When Mel Kolbusz announced his retirement last summer after a 49-year coaching career — including the past 29 seasons at Oak Park and River Forest High School — J.P. Coughlin didn’t believe he would replace him, given that he himself had stepped down as girls basketball coach earlier.
“I don’t think this was the plan when I stopped coaching basketball,” said Coughlin, who was Kolbusz’s assistant the previous six seasons. “The opportunity presented itself, and I’m excited about it.”
The Huskies are coming off a 16-7 pandemic-abbreviated season which included a regional title. But with a very inexperienced pitching staff and only two starters returning from the lineup, OPRF could be in for some early growing pains.
But tell that to the Illinois Softball Coaches Association, which has ranked the Huskies No. 16 in their IHSA Class 4A preseason poll.
The left side of the Huskies’ infield looks solid with returning senior Cate Barkdoll (College of Wooster commit) at third base and shortstop Ella Kuenster (DePauw). Both made the All-West Suburban Conference team last year, and Kuenster was named to the All-State Third Team.
Seniors Maggie Brangle, Martha Lipic, and Isabel Richmond contributed off the bench last spring and Coughlin expects them to play a bigger role this year. Newcomers to the lineup include sophomore catcher Tyler Brock, sophomore Rachel Buchta at second base, junior outfielder Kelly Cortez, sophomore center fielder Ellie Kilburg, and junior IF/OF Kelly Regan.
OPRF’s varsity softball team practices after school at Ridgeland Commons on Monday, March 14, 2022. | Alex Rogals/Staff Photographer 
OPRF’s varsity softball team practices after school at Ridgeland Commons on Monday, March 14. | Alex Rogals/Staff Photographer 
OPRF’s varsity softball team practices after school at Ridgeland Commons on March 14. | Alex Rogals/Staff Photographer 
OPRF’s varsity softball team practices after school at Ridgeland Commons on March 14, across the street from the school in Oak Park. | Alex Rogals/Staff Photographer 
Shortstop Ella Kuenster, a third team all-stater in 2021, is one of two OPRF players named to the all-conference team from last spring who return for the Huskies, ranked No. 16 in a preseason poll by the Illinois Softball Coaches Association. | Alex Rogals/Staff Photographer
OPRF doesn’t return a single inning of pitching this year, and that’s an area that needs quick development. Coughlin is counting on sophomores Jordan Alioto and Aria Hammerschmidt as well as junior Anne Stine and senior Cassie Dumelle to provide it.
“We’re a work in progress,” he said. “We have a lot of talent, but are so inexperienced right now, we’re doing a lot of teaching.”
Coughlin believes the team’s strengths are defense and speed. At the plate, the Huskies have been known for their home-run prowess in recent seasons, but Coughlin says this year they’ll play some small ball.
“We need to take advantage of our speed up to down the lineup,” he said. “We’ve been station-to-station because we’ve had four or five kids who could put it over the fence regularly.”
OPRF is scheduled to open the season at Mother McAuley on March 16.
Fenwick looks to snap back
Fenwick High School softball has a new leader as former Trinity head coach Bryan Hoffman takes over from Sarah James.
Hoffman has his work cut out as he attempts to reverse the Friars’ fortunes from last year, which ended with a 3-22 record. And the task is made more challenging given the lack of varsity experience.
“Many of us are new to the program,” said Hoffman, a 1996 Fenwick graduate. “We have only one senior that’s going to be healthy enough to play, and we’ve got five freshmen and three sophomores on the team.”
Moreover, the Friars will not have the services of senior Maddie Krzak, who will miss the season due to injury.
“Maddie’s a huge loss for us,” Hoffman said. “She was poised to have her best season yet.”
Fenwick returns just two players with varsity experience in junior pitcher Talia Lorenzo, who recorded 177 strikeouts with a 3.37 earned-run average last year, and sophomore Madelyn Entler (3B/1B), who batted .438 with two home runs and eight RBI in 11 games.
“She was only one of two pitchers on the varsity and we’re hoping to take a little bit of the burden off of her shoulders so that she can stay healthy,” Hoffman said.
Those available to assist Lorenzo are freshman Kailey Janda and sophomores Ellie Kolb and Sophie Stone.
A highlight of Fenwick’s schedule could come on April 21 when the Friars host Trinity. Danielle Hoffman, Bryan’s daughter, is a senior who’s one of the Blazers’ top players, and there’s a good chance she’ll take the circle that day.
Trinity returns experienced squad
Trinity High School, which went 16-14 with a regional title in 2021, returns nine players, including four seniors in Danielle Hoffman, Delaney Johnson, Meaghan Murphy, and Susie Riccio.
The Blazers also have a new skipper for the softball program as Jim Goranson replaces Bob Osborne as head coach. He is a former head coach at Regina Dominican who served as one of Osborne’s assistants last season.
Besides competing in the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference Red Division against Fenwick, Mother McAuley, Regina Dominican, and Resurrection, the Blazers have tough non-conference games with schools such as Elk Grove, Nazareth Academy, Providence Catholic, Ridgewood and St. Laurence. There’s also a game with neighboring OPRF on May 21.
“This group has the knowledge and experience of playing at a high level,” he said. “I’m hoping that the experience they gained last year will help them this year.”
Trinity begins the season with home games at Triton College against Mundelein on March 16 and Regina Dominican on March 19.
