State champs restock

Replacing six seniors from a state championship team would typically be a daunting task for any coach.

Kelly softball coach Rhonda Ratledge has been in this situation before, though.

Following the program's first state title in 1997, Ratledge had to replace seven seniors. The result in 1998 was another district championship before back-to-back fourth-place state finishes in 1999 and 2000.

This time around, with only three returning starters and just three seniors on the roster, the defending Class 2 champion Hawks will put a talented but young squad on the field when they open Wednesday at home against Chaffee.

"I feel like we're young with only one returning senior as a starter, but the girls are looking good," Ratledge said.

While expectations for the young Hawks will be high, the progam's past successes show that Kelly can handle the pressure.

Since 1980, Kelly has won 20 district titles. The Hawks have only missed out on the state playoffs once since 1986, failing to win a district title in 2001. Of Kelly's nine trips to the state final four, four times the Hawks have made it in back-to-back years, which could bode well for this year's squad.

"There's always pressure because you want to go back," Ratledge said. "A lot of these girls got to experience the run we had. There's always pressure that you don't want to be the fall softball team that didn't get to go [to state] or had a bad season. Just because we've had success in the past, these girls don't have the attitude that it's going to be handed to them."

Ratledge, who sports a 259-60 record in 10 seasons, will have plenty to work with, including nine incoming freshman.

"A lot of these girls do play summer ball together, especially the juniors," Ratledge said. "That really helps out because when you play together you just know what they're thinking, where you have to go."

Kelly's biggest gaps to fill with the loss of its six seniors will be on the mound. The senior duo of Whitney Beggs and Kelly Essner pitched nearly every inning for Kelly last season, and both made all-state with ERAs below 0.70. Each recoded more than 100 strikeouts.

Junior Kalie Hughes will likely be the main pitcher for the Hawks after starting in the outfield last season. Kelly has several freshmen who will likely get a chance, as well as senior Megan Tetley, who pitched three innings last season.

"I lost two senior pitchers, outstanding girls that both went off to college and both all-state," Ratledge said. "When you lose two like that it makes you nervous, but you can't look at what you had last year. I have to look at what I have this year."

Ratledge said she is excited to see what Hughes can do this season.

"With the two seniors last year she didn't get a whole lot of work last fall," Ratledge said. "She'll get to show quite a bit this year. She's a workaholic."

Mindy Robert is Kelly's top returning hitter entering her senior season. Robert led the Hawks in RBIs last season and hit better than .300. Summer Proctor, a junior, hit better than .300 in more than 40 at bats.

Rivalry with Notre Dame

While a return trip to the state tournament will be the goal for the Hawks, another important date for Kelly will be a Sept. 26 meeting against Notre Dame. The teams have started quite a rivalry with some tight games, including a pair of one-run games last season when Kelly won 1-0 on a no-hitter and Notre Dame won 2-1 in eight innings.

"It's fun to come back from summer ball; we like to play each other," Ratledge said. "Our games have been so close over the years, and they play against each other in the summer."

Added Notre Dame coach Jeff Graviett: "It's a nice rivalry for us. One thing we like is we're both good, so you're always going to get a competitive game out of it.

Expectations have reached an all-time high for Notre Dame, which made its first trip to the state final four in softball last season. The Bulldogs lost just three seniors off their Class 3 third-place squad.

"We talk about it every year, raising the bar," Graviett said. "We raised it up by making a final four appearance, and the next step is going for a state championship."

All three of Notre Dame's sophomore pitchers return, as well as its top hitter. Beth Schnurbusch led the Bulldogs in wins with 11, while Miranda Schlosser pitched the big games down the stretch and finished with a team-best 0.68 ERA in 72 1/3 innings. Kristain Burger, another junior, led the team in batting average (.337) and RBIs (25) while posting a 6-1 pitching record.

"We have three very talented ones I wouldn't hesitate to use in any situation," Graviett said of his pitchers.

Regulars Bailey Reutzel, Heather Menz and Cortney Ostendorf also return for the Bulldogs. Menz hit .286 as a freshman and was among the team's leaders in RBIs with 17.

Notre Dame's biggest losses came on the left side of the infield, with the departure of three-year starters Alana Weissmueller and Whitney Ostendorf. Weissmueller and Ostendorf were two of Notre Dame's top two defensive players and both hit better than .300.

"We lost two starters that have been there for three years on the left side," Graviett said. "Those are big shoes to fill, but we're bringing back some offense and some team speed we haven't had the last few years."

Notre Dame still has a long way to match Kelly's postseason success, but the Bulldogs are beginning to start quite a tradition of their own in softball. The Bulldogs have won three district titles over the past four seasons, reaching the quarterfinals all three times.

"I think the expectations are going to be higher," Graviett said. "Last year everyone was satisfied we had a good year, but we want to take it a level higher."