Out with the old, in with the new

Published 7:51 pm Thursday, October 2, 2008

The Mount Si Wildcats close out a wonderful chapter this season in the history of their girls’ softball program as two of the last players to have critical roles in the Wildcats’ drive to the state title game in 2004 say so long to high-school softball.

The two are senior pitcher Kandis Clesson, bound for Idaho State and its reincarnated program this fall, and fellow senior first baseman Katie Morgan. Both were very integral in that drive in 2004, and in another strong drive last season that melted away in 90-degree heat at the district tournament last May.

Coach Larry White returns for his fifth season at the helm of the program that finished 17-8 last season with a Kingco tournament title under its belt.

White is looking for some good things this season. “We’re going to be pretty young, but we’ve got a couple of seniors that have been around for four years that have really learned how to win, and I think their attitudes and their abilities are going to be contagious for a lot of these young girls,” White said.

There is a lot of youth on this team, but those concerned with what the program will do to fill the holes left by Kayla Jayne, Ashley Svarthumle and Amy Trenkamp, all of whom graduated after last season and are now playing college softball, can rest easy. Those who saw the team play in the Seattle Summer League last summer or read the coverage in the Valley Record will know a few of the new names.

Sophomores Danae Englund, Kyleen Sweepe, Katie Brett and Katie Shaw will be counted on to make some noise this season. Junior outfielder Lacey Blais also returns, and her speed will be critical to the team’s success.

As for Shaw, White thinks fans may be in for a treat. “I’m expecting a great deal from Katie Shaw. She’s worked tremendously hard during the offseason and I think she’s going to be probably … one of the best catchers in the conference,” White said.

Two freshmen who look to make an impact are outfielders Melissa Webster and Traci Hall. Hall is ready for the season. “I’m really excited,” Hall said.

As for Webster, she thinks her senior teammates will lead the way. “Well, I expect our team to be really good because we have Kandis [Clesson] and Katie Morgan and they’re really amazing, and Katie is an amazing first baseman and Kandis is a great pitcher and I expect really good things,” Webster said.

The league is loaded with some great teams and players this season. White expects Issaquah, Bellevue and Sammamish to be at the top of Kingco 3A, with his team in the middle of the pack. Kingco is loaded with pitchiers. In addition to Clesson and Brett with the Wildcats, the Totems will be led by their senior fireballer Sarah Minice, who beat Clesson in the winner-to-state district game last season that ended Mount Si’s season much too soon. Newport has two great arms in senior Anna James and sophomore Stacey Hagensen, and Interlake has sophomore phenom Emily Walker.

The $75 Mount Si sports fee has had no effect on the program turnout. “Actually, we were up in numbers this year over what we’ve done in the past few years, and we have the largest freshman class we’ve ever had in my five years here,” said White.

The reason for such a strong freshman turnout? Chalk it up to the success of the last four years for this program. “I really think it [four years of success] has had an impact because everybody wants to be a winner. They [younger players] have been to our camps over the past few years; they recognize quite a few of these girls and I think they got the fever back the first year we went to state and they were like, ‘I want to be a part of that when I get to Mount Si,'” White said.

And, as one might expect from a freshman, here’s an ambitious prediction: “I think that we’re going to win state, or I hope we do,” said Webster.