Mount Si has a long tradition of fierce fast pitch play and this

year promises to be more of the same. Despite losing a talented bunch of

seniors, coach Dirk Hansen is confident that the team the Wildcats will

field this year won’t give up easily.

Last year’s season found the team two games short of another trip

to state, losing to Seattle Prep in their final district game, 2-0, but it was still

a stellar year for the `Cats taking the KingCo regular season title and

third in the KingCo tournament. That kind of success has sparked a feverish

interest in play for the Wildcats with 55 girls trying out for the team.

Unfortunately, coach Hansen had to make some tough decisions to get the

roster down to 30, enough for a varsity and JV team.

“With transportation woes we couldn’t get a “C” team and none

of the other KingCo 3A schools have a “C” team,” said coach Hansen,

“We’re not even sure the 4A schools have

“C” teams,” he added. “We have great

turn-outs every year for softball. It’s a very popular sport here at Mount Si,”

he continued.

With a large group of seniors gone from the ranks of this year’s

teams, one might expect a lack of varsity experience, but that is far from the

case. The team boasts seven varsity returners, Heather Lewis, Dana

Luizzo, Genevieve Weber, Lauren Davis, Therese Duval, Nicole Deason

and Erica Tawney.

“Everyone thinks we are destitute and depleted because of our

graduating seniors, but we have some older kids on this team,” said coach

Hansen. “We are not as young as people think. We’ll be

ok this year. We have good leadership from our upper

classmen and the freshman that we have coming in will definitely help us out,”

he added.

Several of last year’s JV players will also play key roles in the

`Cats lineup this year. Lydia Anderson, a junior, will fill in at various

positions and Becky Hart will fill in at third base.

Other positions will be filled out with returning players. Tawney

will move from her primary spot as catcher to first base occasionally and

Weber will move in and out of third to second and short stop. Sophomore

Lauren Davis will start at shortstop.

“I feel very confident about our infield and my outfield,” said

coach Hansen.

New to the team this year will be newcomer Laura Mijal, a

sophomore. According to coach Hansen she has excellent speed, has a good glove

and bat, likely seeing a lot of action in the outfield. Also in the outfield will

be the speedster, Lewis, playing centerfield. Finally, in right will

be Luizzo, who likely has the strongest arm on the team.

“Last year they didn’t get very many balls, they’ll get more balls

this year,” said Hansen. “Our pitching

is going to be good, adequate, it’s not going to be great, but it’s not going

to be bad,” added Hansen. “We have a lot of new young pitchers coming

in and I am very optimistic,” he touted. “Nichole Deason throws a

good fastball and Allison Moorehead, an incoming freshman, throws a nice,

50 mph fastball,” he continued.

Both pitchers throw very hard but if they have trouble finding the

strike zone the team will go with a sophomore, Meghan Alexander.

“She doesn’t throw hard but she hits her corners well and throws strikes,”

said coach Hansen. “If we get in a situation, we’ll let her throw strikes and

put the ball in play and we’ll play defense,” added Hansen.

“Last year we could afford to have bad games, bad hitting games.

We could afford to play poorly and still win. This year we can’t afford to

do that. We have to show up to every single game and play up to our

potential,” added Hansen.

“I anticipate a finish in the middle of the pack and our team goal is to

get through the KingCo tournament and get to the district tournament, then

we will reevaluate our goals from there,” continued Hansen.

“I honestly think we can make a run for that KingCo title again in a

few years. We won it back to back for two years and we can make a run for

it again real soon,” said Hansen.

The JV level will see some changes as well. New as coach is

Jane Jobe, a 15-year veteran of fast pitch and PE teacher at Mount Si. She

is from the Coeur d’Alene area and actually graduated from the same

high-school as coach Hansen. Jobe’s primary focus will be on pitching.

Continuing his efforts as an assistant coach is Mike Tawney with his emphasis

on hitting.

Coach Hansen is in his third year and has amassed a 60 win,

13-loss record. “It’s good to see young kids coming up that have a good

attitude and listen to you, and they put the work in and want to get better,”

said Hansen.

“I don’t care what everybody says, but if Issaquah comes walking in

here thinking they are going to walk all over us and don’t play to their potential,

we will beat them,” he added.

Mount Si will open play with Sammamish at home on March 21.