By Ryan Mink
rmink@digitalsports.com
Sherwood Coach Pat Flanagan has been coaching in Montgomery County for 33 years.
And all the while, she’s been waiting and waiting for the county to catch up to the rest of the state.
“Outside of Montgomery County, we’re definitely several steps back,” Flanagan said. “I don’t know how long it’s going to take.”
Flanagan yet again bore the brunt of softball’s predominance in Anne Arundel County. After getting through the tough 4A West, Sherwood beat Eleanor Roosevelt in the state semifinals, setting up a meeting with Chesapeake.
Sherwood lost 7-0. And to make matters worse, they didn’t get a single hit.
Overall, it’s been a decade since a Montgomery County team – Gaithersburg — has last won a state title.
“You don’t see pitching and hitting like that here on a consistent basis like they do,” Flanagan said. “And you have to match their intensity and desire and I think we fall short this year.”
This season, the Warriors return star pitcher Erin McMakin and one of the best shortstops in the county, Taylor Stockinger. Add right fielder Jessie Karp to the mix and you have all of Sherwood’s seniors.
The Warriors, who went 18-3 last season, have just five returning starters – junior catcher Shayna Popkin and junior second baseman Kat Correa fill out the returners. Sherwood may have a freshman at first base, sophomore in the outfield and junior at third base.
“It’s a matter of everyone getting used to playing the person they’ve not played beside before,” Flanagan. “[This preseason] we’ve look good and looked awful.”
Flanagan’s biggest fear is that her girls will take the state finals appearance for granted. To site an example of what can happen, she told her team that the year after going to the 1986 state finals, the team was around .500.
It’s hard to see that happening again considering Flanagan couldn’t think of a time when her Warriors lost more than three games during a regular season. But if they needed it, the Warriors got another kick in the pants when they went to Anne Arundel County this preseason to face Broadneck. Sherwood lost, 5-0.
“This team could be in the tank if you’re not ready to play every game,” Flanagan said, adding that McMakin and Stockinger have already had led some discussions with the team. “Erin and Taylor, they’ll play every game like their pants are on fire.”
DAMASCUS LOADED AGAIN
The Hornets are perhaps the county’s other best shot at a state title.
“Our team goal, as it always is, is to return to the state tournament with a good showing,” Coach Barb King said.
Damascus went 17-3 last year and reached the 3A state semifinals, where they lost to Northern (Calvert). They graduated just four players – although that included hard-hitting Amanda Ray and Amanda Nagy – but return 11 from last year’s roster and seven starters.
Leading the pack is defending Player of the Year shortstop Taylor Wyatt, who hit .556. Last year, center fielder Stephanie Hudlow hit for a .479 average, Allie Part hit .333 and catcher Katie Denell hit .324, so there’s plenty of hitting returning.
Part will continue as the Hornets’ pitcher but will be sharing pitching duties with Covenant Life transfer Megan Alexander.
LITTLE BUT GOOD
It hasn’t taken Clarksburg long to establish itself as a 2A softball power in the area and the Coyotes plan on building on that this season.
The Coyotes went 17-2 last year, losing to Century 2-1 in the regional semifinals. This year’s team is young — there is only one starting senior — but experienced with seven of nine starters returning from last year’s team. Most of the girls have been on the team since their freshman year.
The starting senior is very talented catcher Erin Youngblood, who hit .516 with 22 RBI last season.
“We are hoping to continue building our program into one of the best in the area,” Coach Larry Hurd Jr. said.
Poolesville loses its two top players – and two of the top players in the region – in Rachel Stream and catcher Allison Gost. But the Falcons bring back eight players with varsity experience and six seniors from last year’s team that went 15-4 and lost in the 1A West region quarterfinals to Mountain Ridge.
Shortstop Megan Foy and Jackie Winning batted .485 and .357 respectively last season, each knocking in 21 RBIs. However, a pair of freshman will share pitching duties in Magen Harris and Patti Maloney.
NEAR THE FRONT OF THE CLASS
Wootton won the division for the third time in program history last season and first time since 1989, going 14-5 in the process. The Patriots lost a one-run game to Sherwood in the regional semifinals. The Patriots bring back leading RBI machine Sara Biron and three-year catcher Alex Shamburek. Andi Garnher takes over on the mound after striking out 67 batters in seven starts last year.
“The team goal is to win the region,” Coach Alton Lightsey said.
Blair had a whole new set of starters last year and still went 12-8 by winning seven of its last nine games. The Blazers also lost three games, 3-2, in extra innings. So they were very close to being in the upper echelon.
This year, Blair hopes to take that step this season behind first baseman Rachel Nicholson, pitcher Eve Brown – who will start about 75 percent of the game this season after splitting duty last year – and sophomore catcher Emily Haislip. Sophomore Blake Morgan will lead off and play shortstop.
Richard Montgomery should be one of the county’s strongest teams after going 14-5 last season. That’s largely because junior Kristen Hutchinson toes the rubber again after going 13-5 with 171 strikeouts and a 2.09 ERA last year.
The Rockets will need to find hitting after graduating Jocelyn Pickering and Jill Eckhart, but return a strong infield with 2B Kelsey Boyd, SS Christina Fuqua and 3B Shelby Riley.
AROUND THE HORN
Northwest is looking to build on its 9-7 record from last season. The Jaguars return super sophomore Emily Forst behind the plate, who hit .500 with 25 RBI and a slugging percentage of .788. Hanna Yi, who hit .310, comes back at second base.
Junior pitcher Ayanna Hilton will take over for graduated three-year pitcher Kate Franklin. Junior Steph Lescheck will take over at shortstop with a strong arm and dependable glove. The Jaguars are young, however, with six sophomores.
Einstein is hoping to build on its playoff win from last season. The team returns leader Sarah Chan, who can play shortstop, catcher or pitcher. Emily Bragg comes back to anchor second base for the Titans, who went 5-11 last season.
Churchill is a young team coming off a 4-12 season. Returning are senior catcher Jacque Vito, senior first baseman Lauren Siudzinski and sophomore SS/3B Maddie Ulanow.
Paint Branch is young but talented with shortstop Emma Schultz leading the way after hitting .460 last season. Lyssie Parkhurst and Kate McLaughlin effectively split pitching duties last year and look to again. The Panthers went 11-7 last season and lost to Urbana in the 3A West region semifinals.
Walter Johnson graduated 10 seniors from last year’s squad that went 3-13. Among those who left were Tiana Hakimzadeh, centerfielder, now at American University; Maraya Pratt, left fielder, now at Maryland; Katherine O’Konsky, 1st basemen/pitcher, now at McGill. But look out for freshman pitcher Bethany Buel.
Coach Maigan Campbell takes over at Bethesda-Chevy Chase following a 9-9 season. She returns talent, especially senior first baseman/pitcher Emily Becker.
“I am very much looking forward to being the coach this year,” Campbell said. “I’m very passionate about the sport and love the intense competition and game that comes along with it. All these ladies have something great to offer this team and I’m anxious to see what happens.”
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