Softball Season Opener: Mix of New and Returning Softball Players Working Together Well
The Eagle softball team got through the recent cold snap without having to move its practices indoors. Now they’re preparing for a long series of road trips to the south where the fields don’t freeze, it takes a lot less time to loosen up, and the competition is tough.
Head coach Jon Cox, now in his 11th year leading the Eagles, knows all about the challenges of playing spring ball in California’s far north. “It makes you appreciative when the weather’s nice,” he said. And that’s what he hopes they’ll have when they finally start playing games on their home diamond nearly two months from now, on March 24.
The Eagles’ 2023 roster features nine returning players, including two who made last year’s all-conference second team and provide strength up the middle: centerfielder Halliday Hubbard of Etna and shortstop Alexis Figueroa of Salem, Ore.
Cox is looking for them to help supply some of the offense lost with the departures of all-conference first team players Zoe Mendez and his daughter Ashley Cox, who is now playing at the four-year college level, as is Ericka Allen, another graduate from last year’s team.
Other returners the Eagles will be relying on for offense and defense this spring include Breanne Cox of Boise, Idaho (no relation to the coach) at third base, Eva Versloot from the Netherlands at first base, outfielder Elyse Benson of Red Bluff, and catcher Alicia Chavez from Modoc High School in Alturas.
The coach also hopes that “a very good group of freshmen” on the roster “will be very productive.” That group includes Shyla Mead of Roseburg, Ore., at second base, Olivia Dedmon of Roseburg at third base, catcher Abigail Wolf of Colusa, and Maddalyn Fullenwider of South Medford, who plays both first and third.
Instead of depending on a couple stalwart starting pitchers, Cox goes into this season with a half dozen, including returning sophomores Hannah Stone of Boise and Kristina Lesher of Grants Pass. They’ll be joined in the rotation by Leea Brown of Tulelake, a transfer from Cuesta College, and freshmen Kaitlin Estes of Burney, Gracie Copeland of Portland, and Abigael Marines of Reno, Nev.
“We have the ability to give teams different looks,” Cox said of the pitching plan. “What we lack in velocity, we’ll make up for with a mix-and-match approach.”
Newcomers including infielder Samantha Ray of Onterio, Ore., and Nevaeh Atchley, a “very fast” outfielder/catcher from Medford, help provide depth and flexibility, along with two infielders from Beaverton, Ore., sophomore Juliana Penuel and freshman Katelyn Weber.
Cox is encouraged that it’s a team with players who care for each other. “That’s so important,” he said. “They hang out together and work together well. That will help make us tough. We’re looking forward to getting on the field and getting after it.”
Returning assistant coach David Burcell helps with the outfielders, and Cox also likes having former Eagle pitcher Kendall Moser (2016-17) on board to “get pitchers mentally and physically prepared.”
Cox is a former Eagle too, the shortstop and team captain for the 1994 baseball team. He also played for Georgia College and for the Humboldt Crabs. He was the head baseball coach for strong Mount Shasta High School teams in 2010-11, then returned to COS as head softball coach in 2012. His coaching experience includes 15 years with American Legion/Babe Ruth teams in the area, and two of his Siskiyou Jaxx Babe Ruth teams won state championships.
So, yes, he knows the challenges of north state spring sports weather well and prefers the long road trips to playing preseason games closer to home. “We’ll cover some mileage,” he said. “We want the girls to compete and enjoy all the rigors. We want them to embrace it, and it will make things better in the long run.”
The Eagles will open their season against three teams that made it to last year’s Elite 8 in the state, starting Friday, Feb. 3, at San Jose City College, where they play on astroturf. They’ll then face Sierra and defending state champion San Mateo Feb. 11 in San Mateo.
Other road trips have the Eagles going to Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, Salinas, etc.
“We’ll be challenged,” Cox said. “I’ve always embraced starting with a tough schedule. It prepares you for a long season and tough conference.”
Cox expects Butte and Feather River to be the teams to beat once the Golden Valley Conference games start in mid-March. He said, “We always talk about wanting to compete for the GVC championship, that’s our number one team goal. We want to put ourselves in position every game for either getting the final out or being one swing away from winning.”
But it’s not all about the final results. It’s also about the fundamental things: “solid defense, throwing strikes, discipline at the plate, good energy in the dugout and on the field, timely hitting. Those are all crucial things you need. We use non-conference games to prepare and compete and not be concerned if they struggle. We have confidence in them and give them time to work through it. The team is there to support them. It should be a fun year for us.”
By Steve Gerace