition.
When the Cougars are on their game, their offense is dangerous. But it will come down to how tough the opposing pitching is, and how much ground they have to make up from their own pitching.
Bloomington South
The Panthers, ranked No. 15 in the Softball Coaches Association of Indiana 4A rankings on May 16, have the most well-rounded team among the four Bloomington-area schools. And South (17-4) sports, perhaps, the best hitter and the best pitchers in the area.
Senior center fielder Jessica Young set a school single-season record with 10 home runs, posted a whopping 1.735 OPS, hit 10 doubles and one triple, drove in 43 runs, and scored 31. The Western Michigan commit been exceptional at the plate this season, and good pitching hasn't fazed her.
Aside from Young, South has leaned on two of its other seniors on offensive.
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Second baseman and leadoff hitter Kayli Reed has been solid all season, with a 1.026 OPS, nine stolen bases, and 30 runs scored. And first baseman Lexie McGlothlin put up a 1.267 OPS with eight home runs and 35 RBIs, and she came on incredibly strong to close the regular season. In her last five games, McGlothlin is 10 for 16 at the plate with five home runs, two doubles, and 16 RBIs. If the IU Southeast commit can ride that hot streak into the postseason, the heart of the Panthers batting order will be imposing to just about anyone they play.
In 86.1 innings pitched, junior Marin Jacobs recorded a 2.03 ERA, a 1.019 WHIP, and struck out 64 hitters. She rose to the occasion in many big spots for the Panthers this season. Jacobs came within two outs of a no-hitter in the rivalry game against Bloomington North, and she stymied a tough Columbus North lineup on the road to seal the Conference Indiana title.
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Sophomore Morgan Cockerill has also enjoyed a strong season in the circle, with a 1.94 ERA, a 0.915 WHIP, and a remarkable 49:5 strikeout to walk ratio in 47 innings. Cockerill actually completed a no-hitter against Mitchell, though only five innings because of the mercy rule.
South has a tough matchup in sectional play, against T-No. 9 Shelbyville (18-5).
The Golden Bears are battle-tested against some of the best teams in the state, and are equally well-rounded. Junior catcher Karissa Edwards (Kentucky commit) and senior shortstop Kylee Hamilton (Mississippi State) are very strong hitters for both power and average. And in 86 innings pitched, sophomore Cheyenne Eads posted a 1.95 ERA and a 1.209 WHIP.
South will have to be at its best to win this game. The last two ranked teams the Panthers have played, No. 5 Bedford North Lawrence and No. 6 Columbus North, limited their offense. They pulled out the game at Columbus North thanks to timely hitting — three hits all game, but all home runs — but they couldn't find that against BNL.
One X-factor may be the bottom half of South's batting order. When players like Jacobs, Cockerill, and junior shortstop Keely Hubbard (among others) are producing at the plate, the Panthers are a lot tougher to beat.
Eastern Greene
Inclement weather last Wednesday and Thursday gave the Thunderbirds some reprieve from the brutal week they had scheduled.
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Eastern Greene (8-10) was scheduled to play five games last week, one on every weekday. Along with approaching exams in the classroom, graduation, and track and field sectionals, the players had a lot on their minds. But with Wednesday and Thursday's games getting washed out, the Thunderbirds got more rest than expected.
The Thunderbirds will take on host South Knox (12-10) Monday in sectional action. The Spartans previously defeated Eastern Greene, 12-1, in Vincennes on May 13.
Eastern Greene made progress as a program this season, topping its win total from last year and earning more victories than the Thunderbirds have seen in some time.
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One of head coach Tommy Bell's long-term goals for the program is to win a sectional title. It would take some major upsets for Eastern Greene to achieve that this season.
But he's hopeful they can win a sectional game this year. That, too, may be a stretch. But it's not impossible. On their day, the Thunderbirds can at least keep games competitive and give themselves opportunities to win.
Senior pitcher Indy Workman is perhaps the biggest key for Eastern Greene's hopes. She posted a 4.43 ERA and a 2.008 WHIP this season, but those numbers are inflated by a few disastrous outings rather than consistent struggles. She owns a 49:11 strikeout to walk ratio. She's also one of EG's top hitters, with a 1.211 OPS and 17 RBIs.
Offensively, Eastern Greene will need good games from its top four hitters to have a serious chance of advancing in the postseason. Junior shortstop Mallory Shelton (1.112 OPS, four home runs), sophomore outfielder and pitcher Jessica Hovious (1.112 OPS), and sophomore first baseman Bailee Tieman (1.122 OPS) have all taken steps forward this season.
The heart of Eastern Greene's order is solid. If the rest of the batting order can chip in some, and things break their way, the Thunderbirds could have a shot.
But they do need several things to happen for that to be a reality.
Edgewood
Edgewood found a midseason groove in late April and early May, with six straight wins and eight wins in nine games.
But the Mustangs are heading into sectional looking to break a slump, as they dropped their final three games of the regular season.
Edgewood (12-13) has a bye to the sectional semifinals, and will face either West Vigo (16-11) or host Owen Valley (13-6).
Mustangs junior third baseman Meleah Vest came alive at the plate in May, becoming one of the team's top hitters. She ended the season with a 1.088 OPS, four home runs, 26 RBIs, and 20 runs. Vest came through for Edgewood in some clutch moments in several games.
Senior outfielder Alaina Winzeler has been the biggest constant in the lineup all year for the Mustangs. She posted a 1.062 OPS with three home runs, 24 RBIs, and 22 runs. Winzeler was thrust into a big role this season for Edgewood, and she responded accordingly.
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Often, Edgewood's offense has been greater than the sum of its parts — at least statistically. The Mustangs have six hitters (including Vest and Winzeler) with on-base percentages over .400. They're not a big power-hitting team, but Edgewood can manufacture runs in a lot of different ways.
Edgewood's pitching improved as the season went on. Only three of the Mustangs' last 14 opponents — since April 22 — have scored five runs or more. That's given them a fighting chance in just about every game they've played.
Junior Jaylen Robinson led the team with 88 innings pitched. This was her first year starting in the circle for varsity, and she faced some bumps along the way. But by season's end, Robinson became a pretty reliable arm for Edgewood. In her last seven appearances, since May 1, Robinson recorded a 2.54 ERA and a 0.974 WHIP in 39 innings, with 37 strikeouts.
Junior Candace Rosemeier, who's dealt with knee problems for much of the season, also saw improvement on the mound late in the season. In her six appearances since May 1, she pitched to a 2.70 ERA and a 1.350 WHIP in 26.2 innings, with 20 strikeouts.
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Edgewood's draw looks different now than it did initially. Owen Valley slumped down the stretch, as well, with four losses in its last five games. The Mustangs began that stretch for the Patriots, with a 3-1 win in Ellettsville. Edgewood lost to West Vigo, 3-2, in late April, but both teams will look different nearly a month later. The Vikings won five out of seven games heading into Friday's regular season finale at Clay City.
If the Mustangs' strong pitching continues, they'll certainly have a shot at getting to the sectional final. Much will depend on how productive Edgewood's offense is.
Follow Herald-Times sports reporter Seth Tow on Twitter @SethTow, or email him at stow@heraldt.com.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Softball: Where Bloomington-area teams stand heading into sectionals
