March 13, 2019 at 12:57 p.m.
RHS softball dealing with low numbers, weather to start season
RHS softball dealing with low numbers, weather to start season
Most of last year's coaching staff remains intact, but there are not that many faces out for this year's squad - only 14 in fact - which will make this season different than years past for Hodag fastpitch.
"We're a young team," head coach D.J. DeMeyer said Monday as the Hodags began practice for the upcoming season. "We've got probably five or six juniors and four sophomores and one freshman, but we'll figure it out. We're young, but we've got some girls coming back with some experience. I'm excited. There's all kids of room for growth."
DeMeyer noted the team has only one senior - Mikayla Evenstad - who is still working her way back after a knee injury last fall cost her the second half of her volleyball season and her entire gymnastics season. Evenstad was the team's starting centerfielder last year and DeMeyer said there is no definite timetable for her return.
Because the program has only 14 players this year, all 14 will be on the varsity roster and the program will not field a JV team. However, DeMeyer said there is a silver lining with a small squad.
"I'm still excited because that gives us more one-on-one time with the girls to work on their skills and more quality time not trying to quick go through some things," he said. "We can actually work on it."
With several feet of snow still on the ground, DeMeyer figures the team will have several weeks to get down to basics and plenty of time to get ready for its first contest.
He said it's a process he's used to - given that the Hodags were stuck indoors until the second half of April last year due to a late spring thaw. Even with this week's warmup, it's still going to take a while for the snow to abate, the frost to leave the ground and the team to get out on the diamond.
"We've been trying to figure out what we're going to do for practice because we're going to be inside for a while," he said. "We're trying to figure out different drills to keep the girls engaged. We're working on their progress."
There's plenty of work to be done. The Hodags graduated six seniors off last year's squad and gained only one freshman. Among the losses were the team's top two pitchers - Stephanie Kuester and Molly Wagler - who combined to pitch virtually all of the varsity innings last year. DeMeyer said getting the hurlers the team has on staff ready for the season will be a top priority over the next few weeks.
"We've got basically three pitchers, all juniors, and if it goes like last year, we'll have a lot of doubleheaders. We'll need to stay healthy," he said. "That was one of our problems last year. We need to get our pitching arms strong. Two of the pitchers that we have this year had arm problems last year. We need to make sure we don't have that this year."
Weather permitting, Rhinelander is slated to open the season April 1 at Merrill and open Great Northern Conference play at Tomahawk a day later.
Softball was the second RHS sport to begin spring practice, following track and field last Monday. Pitchers and catchers have reported for a week of instruction for the RHS baseball team, with the first full practice of the season scheduled for next Monday. RHS girls' soccer practice will begin next Monday as well. The earliest the RHS boys' tennis and golf teams can practice under WIAA regulations is March 25.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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