Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
Coach: Lindsey Barton, seventh year
Last year: 11-8 (10-2 CL)
Key returning players: Alexis Avila (Sr., P/OF); Destiny Garza (Jr., P/C/SS); Gabby Fouty (Sr., INF/OF)
After finishing second in the City League last season, Waite softball has been selected to win the conference this year.
The Indians, who went 11-8 last season and lost to the eventual-state runner-up Anthony Wayne in a Division I sectional final, are poised to win the league and make a run in the new format that has seven divisions for the tournament.
Waite has a great deal of flexibility with the roster as a number of girls play multiple positions.
Alexis Avila leads off and will pitch or play in the outfield. Last year, she hit .490 with 17 RBIs and was 6-3 in the circle. Aaniyah Aldana bats second and plays shortstop and will see some time in the outfield. She's followed in the lineup by Destiny Garza, who hit .390. She will pitch and play catcher and shortstop.
Avila and Garza are coming off First Team All-City selections.
Gabby Fouty plays third and is the cleanup hitter, followed by Christa Hamilton, Marie Kropaczewski and Riley Kuharcheck.
Head coach Lindsey Barton expects Fouty to be a top hitter on the team this year.
Rayne Dehring or Jorja Skagga will battle it out for the No. 8 spot in the order, and Jacqueline Martinez or Natasha Torres are going to see who the No. 9 hitter is.
“Marie and Christa have the potential to be great at the plate,” Barton said. “Joria, Natasha and Jacqueline are all sophomores, and I anticipate them all growing a lot this season. They’ve already improved just from a month of practice. And Rayne is a solid outfielder with her speed.”
Kuharchek, a junior, will see time at catcher, first base, second base and in the outfield. Aldana, a sophomore, is in her first year on varsity. She will see time at short or in the outfield.
While Waite was picked to win the league, the other schools in predicted order of finish are: Start, Lima Senior, Rogers, Bowsher, Woodward and Scott.
"We hope to make a good run at the City League again this year," Barton said.
