After a year off due to COVID-19, Izzy Wells and Co. are back to reclaim the diamond. (Karen Carlson photo)
It’s been a long time coming.
Coupeville High School softball players are back on the field and ready to play games again for the first time since the 2019 state tournament.
The COVID-19 shutdown cost the Wolves the 2020 season and prevented four-year players such as Emma Mathusek and Scout Smith from experiencing their senior season.
But, while that hurts, the focus when players opened practice Monday was a positive one, said CHS coach Kevin McGranahan.
“I have 22 girls as of today and ALL of them have been practicing when we could throughout the last year,” he said. “They have all stuck by the program and are anxious to get the season going.
“I could not be more proud of this team,” McGranahan added.
“I am always proud of my teams, but this particular set of girls have endured through the last year and finally get to showoff a little bit.”
Leading the way will be five players from that 2019 team, which won a North Sound Conference title, finished second at districts, then advanced to state for the third time in program history.
Seniors Chelsea Prescott, Mollie Bailey, and Coral Caveness are joined by juniors Izzy Wells and Audrianna Shaw.
Wells was Coupeville’s #1 pitcher as a freshman, while Prescott has been one of her team’s most-dangerous hitters since day one of her own 9th grade season.
Bailey held down third base for the 2019 state team, and also has plenty of experience as a catcher, while Caveness and Shaw played multiple positions.
The five-pack are key as the Wolves move into their home in the Northwest 2B/1B League.
“Gonna need all of them to step up and lead the younger players that have never seen varsity time due to COVID,” McGranahan said.
Coral Caveness, one of three Coupeville seniors, last played at the 2019 state tourney. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
Among key newcomers for the Wolves are a group of “redshirt freshmen” — sophomores who never got to play last spring and are “talented, but very inexperienced at this level.”
These include Gwen Gustafson (pitcher/centerfield), Jill Prince (infield), and the deadly duo of Allie and Maya Lucero (infield).
Outfielder Lacy McCraw-Shirron, who transferred to Coupeville before last season, but never got on the field, is also expected to contribute.
Regardless of which of the 22 players get on the field, and in what positions, McGranahan will be there to preach hard work and improvement.
“We have strong leaders in our seniors, and our defense will be pretty solid with a scrappy offense,” he said. “(But we need to work on) softball IQ – we have to get better with our softball knowledge of the game and strategies.
“This is only because we are getting so young and inexperienced due to COVID; not a knock on the girls at all,” McGranahan added. “They just have to be able to learn quickly.”
Along with the time off, Coupeville is making the transition from 1A to 2B, with a new group of foes.
With schools playing shortened seasons as they return from the pandemic shutdown, the Wolves are scheduled for 12 games, all against league opponents.
They’ll play five games against fellow 2B schools La Conner (3) and Friday Harbor (2), with seven against 1B foes Orcas Island (3), Darrington (2), and Concrete (2).
Mount Vernon Christian (1B) doesn’t play softball, while Chimacum (2B) delayed its move to the NWL until the 2021-2022 school year.
There won’t be any playoffs this season, with the hope that things will be back to “normal” in the spring of 2022.
In particular, McGranahan, who enjoys having his team “play up,” is looking forward to when CHS Athletic Director Willie Smith can return to adding extra games to the schedule.
“I hope in future seasons we can play the 1A schools out of conference to challenge our girls, because they respond to a challenge.”
Which doesn’t mean the Wolves aren’t swinging for the fences this time out.
“Our goals are to win the league and develop the younger talent that lost a very big developmental year last season,” McGranahan said.
“Friday Harbor will be our biggest challenge from what I can tell,” he added. “They were getting pretty good before COVID, so I expect them to be our new rival.
“But with everyone having a year off, anyone could have gotten better.”
