City high school softball capsules

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BY RON POWELL / Lincoln Journal Star

All LPS home games at Bair Park

DH-doubleheader

Lincoln East

Coach: Butch McLaren. 2004 record: 15-21. Returning letterwinners: Whitney Wells, jr., INF; Alysia Wittmaack, jr., P/OF; Aubrie Menghini, so., INF; Amanda Forgey, so., C. Others to watch: Courtney Petersen, jr.; Jenna Howell, jr.

Outlook: The Spartans will rely heavily on the leadership of Wells (.313 batting average) and Wittmaack (7-9, 1.42 ERA, 74 strikeouts). Forgey hit .301 and drove in nine runs last year as a freshman.

Schedule: Today—at Papillion-La Vista; Saturday—LPS Classic; Wednesday—Omaha Bryan; Sept. 1—at Kearney/North Platte; 3—Heartland Conference Tournament, Lincoln; 8—at Grand Island (DH); 10—Omaha Gross Invitational; 12—Northeast (DH); 14—Lincoln High (DH); 17—Elkhorn Invitational; 19—Fremont (DH); 21—Southwest (DH); 24—Southeast Invitational; 27—Southeast (DH); 28—North Star (DH); Oct. 1—at Pius X (DH); 3—at Hastings.

Lincoln High

Coach: Jennifer Schmidt. 2004  record: 1-38. Returning letterwinners: Kasey Farwell, sr.; Kaylean Tenopir, jr.; Erin Poor, jr.; Emma Olson, so.; Stephanie Frack, so. Others to watch: Nina Martinez, jr.; Jackie Martinez, fr.; Lisa Dougherty, so.

Outlook: By any standard, last season was rough for the Links. All of the letterwinners saw extensive playing time, so look for Lincoln High to be dramatically improved this fall. Tenopir (.242 batting average) and Farwell (9 RBIs) are the top hitters returning.

Schedule: Today—at Omaha Westside; Saturday—LPS Classic; Sept. 1—at Kearney/North Platte; 3—Heartland Conference; 6—Southeast (DH); 8—at Columbus (DH); 10—Columbus Invitational; 12—Fremont (DH); 14—Lincoln East (DH); 16-17—Omaha Westside Invitational; 19—Beatrice; 22—North Star (DH); 24—Southeast Invitational; 27—Northeast (DH); 29—at Norfolk; Oct. 3—Grand Island (DH); 4—Southwest (DH).

Northeast

Coach: Kari Amen. 2004 record: 31-13, fourth place Class A state tournament, No. 4 final ranking. Returning letterwinners: Jamie Jaques, sr., C/2B; Alissa Larsen, sr., OF; Renae Sinkler, sr., SS; Katie Moss, sr., INF/OF; Kelcy McGill, sr., INF/OF; Kelli Linke, jr., P/3B; Kylee Dart, jr., P/3B; Adrianna Koepping, jr., INF/OF. Others to watch: Megan Stump, sr., INF; Amanda Liedle, sr., OF; Sunni Barr, jr., OF; Taylor May, fr., INF/P.

Outlook: Northeast has the talent and experience to make a serious run at the Class A state championship.

Schedule: Today—at Columbus (DH); Saturday—LPS Classic; Monday—at Fremont (DH); Sept. 1—at Grand Island (DH); 3—Heartland Conference; 6—Pius X (DH); 7—Southwest (DH); 8—Norfolk (DH); 10—Omaha Gross Invitational; 12—Lincoln East (DH); 13—North Star (DH); 16-17—Omaha Westside Invitational; 20—Southeast (DH); 22—at Kearney; 24—Southeast Invitational; 27—Lincoln High (DH); Oct. 3—at Omaha Marian.

North Star

Coach: Briana Bates. 2004 record: 8-32. Returning letterwinners: Amber Lenhoff, sr., IF; Breeanca Douglas, sr., OF; Alycia Howard, sr., IF; Katie Anderson, sr., IF; Terran Benes, sr., IF; Stacy Cink, jr., OF; Kelly Bittinger, jr., OF; Jennica Rice, so., IF/C; Kam McKinney, so., P/IF. Others to watch: Brittany Coufal, fr.; Lyndsay Schlegal, fr.; Stephanie Densberger, fr.

Outlook: The Navigators made progress from year one (2003) to year two, and expect another jump this season. Douglas, Cink, Bittinger, Howard and Benes are all two-year starters. Bates was an assistant coach last season under Amanda Buchholz.

Schedule: Today—Falls City; Saturday—LPS Classic; Tuesday—at Kearney (DH); Sept. 1—Columbus (DH); 3—Heartland Conference; 6—at Norfolk (DH); 8—Fremont (DH); 10—Columbus Lakeview Invitational; 13—Northeast (DH); 15—Southeast (DH); 22—Lincoln High (DH); 24—Southeast Invitational; 26—at Bellevue West; 28—Lincoln East (DH); 29—Southwest (DH); Oct. 4—at Grand Island (DH).

Pius X

Coach: Jeremy Ekeler. 2004 record: 12-17. Returning letterwinners: Erin Bertrand, sr., OF; Randi Rasmussen, sr., 2B; Sammi Liegl, jr., OF; Megan Kreifels, jr., SS; Katie Mosley, so., P/1B/OF; Sara Bargen, sr., C/INF; Leah Zeleski, jr., C; Lyndsey Luxford, jr., OF/1B. Others to watch: Lexi Hauschild, sr., P/INF; Kristin Donnelly, jr., 1B; Megan Cunningham, jr., OF/IF; Megan Haney, jr., OF; Kelli Herbel, so., INF.

Outlook: The Thunderbolts are young with plenty of speed on the bases and some potent bats. Bertrand hit .422 last season with 10 doubles. Two other returning starters — Liegl and Kreifels — batted .393 and .351, respectively. Rasmussen and Mosley were also starters last season.

Schedule (at Uni Place Park): Saturday—LPS Classic; Tuesday—Omaha Duchesne; Sept. 1—at Omaha Mercy; 3—Millard North Invitational; 6—at Northeast (DH); 8—at Columbus Lakeview; 10—Ashland-Greenwood Invitational; 13—Norris; 15—at Ashland-Greenwood; 17—Hastings Invitational; 20—at Seward; 22—Gretna; 24—Southeast Invitational; 26—Southeast (DH); 29—at Omaha Skutt; Oct. 1—Lincoln East (DH); 3—Ralston.

Southeast

Coach: Tim Roberson. 2004 record: 34-11, Class A state tournament qualifier, No. 5 final ranking. Returning letterwinners: Ashley Douglas, jr., OF; Sarah Hoehne, so., C/2B; Lisa Suhr, so., P. Others to watch: Ally Burt, sr.; Jessica Bolin, jr.; Katie Birkel, so.; Kelsey Hamik, so.; Amanda Monk, so.; Kelsey Dunkle, so.; Emily Carpenter, so.; K.K. Houser, fr.

Outlook: Graduation hit the Knights harder than any team in the state. They must replace three first-team Super-Staters in Bailey Dawson, Sarah Wojtasek and Courtney Hoogeveen, as well as standout Tagney Jones. Hoehne and Douglas both saw some starting duty last season.

Schedule: Today—at Fremont (DH); Saturday—LPS Classic; Sept. 1—at Southwest (DH); 3—Heartland Conference; 6—at Lincoln High (DH); 8—North Platte (DH); 10—Columbus Invitational; 13—Grand Island (DH); 15—North Star (DH); 16-17—Papillion-La Vista Invitational; 20—at Northeast (DH); 22—at Columbus (DH); 24—Southeast Invitational; 26—at Pius X (DH); 27—Lincoln East (DH); Oct. 1—Papillion-La Vista (DH); 3—Norfolk (DH).

Southwest

Coach: Mark Watt. 2004 record: 21-20. Returning letterwinners: Tiffany Mockenhaupt, sr., P/SS; Alicia Bouges, sr., OF; Heather Albertson, sr., P; Megan Holbrook, jr., IF; Madison Drake, so., P/IF; Jackie Nordell, so., IF; Dani Bryant, so., OF. Other to watch: Alicia Bade, jr.

Outlook: Mockenhaupt is a candidate for postseason honors after hitting .321 last season and going 11-9 on the mound with a 1.15 ERA. Albertson (10-10, 1.95 ERA) and Drake add depth to the pitching staff. Drake hit .339 as a freshman. Bouges, Nordell and Bryant also started last season. Holbrook is a three-year varsity member.

Schedule: Today—Papillion-La Vista South; Saturday—LPS Classic; Tuesday—Hastings (DH); Sept. 1—Southeast (DH); 3—Heartland Conference; 7—Northeast (DH); 8—at Kearney (DH); 10—Omaha Gross Invitational; 13—Beatrice; 17—North Platte Invitational; 20—Grand Island (DH); 21—Lincoln East (DH); 22—at Norfolk (DH); 24—Southeast Invitational; 26—Fremont; 29—North Star (DH); Oct. 4—Lincoln High.