Optimism is high for the Oak Park and River Forest High School softball team as the start of the 2016 season looms.
The Huskies, who are coming off a third-place finish at last year’s Class 4A state finals, are ranked 19th in the nation in the latest MaxPreps poll.
The hype is such that veteran OPRF coach Mel Kolbusz is trying to tone down the expectations.
“It’s nice publicity, I guess, but it’s meaningless,” Kolbusz said of the national ranking. “They’re going off what we did last year.”
True, but considering the Huskies graduated only four players, two of them starters, from a squad that went 33-4, the ranking isn’t outlandish.
With two Division I pitchers and their top seven hitters all back, the Huskies figure to be formidable again, at least on paper.
“I hate to be overly optimistic,” Kolbusz said. “I knew a coach once who always said (his team) is going to compete for a state championship. When you say things like that there’s nowhere to go but down.
“I’m a glass-half-empty guy. Everybody teases me about that. But we’re confident and excited.”
The main reason for the confidence is the return of pitchers Chardonnay Harris and Emily Richardson.
Harris, a junior who is committed to Auburn, went 18-3 with a 1.59 earned-run average and 176 strikeouts in 118.2 innings last spring en route to earning First Team All-State honors.
Richardson, a senior in her fourth season on varsity, was 15-1 with 112 strikeouts in 100 innings. The All-Conference pick has signed with Valparaiso.
“The both throw 60 to 61 (miles per hour) and have all the pitches,” Kolbusz said. “They’ve both got a lot of experience.”
In a sport where pitching still rules, having two aces is a luxury.
“I think it definitely is an advantage,” Kolbusz said. “Nobody gets worn out and if one of them is pitching and is not on par to where she usually is, I can bring in the other one. It’s a nice option to have.”
Harris also brings formidable hitting skills. She batted .494 with 32 runs batted in last year, part of a deep lineup that is loaded with talent.
Sophomore Maeve Nelson, a Northwestern recruit and arguably one of the best all-around athletes in the area, moves from second base to her natural position, shortstop, to take over from Taylor Arends.
Nelson, who batted .508 with 56 runs, 36 RBIs and 15 doubles as a rookie, is a MaxPreps Underclass All-American and the only freshman named to the Class 4A All-State team.
“Maeve had a great year,” Kolbusz said. “She’s a year older and she’s a really mature kid. I expect her to step into one of the leadership roles. She knows not to overstep the boundaries.”
Also back are senior All-Conference players Samantha Linde in centerfield and Caitlin Santiago at first base. Santiago hit .394 with 39 runs, 38 RBIs and 11 doubles and will team with Ellie Ziegler, who played right field last year but is a natural infielder who might start at third base, to give the Huskies plenty of speed. Ziegler hit .390 with seven home runs and 40 RBIs.
The Huskies have two other returning starters in catcher Sydney Babbington and left fielder Ireland Flannery. OPRF scored 365 runs in 37 games last year so another offensive explosion isn’t out of the question.
“I’m hoping we can score runs like we did last year,” Kolbusz said. “We should pick up where we left off.”
Kolbusz is still looking to fill the other two outfield spots, but his infield and catching look solid. The top newcomers, juniors Mariah Scott and Katie O’Shea, can both catch and play the infield. They hit .403 and .578, respectively, for the JV team last spring.
The Huskies will be favored to repeat as West Suburban Conference Silver Division champions, with Downers Grove North and York the top challengers, and make another deep playoff run.
“They’re excited for the season to start,” Kolbusz said. “They know we have a lot of talent and they’re looking forward to proving themselves. I tell them just be quietly confident.”