Central launches softball title defense
PELLA—Freshmen frequently play starring roles in Central College’s historic run of 30 NCAA Division III softball tournament appearances over the past 34 years.
Yet NFCA Hall of Fame coach George Wares has never leaned as heavily on rookies in the pitching circle as the Dutch will likely need to do this year. And he can’t wait to get started.
Three first-year hurlers bring a stack of all-state Iowa high school credentials to a squad that returns six position starters from last year’s 27-10 club that captured the program’s 13th conference title and 30th NCAA berth. But Wares, Division III’s winningest coach with a 1,152-394-3 record over 35 seasons, recognizes there’s a difference between promise and performance and a first season of college softball for any player is likely to be a bumpy ride, particularly pitchers.
“Who knows what’s going to happen the first time they have some really tough strike zone or they give up a grand slam and we lose the game because of it?” Wares pondered.
Adding to Wares’ worries is an opening behind the plate, where freshmen are also among the leading contenders for the catching position.
Countering those concerns is the return of four NFCA Division III All-Midwest Region players in senior second baseman Kaitlyn Andresen (Davenport, Assumption HS), junior shortstop Daria Parchert (Illinois City, Ill., Rockridge HS), senior center fielder Sara Tallman (Pella) and senior right fielder Shaye Witte (West Des Moines, Waukee HS).
It’s a largely tournament-tested lineup that leaves Wares enthused. And it’s a squad not only infused with the incoming pitchers but one of the program’s deepest and most promising overall freshman classes in recent years. Uncertainty abounds, but so does upside.
“This team has a ceiling that is a super regional and national tournament ceiling and it has a floor of not even making the postseason,” Wares said. “That’s a variance we have and that’s just being honest. I’d be disappointed, obviously, if we’re at the lower part of that but you can’t say it would be surprising with the vulnerability we have in terms of injuries at certain positions and the fact that we’re counting on some freshmen to be pretty significant parts of what we’re trying to do. The flip side is, I would not be surprised if we’re having a conversation (in May) about a trip to Tyler, Texas (site of the Division III championships).”
Pitcher
American Rivers Conference pitcher of the year Mariah Fritz shouldered the bulk of last year’s pitching load, posting a 20-9 record over 172 innings.
The only pitcher with any varsity experience is senior Lauren Shirley (Queen Creek, Ariz., Seton Catholic HS). A junior college transfer, she appeared in eight games last spring, with a 3.62 earned run average in 9.2 innings. Yet even with that limited time on the field, Shirley’s filling an invaluable role. And she could make an impact in the circle as well.
“She spent quite a bit of time (training) in the off-season,” Wares said. “I’m not sure yet if she will elevate into the top three or not but I will tell you it appears her relationship with the three freshmen is very good and they seem to really listen to her. She saw Mariah (Fritz), and what she went through last year and I think she’s been able to articulate that so she’s another voice, besides the coaches’, that is telling the freshmen what it’s going to take to be successful at the college level.”
Wares isn’t hiding his excitement about the freshman trio of Sydni Huisman (Treynor), Skylar Sadler (Lisbon) and Morgan Schaben (Harlan).
“We feel very good about our incoming class and we’re going to have get a lot of innings out of them,” Wares said.
Huisman’s mother, Kara Stanley Huisman, gained all-America distinction as a pitcher for the Dutch in 1997 while her father, Justin, was an all-conference linebacker. She led her Treynor squad to the state tourney last summer with a 30-3 mark and 0.59 earned run average.
“Sydni throws it as hard as any pitcher we’ve had in some time with a legitimate rise ball and change-up,” Wares said. “She brings a presence in the circle and a maturity, even for a freshman.”
Sadler has similar high school credentials but a contrasting style, posting a 24-3 mark and 0.58 ERA.
“Skylar was another first-team all-state pitcher who went to state a couple times,” Wares said. “She’s different, quieter, yet still brings competitiveness. Both have come from winning programs. They complement each other. Skylar works a little more down and throws a curve ball and Sydni has the ability to go up a little bit more.”
Schaben brings another contrast and has good bloodlines as well, with a sister who served as her Harlan High School coach and another who plays at Iowa State University.
“I guess funky is the best way to describe her,” Wares said. “She has a decent rise ball and a really good change-up. She’s a good complement to the other two and maybe comes in the most ready to swing the bat at this level.”
In addition to posting a 22-7 pitching mark, Schaben ripped nine homers with 43 RBIs for Harlan.
Catcher
While there’s no clear answer at catcher, Wares likes the options, starting with senior Sarah Sponder (Sioux City, East HS), who has quietly labored as a back-up catcher, designated player and pinch-hitter. She hit .231 last year with two homers in 52 at-bats, driving in eight runs.
“Sarah looks very good,” Wares said. “As a senior we’re hoping she can plug into the lineup.”
But freshmen Cassie Severson (freshman, Ankeny, Centennial HS) and Madison Farrington (Marshalltown, East Marshall HS) will get extended opportunities as well.
“We have two freshmen who we think, physically, are as good as any we’ve had in a while,” Wares said. “It’s just a question of how quickly they understand the nuances of the position. You need more than just physical ability.”
Seversen split time between catcher and the outfield in high school but Wares thinks is ready to blossom.
“She was probably an underrecruited player,” he said. “We thought Cassie was going to be good with what we’ve seen in the fall and the off-season. She’s better than a lot of people give her credit for behind the plate. She has a very good arm and is pretty softball-savvy.”
Farrington bashed 15 home runs with 68 RBIs for a state tourney team at East Marshall.
“Madison Farrington was recruited by a lot of people,” Wares said. “She looks the part. She’s strong and she’s got a very good arm. She hit with a lot of power at East Marshall. Her ceiling is really high but she also has to transition into the other parts of the position, which will come, but we’ve got to go with the pace she’s comfortable at.”
Sponder will get the first shot but all three will see action.
“With those three, we feel really good with whatever rotation we go with,” Wares said. “I don’t think, whether it’s pitching or catching, that we’re going to be locked in to one or two. We’re probably going to switch it up quite a bit early and see what happens with those positions. They all three are capable of doing some other things as well.”
Other candidates are also available, including sophomore Meredith Mahoney (Downers Grove, Ill., South HS).
First base
Senior Amanda Sigulas (Morton, Ill.) is entering her third year as a starter at first base. A two-time academic all-conference honoree, Sigulas hit. 223 with five doubles, a homer and 15 RBIs last year, but surged late in the season.
“We’re hoping we have the Amanda Sigulas who finished the year,” Wares said. “Amanda works as hard as anybody to keep herself in shape and improve physically. If she can play early like she did late, she’ll be very good.”
Junior Katie Banowetz (Grand Mound, Calamus-Wheatland HS) was a capable back-up last year but saw most of her time as a pinch-hitter. She batted .286 with two doubles, a homer and eight RBIs in just 14 at-bats.
“We feel comfortable with Katie, especially defensively,” Wares said. “But she’s not 100%. She was injured in the fall and went from 10 or 20% to where we’re about 70% right now. She can play defense but can’t swing the bat yet. That’s obviously a struggle for her. When she’s healthy she’s someone we feel can challenge Amanda at first base and also give us a backup at other positions.”
If the Dutch need immediate backup help, Wares said he could slide Sponder over from catcher to fill in. He could also turn to senior Maddie DeLeon (Fargo, N.D.), a veteran utility player and pitcher who has experience at first base. She appeared in five games last year.
Second base
Andresen, a team co-captain, switched from third base to second last year and proved effective, while making herself a key cog in the Dutch offense. She batted .398 with seven doubles, two homers and 27 RBIs. She was a second-team all-conference pick for the second time and was also a second-team all-region selection.
“When we moved her to second base, a lot of people didn’t think it would work,” Wares said. “She has limited range, but she’s a gamer and she’s very competitive. She understands the game and she positions herself well to make range less of a factor. She gives us a voice out on the field that we’re going to need.”
Sophomore Lauren Birt (Ankeny, Centennial HS) was a nice surprise. She saw action at second base and as a designated player, hitting .301 and scoring 18 runs.
“Probably our best second baseman, in terms of a ceiling, is Lauren Birt,” Wares said. “She’s very quick, athletic and has really good range. We want both Lauren and Kaitlyn, in some way, to get on the field.”
The Dutch can also call on senior Cheyanna Jennings (Hermitage, Mo.), who brings extensive junior varsity experience and support off the bench. And Wares is impressed with some freshman candidates as well.
Shortstop
Central’s had a line of slick-fielding shortstops during Wares’ lengthy tenure. Parchert may be the best yet and she’s the total package, hitting a scorching .522 in conference play to lead the league, and batting .379 overall with 11 doubles, two homers and 27 RBIs. The team’s defensive player of the year, she was also the conference assists leader with 46 while compiling a .939 fielding percentage. She was a first-team all-conference pick last year after receiving second-team distinction as a freshman and was a second-team all-region choice as well.
“Daria is as good as any shortstop around,” Wares said.
Yet the position is also a source of worry as the Dutch need to quickly develop some depth. Parchert missed action in each of her first two seasons and there’s not another experienced shortstop on the roster.
Wares would likely turn to Birt in a pinch.
“We’re getting her as much time as we can at second but also giving her time at short for those moments when we might need her,” Wares said.
Third base
While there are other open positions, nowhere is the picture murkier than at third base. “It’s our biggest question,” Wares concedes.
Junior Paige Roehlk (Davenport, West HS) could settle the issue. Primarily a pinch-runner in lettering the past two years, she stole four bases and scored 10 runs last season.
“Right now, Paige Roehlk is the front-runner,” Wares said. “She needs to do some things better but she’s improved. She’s got an above-average arm. The fall season has helped her understand the position, which is important, especially when you have a young battery where she’s going to have to do a little more in terms of coming to the ball in clutch situations.
Part of our decision is what are we going to get offensively.”
Roehlk brings speed at the plate but if Central needs more pop, Andresen could slide back over to third base.
“She played it well when she played there two years ago,” Wares said. “She reads the ball off the bat well and she throws off the run well, which is necessary at third. That would allow us to put Birt at second base. It probably gives us the best opportunity to do what we want to do offensively.”
A third option is junior Maci Fritz (Tama, South Tama HS), another pinch-runner from a year ago.
“She’s gotten better,” Wares said. “She just had to adjust as a transfer to how we do things here and I think has improved quite a bit.”
Depth should also come from freshmen, Wares said.
Outfield
Even with a spot open, the outfield is a strength. The Dutch roll out one of the best top-of-the-order tandems in school history in Tallman and Witte.
Wares loves having Tallman in the lead-off spot where she hit .390 last year and is doing a rewrite of the school’s stolen base records. Tallman scored 37 runs with 14 RBIs and 24 steals after swiping a school-record 47 in 2018. She’s tied for second in career steals with 95, 19 shy of Daniela Grob’s record (1997-2000), is eighth in career runs (120) and 13th in career hits (157).
But Wares is equally enamored with her defense.
“She can run things down,” he said. “You love outfielders who can take base hits away, particularly when you play in the Leadoff (Classic in Arizona) with 235 or 240-foot fences.”
Tallman, a team co-captain, is a three-time NFCA all-region honoree and a three-time first-team all-conference selection as well as a three-time Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete Award winner and a CoSIDA Academic All-District pick.
Meanwhile Witte has torched opponents with a .402 average in her two seasons since transferring to Central. She hit a team-high .400 last year with 13 doubles and 23 RBIs. Remarkably, she did so while battling through injury.
“With Shaye, you think back to the catch she made against Luther up against the fence and the base hit she got when it looked like we’d given the (conference title-deciding) game away in the top half of the inning,” Wares said. “She’s a gamer, offensively and defensively. She’s battled injury every second she’s been here and I’m not sure she’s ever been 100% but her 80% is pretty good. Our objective in the preseason is to get her as healthy as we can.”
Witte played right field in 2018 before moving to left last season. She may return to right field this spring if the left field job goes to freshman Emma Johnson (Davenport, Assumption HS). Johnson also gained all-state recognition, hitting .394 in helping Assumption capture its third straight Class 3A state title.
“Emma, again she’s a freshman, but she probably comes in more ready than a lot of outfielders we’ve had,” Wares said. “Give credit to where she’s played, at Davenport Assumption, where she’s played at a high level. She’s quick, she gets a good read on the ball and she brings a good component offensively.”
Putting Johnson in left rather than right might help ease her transition to college softball.
“It’s going to be tough enough for a freshman to play a pretty big role for us without moving to a new position,” Wares said.
But Johnson has to win the job and she’ll get competition from sophomore Kellie Prince (Linden, Panorama HS), who scored nine runs in 16 games as a pinch-runner last season.
“She’s improved a lot,” Wares said. “As a defensive replacement for any of those players, I would feel pretty good about Kelly moving in.”
Wares thinks the Dutch have unearthed another replacement in junior transfer Denae Howes (Denver, Colo., Arvada HS).
“Denae is kind of a diamond in the rough,” he said. “She’s still learning how to play the game at a level that she hasn’t played before. That’s a bit of a slow process that we’re trying to be patient with but she has to be patient with herself. She’s a very versatile player.”
Howes also has some pitching experience and already shows promise as a pinch-runner.
Designated player
The Dutch won’t make a decision on a designated player until the defensive lineup is sorted out. If Birt doesn’t start in the field, she’s an obvious candidate. Likewise with Andresen. But Wares is also enamored with Schaben. In addition to her power at the plate, as a pitcher she provides some valuable lineup flexibility.
“We’ll definitely look at Sponder, if she gets on a roll, we’ll look at Banowetz and, if we wanted to go strictly with a speed lineup, we could go with Roehlk if we thought her short game got better,” Wares said.
Those players are also on the pinch-hitting menu, along with DeLeon.
“We feel pretty good about the options we’re going to have off the bench in terms of pinch hitting,” Wares said. “Being a DP is very hard because you’re in the game three times maybe, and it’s even harder to pinch hit. Probably our most consistent pinch-hitter of the returners is Sarah Sponder even though her average doesn’t necessarily show that. When I think back to the opportunities to pinch-hit that she’s had, she’s always a pretty tough out and that’s what you want from that position.”
Pinch-runners
The pinch-running roster is also dependent on Central’s defensive alignment. Prince and Fritz will see action along with Howes and freshman Megan Doty (Grinnell). Central held a 91-39 stolen base advantage over opponents last year, yet that’s not as lopsided of a margin as in many seasons in the foot-to-the-gas baserunning style Wares employs. The Dutch have swiped more than 100 bases 20 times in the past 32 years. Wares anticipates a climb in Central’s numbers and attributes last year’s decline largely to game situations.
“It was not as much of an intentional downward drop in the stolen bases as it might seem,” he said. “So, yeah, we’re going to run, run, run. Sometimes you have to make sure that you’re picking the moments correctly. The straight steal is a big part of that but a lot of the pressure we want to put on teams is the hit-and-run and the bunt-and-run. We’re going to try to put as much pressure on the opponent as we can.”
He sees several players who can contribute to a ramped-up running attack, starting with Tallman as she nears the school career mark.
“We would love Shaye Witte’s total to increase, if she can get healthy,” he said. “She’s a really good base runner but has never been able to show that. We think Emma Johnson is a big threat on the bases and so is Lauren Birt. And Megan Doty is a freshman but has been coming to our camps forever and probably comes in more ready as a pinch-runner than anybody we’ve had in a while.”
The schedule
Central’s schedule takes a different turn this year. Not a fan of indoor softball, Wares is nonetheless opening with two dome games in Rochester, Minnesota Feb. 29 to get the young pitchers some experience before the first of two trips to the Sun Belt. The Dutch return to Tucson, Arizona for the NFCA Division III Leadoff Classic where they’ll see several nationally prominent opponents March 6-8. Then rather than return to Arizona for spring break as the squad has for several seasons, Central will deviate for a year with a trip to the Spring Games in Clermont, Florida March 16-21.
The American Rivers remains one of Division III’s most competitive softball leagues and the Dutch will again find stiff resistance in bidding for their first back-to-back titles since taking three in a row from 2002-04. Perennial contender Luther College remains a threat and Wares expects continued improvement from Wartburg College and from the University of Dubuque, a surprise last year, along with Simpson College and Buena Vista University, among others. Any of the nine squads could make an extended conference tournament run, Wares said.
“You know the reason I’ve always said I still believe our league is the one of the best in the of a country is not because our top is any better than the top teams in the country, but when you start comparing the others, I think our 5-6-7-8-9 teams are better than most other leagues’ 5-6-7-8-9 teams. So there’s just not an easy day that you have in our league. There’s a reason nobody’s gone undefeated (in the conference) for quite some time. It’s a pretty tough thing to do.”
The good news, Wares notes, is that those that survive the conference minefield emerge with a hefty strength-of-schedule rating and an enhanced attraction for those handing out NCAA Division III tournament berths.
The lure of returning to Division III tournament yet again continues to drive Wares because it’s an experience he knows his players will cherish.
“People that have never been to a D3 tournament should go see it because it’s really competitive and very good softball,” Wares said. “We’re just happy and fortunate to be part of that.”
Similarly, the energy and emotion provided by the growing network of alumni players who remain firmly connected to the program keep Wares as fueled in year 36 with the Dutch as he was in 1985.
“I can’t tell you how many texts and emails we got at five o’clock in the morning on (Jan. 27) when we started practicing,” Wares said. “(They’re) saying, ‘OK, it’s my second year out and I still miss it,’ or ‘It’s my first year out and I woke up at 5 wanting to go to practice.’ Things like that are real impactful.”
