Bravettes reloading on diamond
Any plans the Bravettes had of surprising opponents this season vanished last Saturday into the frigid air at Conrad Complex.
With just one veteran back from last year's state squad, the Flathead softball team capped its 3-1 nonconference start with a sweep of Great Falls High and defending Class AA champion C.M. Russell.
The Bravettes begin Western AA play today at Missoula Big Sky and Sentinel, but they already have shown that this season, which is the last for head coach Dale Beerman, is not a rebuilding year.
"I'm kind of surprised, but they're really hitting the ball," Beerman said. "You get 10 hits against CMR, that's pretty good.
"They're starting to get the drift of this whole thing. I pound defense into them for an hour a day, but I'm surprised with the way they hit the ball."
Actually, the Bravettes tallied 11 hits in their 10-7 victory over CMR and 11 more in their 8-1 romp over Great Falls High.
Center fielder Heather Haegele's three hits against the Bison were no surprise. The senior is a two-time all-state and all-conference selection, and her presence is instrumental on an otherwise inexperienced ball club.
"She's a leader," Beerman said. "I think the first few games she put a little bit of pressure on herself.
"I just told her to relax, hit the ball. She's a player."
Flathead's offensive punch should relieve pressure from its lone pitcher. Junior Meagan Hash already has three wins from the circle, along with 46 strikeouts.
"I call pitches, and she's just throwing them where I ask her to throw them," Beerman said.
Senior catcher Allana Handford gives Hash a talented receiver, and she is one of the Bravettes' most fearsome hitters.
Senior Shaina Evans is coming on strong at first base, where junior Hanna Burton also will contribute.
Versatile junior Becca Felde will man second base, along with hot-hitting junior Kendra Bennett.
Freshman third baseman Anna Costa is a star in the making. She will anchor the left side of Flathead's infield with her talented junior sister, Catie, at shortstop.
Anna Costa's prominent role was expedited when junior Megan Olszewski suffered a season-ending knee injury in Flathead's opener against Whitefish.
"She's a good one," Beerman said of Anna Costa. "She's got a little snot to her. She's not afraid to get dirty - just smiling and having fun."
Haegele will be flanked by sophomore left fielder Emily Jones and senior right fielder Justine Hayes. Evans can play the outfield, too.
The Bravettes finished second to Helena Capital in Western AA play last year, earning an automatic berth to state, where they beat Billings Senior before falling to CMR and Capital.
Only the conference champion gets an automatic state bid this spring, and Beerman thinks the Bravettes have enough pieces to vie for that reward.
"It would be really neat to win the West and not have to play a playoff game, because those playoff games are scary," Beerman said. "I think we're in the mix with Big Sky and maybe Capital and Helena High."
Flathead's seniors won't be the only ones competing with urgency. Beerman, who recently submitted his resignation, knows his fourth and final season as head coach will be special.
"I've been with the program 18 years, so I think it's time for somebody younger to take over," he said.
"I'll see if my fishing pole is still in the garage. It's probably got eight inches of dust on it."