The Trinity High School softball team has its sixth head coach in the last five seasons as Ivette Cano has taken the reins of the program. She hopes to provide needed stability for the Blazers.
“It hasn’t been easy, that’s for sure,” said Cano, an assistant on last year’s team who replaced Steve Curley in January. “But our girls are bright and resilient.”
Trinity, which went 11-2-1 last season, is off to a 2-0 start this year. After routing Niles North 16-2 in the season opener March 23, Linnea Drever’s two-out RBI single in the seventh gave the Blazers a walk-off 11-10 victory over Resurrection at Triton College on March 29.
Trinity pounded out 16 hits as Kendall Hynes had three and Drever, Anais Fernandez, Eleanor Flores, Claire Rambasek, Sofia Samatas and Tressa Scanlon all had two apiece. All 10 batters scored at least one run.
With eight returnees from last season, Cano hopes the chemistry they’ve established can help the Blazers this spring.
“What’s stood out to me is the new softball culture that we’ve been working on,” Cano said. “We have an amazing coaching staff, which makes a big difference.”
Trinity has non-conference matchups with Oak Park and River Forest as well as Fenwick. Cano says while those are always big, the Blazers have to be ready for every game as there are no easy ones on the schedule.
Trinity, which has long been in the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference’s top-flight Red Division, will be in the White Division this spring. Cano feels the Blazers can be in the mix for the division title.
“St. Ignatius has been solid the past couple of years and DePaul Prep is also getting good,” she said. “We hope to be competing for a conference championship when it’s all said and done.”
With all of the turnover at the top of the program in recent years, Cano wants her team to just enjoy playing.
“We want to have fun, be positive, and still be able to compete,” Cano said. “We’re already achieving our goals, and that comes from our softball culture and sisterhood bond.”
Trinity hosts Elmwood Park at Triton College, then visits St. Ignatius this week.
