Softball season gearing up for valley schools

After snow and more snow, it feels like the 2023 softball season can begin in earnest in the Flathead Valley.

Glacier has its home opener Thursday against Missoula Hellgate; the same day Whitefish returns to varsity softball with a trip to Northwest A foe Ronan.

Saturday the talented Columbia Falls Wildkats visit Glacier for a non-conference game while Flathead gets started on the road at Missoula Hellgate, and Libby visits Ronan.

There’s suddenly a lot going on. Here’s a brief look at our area teams:

Glacier

The Wolfpack slipped from 23-5 in 2021 to 12-11 last season, but have many talented players back including All-State second baseman Kenadie Goudette and ace pitcher Ella Farrell.

Both are juniors; seniors Brooklyn Imperato, Morgan Vivian, Moody Osler, Dayton Schuman and Avery Anderson also are back.

Anderson can pitch and will play third, Glacier coach Abby Snipes noted. Vivian can also pitch, as can sophomores Olivia Gibbons and Nakiah Persinger. It should make a pretty good bullpen behind Farrell, who struck out 151 batters as a freshman and 124 last spring.

“She put in a ton of work in the offseason and is ready to come out and have a great season,” Snipes said of Farrell. “We all know she can throw the ball really hard and are excited for that.”

The presence of catcher Cazz Rankosky, a sophomore, allows Snipes to move Imperato into a talented outfield that includes junior Emma Cooke, Kristen Tirrell and Bella Hodous.

Persinger is penciled in at shortstop; Vivian, Zoe Allen and Paishance Haller could fill out the infield. Goudette is the top returning hitter, with a .433 average last spring; Cooke hit .373, Haller .348, Farrell .343 and Imperato, .317.

“We’re pretty solid top to bottom, so it will be pretty fun to put a lineup together,” Snipes said. “We’re looking to compete for a trophy and play on Saturday at the state tournament.”

Flathead

A nice nucleus returns from a team that went 3-17 a year ago, led by sophomore pitchers Ava Besson and Lacie Franklin, junior catcher Laynee Vessar and junior shortstop Kaidyn Lake.

One senior is on Jack Foster’s roster: Ellie Eve, who will play either corner infield spot.

The Bravettes have gotten on the field, playing in a jamboree in Polson a couple weekends back. Foster liked what he saw of his pitchers.

“Both threw strikes, and that’s what we’re after,” he said. “They both worked really hard this winter.”

Foster also could mix freshman Macey McIlhargey in at pitcher, and notes that sophomore second baseman Brynn Mailman has taken to slap-hitting and was on base all six times she got up in Polson.

Sophomore Mackenzie Brandt returns in left for Flathead, and there’s also utility player Rrece Conley as well as sophomore Sawyer VanCampen and Kinsey Lake. Brandt hit .277 last season, while Besson hit .333, Lake .259 and Vessar, .229.

McIlhargey and Lake are freshmen.

“We’re young again, but … we’re young with experience,” Foster said. “I think we should be real competitive. It’s been a lot of fun coaching them, and it was sure nice getting out there and getting on some dirt.”

Snipes and Foster are coaching in a tough league along with Missoula Sentinel, Helena Capital and Helena High. Butte lost pitcher Shalinn Mullaney to shoulder surgery but Missoula Big Sky could be ready to jump into the upper division.

Six teams from the Western and Eastern AA advance to the State AA tournament, March 25-27 in Helena.

Columbia Falls

The WildKats enjoyed a 21-5 season in 2022 that ended with a fourth-place finish at the State A tournament. While they lost a couple key seniors, the returning roster is impressive.

Pitcher Maddie Moultray, who hit .456 last year, is a good place to start; so are second baseman Aspen Dawson (.540), shortstop Sydney Mann (.507) and third baseman Haden Peters (.441).

Peters and Mann back up Moultray in the circle.

“We’ve got the pitching, still, which is key of course,” veteran coach Dave Kehr said. “(The graduated) Haley Lawrence had a great year for us, and filled our lead off spot. That’s the biggest issue right now.”

Sophomore Tayler Lingle should make noise in center; right fielder Sophie Robbins had shown promise at the plate. Behind the plate is Demye Rensel, who hit .385 in 2022; Maddy Collins is the pick to play left.

The Kats are off to 2-0 start, having beaten Class B Plains and, on Tuesday, conference foe Libby.

“They had a really good summer; the girls did well,” Kurh said. “I think we’ll turn out all right.”

Northwest A

It’s been since 2018 that Whitefish fielded a varsity softball team, but with 16 players out — including junior pitcher Jude Perry — the Bulldogs are giving it a go.

Six seniors top the roster and coach Dave Bennetts likes the potential of sophomores Esme Fennessy and Selena Simms.

Polson had a “down” year by its standards last season, though the Pirates knocked off Columbia Falls at state to finish third, going 20-8. Carli Maley is back after hitting .468; Nikki Kendall hit 387 and McKenna Hanson, .375. And pitcher Samantha Rensvold appears to be picking up where the graduated Katelyne Druyvestein left off.

Paisley Macdonald, Destiny Crawford and pitcher Mackenzie Foss give Libby a solid top third of a lineup. Kynzee Boehmier is another major returnee.

The top three teams in the Northwest A advance to the State A tournament May 25-27 at Belgrade. Last year Ronan joined the Wildkats and Pirates at State.