Ten things to know about Portage County softball

Here are 10 things to know about Portage County softball as the season enters its third week:

1. Field looks to make big strides

Consider the Falcons the Guardians of Portage County.

Last season, Cleveland entered the year with so much youth that it was unclear how much could be expected, despite a long track record of organizational success. All the Guardians wound up doing is winning the American League Central and getting to the second round of the postseason.

Similarly, Field entered last year having graduated longtime ace Alexsa Hurd among a talented Class of 2022. With freshmen all over the field, it was unclear how much one could expect from the Falcons. Well, all the Falcons did, led by their own experienced skipper, Beth Dyer (who doesn't ride a scooter to the ballpark like Terry Francona to the best of our knowledge), was go undefeated in the Metro Athletic Conference. They went on to win a district championship, shocking top-seeded Marlington along the way.

Whether it's the Guardians or the Falcons, there's tons of reason for optimism for this year and many years beyond, but there's also the knowledge that past success never guarantees future success. Indeed, Field suffered a 16-5 setback to Springfield in its second conference game this past week.

Still, there's a whole lot to like from the Falcons.

Field returns all three of its pitchers — Maddie Burge, Olivia Dyer and Kailyn Gressman — who combined to tally a 2.69 ERA last season. The Falcons also boast an experienced infield, including returning starters 2B Megan Schmidt (.448, 5 HR, 30 RBI, 20 R), SS Tia Ulrich (.319, 16 RBI, 17 R), C Bailey Evans and 1B Olivia Dyer (.382). Schmidt boasts "great game awareness," per Dyer, and a powerful bat, while Evans is a "great leader behind the plate." The key for Field will be cobbling together an outfield full of "new faces."

2. Aurora poised for a big season

Coming off a share of the 2022 Suburban American title, the Greenmen are poised for big things this season, as demonstrated during their 3-1 season-opening trip to the Sunshine State. The bats were alive and well, including four Florida homers apiece (in just four games) by McKennah Metzger and Sophie Retton. Tack on Abby Dalessandro's 4-for-4 game against Stoughton and Otterbein commit Maggie McVicker's three-hit performance against Olentangy Orange and it's clear Aurora has no shortage of bats. Indeed, the Greenmen return five players who batted above .350 last year: Retton (.522), Metzger (.446), Sophie Petrash (.361), McVicker (.351) and Julia Miller (.350).

Oh, and the Greenmen also return Metzger (8-3, 1.93 ERA, 80 K, 19 BB), the 2022 Suburban American Pitcher of the Year, as well as a pitcher on the rise in Retton (2.86 ERA in 7⅓ innings). Indeed, Retton impressed mightily in Aurora's latest impressive win, a 3-2 triumph at North Canton Hoover, in which Retton tossed 5⅓ solid innings before Metzger came in to finish the job. With two high-caliber pitchers, the Greenmen should be in any game.

3. Mogadore, Rootstown set to battle for Portage Trail Conference crown again

Ever since the pandemic, the Rovers and Wildcats have been right at the top of the PTC. The first season after the one that never occurred, Garfield, Rootstown and Mogadore tied for the crown in 2021, each finishing 9-3 in league play. Last year, with the G-Men off to the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference, the Rovers and Wildcats tied once again for the crown, both losing a single conference game. Moreover, both Mogadore-Rootstown games in 2022 were thrillers, with both decided in nine innings and both by a 3-2 score, with the home team prevailing each time.

Both the Rovers and Wildcats prepared for this season with spring break trips, as Rootstown ventured to the Sunshine State while Mogadore returned to Pigeon Forge.

Both teams return their aces from a season ago. The Rovers' Shelbie Krieger (13-2, 0.79 ERA, 0.70 WHIP, 246 K, 31 BB) is one of the hardest throwers around with an experienced catcher to handle the heat in Natalie Hammerschmidt. The Wildcats' Katie Gardner (11-3, 1.39 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 21 BB in 105⅔ IP) boasts great control and off-speed pithes, though she may be throwing to a different catcher this season as Mogadore has tinkered with moving all-state backstop Olivia Kidd to the hot corner.

4. Mogadore has a strong core for the years ahead

Let's take a closer look at both PTC co-champions, starting with the Wildcats, who have gone a whopping 54-16 over Jeff Fankhauser's three years at the helm.

It's an impressive mark, and the scary thing is Mogadore returns eight letterwinners this season and the vast majority are expected back in 2024 as well, including junior stars Katie Gardner (.308, 22 R) and Olivia Kidd (.542). In addition, the Wildcats return their middle of the infield in sophomore shortstop Lily Hotchkiss, who impressed mightily as a freshman, and senior second baseman McKenna Whitehead, who is in her third year starting there. Oh, and Addie Christy is coming off a .344 season. Moreover, Mogadore has myriad freshmen ready to make an immediate impact.

5. Rootstown's core continues to grow

While Shelbie Krieger gets a lot of headlines, and deservedly so, the Rovers have built an experienced core around the Miami (Ohio) commit.

That includes catcher Natalie Hammerschmidt, along with another "leader on the infield," according to coach Paige Byers, in first baseman Zoe Noel, who hit .321 last year. Rootstown also boasts a stacked outfield, led by centerfielder Abby White (.404, 21 R, 19 RBI), whose "speed and arm strength will continue to be a huge threat to opposing teams," while Jessica Hahn (.469, 18 R, 15 RBI) and Boston Silveus bring considerable experience to the corner outfield spots. Hahn had one of the Rovers' biggest hits of the season last year when she homered in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings against the Wildcats. And Maddie Wise is coming off a stellar season (.435) at the plate.

One thing to watch is whether freshmen Chloe Gardner and Katie Sisley will be able to take some of the load off Krieger this season, after the ace tossed 106 innings as a sophomore. Per Byers, both Gardner and Sisley "bring a unique style and pitch set and will complement Krieger on the mound."

6. Crestwood looks to repeat as CVC champions

The Red Devils, who captured the Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division title last season, didn't graduate a lot of players, but replacing longtime ace Mikayla Berquist (8-3, 1.60 ERA) will not be easy.

That said, Bella Hunter flashed plenty of talent in her 25 innings of work last year, striking out 30 batters. She'll share pitching duties with sophomore Mia Gullatta, with both caught by senior Olivia Gullatta.

The good news for whoever is pitching is that Crestwood has plenty of experience up the middle, starting with Gullatta, who has caught for many years for the Red Devils, and Aimee Barnauskas, who stepped in at shortstop last year and earned first team all-league honors. Alyssa Hallis, who replaced Barnauskas in center and earned first team all-CVC honors herself, also boasts stellar speed.

The challenge in front of Crestwood is clear, however, including a 14-4 loss to Wickliffe in its second CVC game. Last year, the Blue Devils were the only league team to beat the Red Devils.

7. Young talent stands out for Garfield, Southeast, Waterloo

Otherwise, what stands out across Portage County is how young a number of area softball teams are.

Young and talented.

Take Waterloo, which started four freshmen (and a single senior) against Mathews Friday.

Even the senior, Jewel Lilley, has to take on a dramatically different role as the ace and innings-eater after Mackensi Kehrer fulfilled that role last year and earned first-team all-conference honors. Lilley is, according to coach Brenda Flarida, "ready to take on the daily pitching duties" with a "great assortment of pitches."

Lilley's catcher for the Vikings is Bayley English, a talented freshman who, according to Flarida, "is a great fit for the catcher position, in the long line of great Waterloo catchers."

Although Waterloo has significant experience on the left side of the infield in juniors Savannah Francis (third base) and Morgan Sweitzer (shortstop), it will otherwise lean on "many new players in positions that don't have much varsity experience, so they will need to step up quickly."

A day before Waterloo started four freshmen against Mathews, Southeast's leading hitters in a slugfest against Garfield were Morgan Muncy, a freshman in the leadoff spot, and Ava Stephens (.429, 17 R, 7 2B last year), a sophomore catcher batting third.

Both belted homers against the G-Men, with Muncy sending a shot deep to the opposite field and finishing with four hits. Moreover, all seven innings on the mound for the Pirates in Garrettsville came from two freshmen, first Liv Bragg and then Muncy.

To be clear, the Pirates also have their share of veterans, with seniors Mack Foor and Jade Whitely both in the heart of the order and juniors Lexi Morris (.323 in 2022) and Mya Sutcliffe leading contributors as well, but the young talent in Palmyra Township is tantalizing.

As for the G-Men, they have just three returning letterwinners, but they happen to be in pivotal places. Lizzy Moore (3.11 ERA in 2022 with just 21 walks in 103⅔ innings) returns after pitching every inning for Garfield a year ago and "brings incredible experience, composure and resistance to the infield," per coach Tina Faulhaber. Moore will be caught by Kolby Fresch, one of the G-Men's two other returning letterwinners. Kyndall Hahn, the third returning letterwinner, brings "great speed and tracking skills" to the outfield, not to mention a lethal bunt-and-slap combination at the plate, where she hit .475 a year ago.

Also watch for the raw power of junior Maddy Wilson in the cleanup spot and for Juliana Genovese to be among the talented young pitchers ready to help lessen the load on Moore's shoulders on the mound.

8. Ravenna, Streetsboro look to battle in the MAC

The Metro Athletic Conference looks more brutal than ever with Field bringing back a good portion of its roster from last year's district championship squad while Coventry and Springfield also have turned heads with some impressive early results.

That's not an easy setting for a young team like Streetsboro, which has experience on the mound (Sydney Burfield and Nicole Roman), in center (Samantha Gadus) and at second base (Danielle LaFlame), but is otherwise very young. The good news for the Rockets? A lot of those young players have tantalizing talent, including freshmen Payton Williams on the mound and Katie Roman in the leadoff spot to start the season for Streetsboro.

Nor has the MAC been easy for Ravenna, which is coming off a 2-20 season but has had a few strong performances to start the 2023 season, including a shutout of Youngstown East and a one-run loss at Streetsboro. The Ravens' returners include their pitchers, senior Madison Artz and sophomore Whitney Holmes. Senior Morgan Decker has also established herself as one of their leading batters, including two hits against the Rockets.

9. Roosevelt looks to replace big Class of 2022

The Rough Riders are tasked with replacing their four leaders in batting average from a year ago (Skylar Benedik, Megan Moser, Maya Sheller and Amirah Fouad) in an unforgiving Suburban American.

Watch for Shelby Ellsworth (.303) and Ashley Legg (.300) to play leading roles for Roosevelt, with Legg also expected to shoulder the bulk of the pitching duties with the graduation of Sydney Tuttle after they shared the load last season.

10. New coach Tom VanKirk sets goals high for Windham

Of Portage County's 12 softball programs, only one enters the year with a new coach as Tom VanKirk takes over at Windham. VanKirk, who filled in as Garfield's coach for a year and then led Mathews for a year, envisions his first Windham team leaning on its defense, infield and "very aggressive" base-running to help "manufacture runs when needed."

Pitching is always key as well, with Ka'Neese Cunningham back as the Bombers' "most experienced" and "hardest thrower," per VanKirk, while Quinn Justham is "our most consistent at hitting her spots." Both Cunningham (.433) and Justham (.447, 16 R, 12 RBI) were also among Windham's leading hitters last year, alongside Za'Nya Henderson (.333, 13 RBI, 11 R).

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Ten things to know about Portage County softball