Northeast Nodaway, with nine returners this year, is seeking to take their softball team to the next level. But they will have to overcome the numbers game as there are only 12 players out this year.
To do so, they will have to get past Princeton, who beat them 1-0 in districts last year. And if they get out of districts, they will have to get past either Gallatin or Polo, which have dominated Class 1 softball in the area recently. The Bluejays had a successful summer season, going unbeaten, but two teams to watch nipping on their heels will be Worth County and Platte Valley. Worth County inflicted the only blemish on the Bluejays’ record, playing them to an 8-8 tie, while Platte Valley put together a frantic rally and nearly caught them in one game. Maleeah Bliley (Platte Valley) and Amelia Wallace (Stanberry) will be two of the best players the Bluejays will see this year. And if new coach Cody Green replicates what he did with the NEN baseball team, he will have Worth County playing its best ball when districts come around.
The Bluejays start with Baylie Busby, who has been the heart and soul of the team for the last three years. She missed most of last year due to injury (femur), but she is healthy this year and will return behind the plate. She is one of the top hitters in the area and hit her first ever over the fence home run at Stanberry this summer.
The Bluejays have the luxury of having two starting pitchers they can use. Hadley DeFreece can get batters to chase and is a workhorse, pitching several games a week for both her travel squad and for the Bluejays this summer. Lindsey Jackson has continued the improvement she has shown on the mound last year, tossing a no-hitter against Albany last summer.
Blair Nelson played first last year, but she was at shortstop a lot this summer. Her bat has come alive, and she hit a lot of triples this past summer.
Hayley Yost handled the catching chores with Busby out, getting better every single game. With Busby returning, she has played both outfield and second base, where she has shown the willingness to lay out for the ball.
Makenzie Pride has improved both with her bat and her fielding and handled first base a lot this summer. Brianna Meyer, a sparkplug at the plate for the Bluejays, returns to third. Mylee Wilmes returns to patrol the outfield. Sasha Deardorff returns to the outfield as well, and has improved her bat this year, hitting a bunch of opposite field triples to left field. Either Jackson or DeFreece will anchor the other outfield spot depending on who is pitching.
The Bluejays have three freshmen to round out the roster. Of those, Sadie Hall showed the most promise, beating out everyone in running drills on Thursday in hot and humid conditions.
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