With area high school softball teams geared up during the second week of the season, there are a variety of teams, players and storylines to watch as the prep scene ramps up.
Here are five things to keep and eye on for the rest of the 2024 season:
Can Wesco 4A repeat level of postseason dominance?
Wesco schools claimed three of the four state tournament berths from the Class 4A District 1/2 tournament a season ago.
Jackson, Glacier Peak and Kamiak look to run it back this spring after all recorded 20-plus wins in a jam-packed conference in 2023. The Timberwolves, who captured their third 4A state title since 2018 last season, figure to remain in the hunt for another deep playoff run.
Jackson hasn’t wasted any time in the early stages of its non-league schedule, hanging up a 14-2 victory over Inglemoor on Monday and a 10-0 shutout win against Woodinville on Wednesday.
Jackson returned the bulk of its starters from last season, as the Timberwolves graduated just two players in 2023. Junior and University of Washington commit Allie Thomsen, who returned after missing last season due to injury, has already produced three home runs over the Timberwolves first two outings.
UNLV-bound senior ace Yanina Sherwood, who pitched a classification-best 164 innings last spring, collected 16 strikeouts with no walks in a no-hitter on Wednesday. The reigning MaxPreps and ScorebookLive Washington State Player of the Year is joined by hard-hitting senior shortstop Rachel Sysum, a Fresno State commit.
Senior Leneyah Mitchell is also back after catching behind the plate in all but five innings last spring, while fellow senior and infielder Hailey Pelletier returns after slugging a team-best .429 batting average in 2023.
Glacier Peak, which trucked through a gauntlet of district loser-out bouts before it blazed its way into the state championship game against Jackson last season, also figures to be right in the swing of the Wesco 4A race as the season moves along.
Senior pitcher and University of Seattle commit Maya Mesa averaged 2.25 strikeouts per inning last season, and her presence in the circle in the new year should help mask the loss of graduated two-way standout Faith Jordan.
Glacier Peak’s Maya Mesa delivers a pitch during the Class 4A state title game against Jackson on May 27, 2023, in Richland. (TJ Mullinax / For The Herald)
Returning juniors Sammie Christensen, Lauren Hufford and Bri Titus all homered in Glacier Peak’s 13-3 opening night win over Mount Vernon on Wednesday as each look to remain key fixtures in the Grizzlies’ batting order with a new-look roster, which features nine varsity freshmen.
Kamiak donned an underclassmen-heavy rosters last season and looks to take a leap forward this spring. The Knights took the No. 9 seed at state, bowing out to Bothell in the consolation bracket.
Kamiak sophomore pitcher Synclair Mawudeku was the Knights’ go-to option in the circle down the stretch last season. She’s recorded 14 strikeouts over two games to start the new year, allowing five hits and one walk across eight innings as Kamiak secured wins in its first two tilts.
Senior first baseman Scarlette Chapman highlights the returners in the lineup after batting .674 with a .692 on-base percentage as a junior. She also didn’t commit an error all season in the field.
Can Snohomish keep its run alive as Wesco 3A/2A champs?
Snohomish’s Camryn Sage takes a hack while batting against Stanwood during the Class 3A District 1 tournament May 16, 2023, at Phil Johnson Ballfields in Everett. The Panthers won league and district titles on their way to a second-place finish at state last season. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Panthers have captured three straight Wesco 3A/2A league titles, and in 2023 it was by a wide margin.
Snohomish went 23-4 overall and 15-0 in league play en route to a runner-up finish in the Class 3A state tournament last spring. The Panthers won 13 of their 15 league games by at least seven runs. Cascade finished second in the league at 13-2 in conference.
The Panthers lost nine seniors and top-tier talent to graduation, namely Skyla Bristol and Emma Hansen, who were both first-team all-area selections in 2023. Seniors Camryn Sage, Kendel Sage and Avery Clark are part of a handful of returning upperclassmen for Snohomish.
However, after a rocky 0-2 start with losses to Inglemoor and Bothell, the door seems open for another Wesco 3A/2A squad to perhaps knock the Panthers off the league throne.
Will Stanwood build from its underdog trip to state?
Stanwood players celebrate during a district game against Marysville Getchell on May 18, 2023, at Phil Johnson Ballfields in Everett. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Stanwood could be considered a dark-horse candidate in Wesco 3A/2A. The Spartans, who didn’t have a senior on their roster, saved their best stretch of games for the end of the year and made a run as the 3A District tournament’s lowest seed (12) to claim a state berth last season, the program’s first since 2009.
Senior outfielder Karson Bilow looks to build off a standout junior season that saw her belt seven homers with a .556 on-base percentage. Returning junior Rubi Lopez is another player to watch. The infielder was 37-for-37 on stolen base attempts last spring.
Can Cascade or Mountlake Terrace mirror 2023 success?
Cascade’s Jaidyn Wilson gets a hit during the game against Lakewood on March 13, 2023 in Everett. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mountlake Terrace and Cascade are two other choices to make a challenge for Wesco 3A/2A league supremacy as the Hawks begin their campaign on Friday against Ballard while Cascade is 2-0. Both squads lost top-end standouts to graduation in key positions from last season after making Class 3A state tournament appearances.
The Hawks graduated star catcher Cameron Dunn and her 30 career homers, however, returning senior pitcher Ellie Gilbert is back in the fold following an 126-strikeout season in 2023.
The Bruins will have to do without two-way ace Abby Surowiec, but Cascade is off to a blazing start with a total of 39 runs scored over two games, including 27 against Oak Harbor on Tuesday. Senior catcher Jaidyn Wilson was an integral part to Cascade’s offense last season, putting up a .512 batting average with just eight strikeouts across 90 plate appearances.
Which 2A schools can make it back to state?
In a Class 2A District 1 tournament which holds just three state bids to split amongst 10 schools, its a tall task for local teams to break through past juggernauts such as Sedro-Woolley and Lynden.
Last season, Lakewood and Cedarcrest met in a winner-to-state, loser-out contest at districts, with Cedarcrest notching their second consecutive state berth. The Cougars, who made a state appearance in 2022, finished 10-12 overall last spring.
Lakewood, along with the Red Wolves and Archbishop Murphy, are the only three 2A schools in the area.
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