Blanchester has just five returning letterwinners for the 2023 version of BHS softball.
Last season, the Wildcats were 12-11 overall, 5-7 in the SBAAC National Division. The Wildcats were district runnersup a season ago.
Rianna Mueller (.473 average; 9-6, 94 K) was first-team All-SBAAC while Bailey Dawley and Olivia Potts were second team. Mueller, Maggie Caldwell, Madison Creager and Zoie Stanforth graduated in 2022 and Potts and Kyra Renick are not returning to the team.
Lydia Peters was given honorable mention and is among the top returning players with Dawley, Alayna Davenport, Quynn Dawley and Hope Blankenbeckler,
Blanchester softball coach Jamey Grogg is the veteran in the county, with 244 career wins in 19 years of coaching. He’ll be assisted by Tom Lee, Matt Sexton, Zach Dawley, Jadence Jump, Makayla Graff, Tracey Shank and Michael Compton.
With so few returning starters in place, BHS will welcome several newcomers of note including Emma Falgner, Mia Torres-Garcia, Sarah Pell (played in 2022 but missed most of the season), Katelyn Toles, Bailie Bare, Mackenzie Blankenbeckler, Jocelyn Lansing and Tobi Tedrick.
Grogg said Peters and the Dawleys have become leaders on a team filled with young, inexperienced varsity players.
“Lydia and Bailey are both three-year members of the varsity team, so they are the most experienced players on our roster,” Grogg said. “They are hard workers who lead by example with their effort every day in practice. Quynn plays shortstop, who is basically the “captain” of the infield, that role on the field has just carried over in to how she conducts herself every day at practice.”
SCHEDULE
Blanchester
March 25^WB, Fayetteville^WB^TBA
March 27^McClain^H^5p
March 28^West Clermont^H^5p
March 29^Williamsburg^A^430p
March 31^Wilmington^A^430p
April 1^Washington CH^A^11a/1p
April 3^Georgetown^H^430p
April 5^Felicity^A^430p
April 6^Batavia^H^430p
April 7^Clermont NE^H^430p
April 10^East Clinton^A^430p
April 12^Bethel-Tate^H^430p
April 14^Clinton-Massie^A^430p
April 15^Southeastern^H^11a/1p
April 18^McNicholas^H^5p
April 19^H^Williamsburg^430p
April 21^Georgetown^A^430p
April 22^Mt Notre Dame^H^11a
April 24^Felicity^H^430p
Aprl 25^Madeira^H^5p
April 26^Clermont NE^A^430p
April 28^East Clinton^H^430p
April 29^Goshen^A^11a/1p
May 1^Bethel-Tate^A^430p
May 2^Reading^H^5p
