Clay relies on softball heritage to stay competitive
Clay’s six Three Rivers Athletic Conference championships are the most by any school, by far. The Eagles have four titles more than any other TRAC program.
This year the Eagles’ finished 13-12 overall and 10-4 in the league, but that did not put a damper on the season. Just four league losses kept the Eagles in the thick of the conference race.
Five of eight all-league choices were underclassmen, so the Eagles will no doubt contend next year, the final year of the TRAC, before Clay becomes a member of the Northern Lakes League in 2023-24.
That includes two of three first team All-TRAC selections — junior infielder Morgan Cook, senior outfielder Katelyn Wagner and at-large selection Olivia Yenrick, a junior catcher.
Wagner, the lone first team senior, was dynamic at the plate, batting .453 (34-for-75) with 31 runs, 35 RBIs, seven doubles, three triples, one home run, and four stolen bases.
Wagner, a second team Northwest District selection, two-year letter winner and team captain, led the team in RBIs, sacrifice flies and was second in hits, slugging percentage and batting percentage.
She had a .483 on-base percentage, and despite seven errors, finished with an .811 fielding percentage trying to catch up after missing much of her junior season.
“Katelyn is the cleanup batter in the lineup and has been clutch with runners in scoring position, especially with two outs,” Clay coach Brenda Radabaugh said. “Katelyn missed a big portion of last season due to an ankle injury and it has been nice to see what she can do when healthy.”
Cook, a three-year letter winner, earned first team All-TRAC after garnering second team last year, and was also a second team all-district pick this year.
Cook had the exact same batting numbers as Wagner, .453 (34-for-75), but with 38 runs, 25 RBIs, seven doubles, 16 stolen bases and a .554 OBP.
Despite eight errors and having to learn a new position, Cook fielded .930. She decided to play third base her own way.
“Morgan is a strong third baseman, but she had errors early in the season because she was reluctant to switch to her new glove,” Radabaugh said.
Cook led the team in runs, walks and SB and was second in hits, RBIs, OBP, batting average and hits with runners in scoring position, batting in the three-spot. Her ability to steal came more from instinct and strong base running skills than anything else, Radabaugh says.
“She is not our fastest runner, but our smartest base runner,” explained Radabaugh.
For Yenrick, a three-year letter winner, it helps coming from a strong baseball and softball family, getting a first team nod after being picked as a second team choice as a sophomore.
She had just four errors, directing the team’s defense from behind the plate, and a .957 fielding percentage. She had just five passed balls in league play.
“As a second-year catcher, Olivia has grown in her leadership and her ability to block balls,” Radabaugh said. “However, her greatest area of growth was offensive. Olivia was our lead-off batter due to her ability to hit all levels of pitching.”
Yenrick batted .493 (36-for-73), which was up over 150 points from last year, with 34 runs, 24 RBIs, 10 doubles, one homer, and nine stolen bases. She led the team in doubles, home runs, OBP (.573), slugging percentage and batting average.
Earning second team All-TRAC are two seniors, infielder Camren Madrid and designated player Chloe Munoz.
Madrid, a two-year letter winner, hit .329 (24-for-73) with 18 runs, 22 RBIs, 10 doubles, four stolen bases and a .347 OBP. Her one throwing error and .994 fielding percentage earned her the team’s Golden Glove award despite learning a new position.
“In past years, Carmen has played shortstop, third base, catcher, and outfield, but never first base. When we talked to her about playing first this year, her response was ‘Sure, it can’t be that hard,’” Radabaugh said. “She is the ultimate team player and has been remarkable at first base.”
A two-year letter winner who was honorable mention All-TRAC as a junior, the left-handed power hitting Munoz batted .358 (24-for-67) with 11 runs, 21 RBIs, eight doubles, three stolen bases and a .451 OBP. She was second on the team in doubles, walks, and sacrifices.
Munoz has accepted a scholarship to continue playing at Triton College near Chicago. When it comes to playing in the field, she is a jack of all positions, which will help immensely at Triton.
“Chloe has started every game at either DP, pitch, or third base this season. Sometimes she played all three positions in the same game,” Radabaugh said.
Then, you get to the future of the lineup in honorable mention selections Camryn Reiter, Brynn Reiter and Emily Maix. Camryn Reiter and Maix are juniors, while Brynn Reiter is a freshman.
Still, Brynn Reiter put up upperclassmen-like numbers, batting .390 (23-for-59) with 20 runs, 20 RBIs, six doubles, two triples, seven SB, and a .455 OBP. However, varsity softball was a learning process for Reiter.
“One-third of the way into the season Brynn was struggling at the plate, so she was our flex for two games. After that she made some adjustments and became a strong hitter,” Radabaugh said.
Despite being a first-year varsity player, Reiter, too, had to learn a new position from her youth playing days.
“Brynn’s strength and comfort zone is in the outfield, however, we needed a second baseman, so she accepted the challenge,” Radabaugh said.