Junior first-baseman Veronica Crownover is a key bat in a Wolf softball lineup chock full of big-time sluggers. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
One strike.
That was how close the Coupeville High School softball squad came to advancing to the state tourney a season ago.
But, after a long road trip, then playing four postseason games in less than 24 heat-drenched hours, and winning two of them, the Wolves were denied at the very end.
It could have been a crusher, but instead, it has become the spark which has kept the fire burning deep in the heart of every CHS player this off-season.
Now, “spring” has arrived, and with it, the Wolves are ready to launch a new assault on the school record book and opposing pitchers.
“Our goals for this season are the same as always,” said CHS coach Kevin McGranahan. “Above all else, have fun and gel as a team; compete for the league championship every day; advance to state and make sure they knew Coupeville was there by upsetting some teams.”
Coupeville went 19-5 last year, the second-best record in 39 years of Wolf softball, losing to just two teams.
Three tough losses, two on the road, to Chimacum, denied them an Olympic League title by the slimmest of margins.
Then, two defeats to perennial power Bellevue Christian at districts, packaged around wins over Vashon Island and Seattle Christian, ended the Wolves season.
Both Chimacum and BC absorbed substantial losses to graduation, while Coupeville, for the most part, is returning the core of its squad.
Second baseman Jae LeVine and left fielder Tiffany Briscoe graduated, while slugging shortstop Mikayla Elfrank is sitting out her senior season as she recovers from a devastating leg injury suffered during basketball.
While the trio will be missed, the Wolves will still be a very deep, very talented squad, with most positions manned by veterans.
Seniors Katrina McGranahan (P), Lauren Rose (3B) and Hope Lodell (CF) have been All-Conference players year in and year out, with McGranahan the reigning Olympic League MVP.
Junior catcher Sarah Wright has been a star from day one, launching moon shots and gunning down would-be base stealers, while junior first baseman Veronica Crownover is a threat to clear the fences every time she swings a bat.
Toss in sophomore jack-of-all-trades Scout Smith, who blossomed as a star during last year’s playoffs, and the Wolves can stand with just about anyone.
There is plenty of depth as well, with a mix of returning bench players and a talented group of freshmen headed up by former little league standouts Mollie Bailey and Chelsea Prescott.
“I feel that we are strong again as a team and that together these girls can all be the top returning player any given day,” Kevin McGranahan said. “All of them will be pretty much interchangeable on the field.
“We have a big freshmen class coming in,” he added. “So we will be strong in the future and will have to see how they look as practice takes shape.”
In the race for a league title defending champ Chimacum “will be a wild card,” while Klahowya, led by D-1 recruit Amber Bumbalough, “will be strong again this year.”
Port Townsend is mired in a 51-game losing streak dating back to 2014, but the RedHawks made huge strides in the second half last season and looked like a squad about to break through.
Instead of focusing on their rivals, the Wolves will look inward.
“Mental toughness is and always will be something a team needs to constantly work on,” Kevin McGranahan said. “The little things on the field will take care of themselves through practice.
“Our team strengths will be our team speed and the girls playing for each other and not playing for themselves.”
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