What's the outlook for Livingston County softball teams in 2023?
Brighton
► Last season: 14-14-2 overall, 4-10 KLAA West
► Top returners: Melanie Buzo, OF, Jr.; Olivia Capilla, OF-1B, Sr.; Sydney Scoggins, C, Sr.; Montana Tulley, P, Soph.
► Outlook: Brighton graduated five of its top six hitters from a class of eight seniors. Scoggins would have been a four-year varsity player if the 2020 season wasn’t canceled. She was Brighton’s No. 2 hitter with a .432 average and hit a team-leading four home runs. After starting 10 of Brighton’s 30 games last season as a freshman, Tulley will take over as the primary pitcher once she’s recovered from a torn labrum around midseason. Juniors Belle Sixbery and Emma Johnson, who faced a total of 21 batters last season, will share the circle until Tulley is back.
► Coach Danielle Pizzo: “We’re not going to be a powerhouse, but we’ll be really scrappy and winning some games when it comes down to the wire. They’ve worked hard. They’re doing what they should be doing. These kids want it.”
Fowlerville
► Last season: 25-9 overall, 9-1 CAAC Red (1st place), Greater Lansing Softball Classic champion
► Top returners: Katie Bigos, P-1B, Sr.; Tori Briggs, CF-IF-P, Jr.; Angelle Haan, C-OF, Jr.; Tommi Kleinschmidt, OF-SS, Soph.
► Outlook: Fowlerville is the only team in Livingston County that won its final game last season, capturing the Greater Lansing Softball Classic after being eliminated from districts. The Gladiators graduated five of their top six hitters, but have one of the county’s top players in Briggs, a Central Michigan commit. Briggs hit .553 last season, while Bigos hit .355 and Haan .323. Kleinschmidt hit four homers and drove in 24 runs. The question mark is in the circle, where Bigos, sophomore Meadow Browne and possibly Briggs will try to replace the graduated tandem of Halle Dargie and Carlie Atcheson.
► Coach Brad Ryan: “We’ll be solid, but our schedule is brutal when you look at it. It’s hard for me to say how we’re gonna fare. Our intention is to throw strikes and catch the balls hit at us, make teams earn their runs.”
Hartland
► Last season: 19-10 overall, 11-3 KLAA West, KLAA champion
► Top returners: Faith DeLanoy, 2B-3B, Sr.; Abby Gardner, CF, Sr.; Sadie Malik, C, Soph.; Kate McIntyre, 1B, Jr.; Jaylen Nokovich, SS, Jr.; Riley Phillips, U, Sr.; Skylar Spisz, OF, Soph.; Kylie Swierkos, P, Sr.
► Outlook: Hartland’s three-season streak of district championships ended against a South Lyon team that was the defending Division 1 champion. The Eagles won’t face No. 4 South Lyon or perennial power Howell in districts this season, hosting one that includes No. 10 Fenton. Hartland is unranked, despite returning eight starters from a KLAA championship team. Swierkos will be the primary pitcher for the second straight year, but will get help from freshman Olivia Forrest. The Eagles have four players who hit .322 or higher in Swierkos (.410), Gardner (.394), Malik (.329) and Spisz (.322).
► Coach Taylor Wagner: “Not getting out of districts is not something Hartland knows very much in the last several years. When you have a district like we’ve had the last couple years, anything can happen. Facing the previous champion in South Lyon and giving them good games, that’s all we can ask. They know they’re right there. It also has them overlooked. They’re excited to be hungry and turn some heads this season.”
Howell
► Last season: 20-13 overall, 8-6 KLAA West
► Top returners: Lauren Ashley, OF, Sr.; Lainey Byrd, CF, Sr.; Addison Caldwell, SS, Soph.; Delaney Gillett, P-1B, Sr.; Erin Lowe, OF, Sr.; Natalie Savage, 3B, Sr.
► Outlook: Howell returns two first-team all-county selections in Gillett and Byrd, but first-team catcher Meghan Farren isn’t playing softball her senior year. The Highlanders have several players who could take some off the pitching load off Gillett, who threw 75% of the innings last season. The Highlanders will look to lower last year’s 4.52 team ERA. Howell has the bats to compete with most teams, returning its top five hitters in Gillett (.515), Savage (.432), Byrd (.371), Caldwell (.367) and Lowe (.362).
► Coach Scott Pasini: “They can all hit. We’ve got some very good bunters for small ball. We have great defense. Hopefully, we can get a lot of quality innings out of our pitching this year.”
Pinckney
► Last season: 30-9-1 overall, 8-2 SEC White (2nd place)
► Top returners: Emma Arnold, P, Jr.; Mackenzie Burns, LF-2B, Soph.; Mallory Dickey, 2B, Jr.; Kylee Douglas, C, Sr.; Violet McWhinnie, 1B, Jr.; Alli Novick, 3B, Sr.; Abby Rauser, P, Jr.; CeCe Thorington, CF, Jr.
► Outlook: Pinckney returns five players who hit at least .395 as regulars in the lineup in Thorington (.488), McWhinnie (.455), Novick (.453), Burns (.396) and Douglas (.395). Thorington, a speedy lead-off hitter committed to Michigan, and Novick, the Pirates’ primary power source, are two-time first-team all-county selections. The key to winning league and district championships will be how the Pirates are able to replace all-county pitcher Sydney Pease. Rauser and Arnold each saw spot duty in the circle last season. Pease’s freshman sister, Natally, will also be in the mix to become the primary starter.
► Coach Eric Arnold: “We lost Sydney Pease. She pitched the vast majority of games last year. You could always count on her. You’re always looking for one kid to take it over, but we could be pitching by committee. It could be who we’re playing, who has the hot hand. I’m pretty confident in all three of our pitchers.”
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillKhan
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: What's the outlook for Livingston County softball teams in 2023?
