With five seniors and two juniors set to start, it would appear the Perry softball team has all their answers in place.[wpedon id=”82220″ align=”center”]
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Talented seniors Jo Diw and Sid Vancil return up the middle at shortstop and second base, respectively, where both have starred for several seasons.
Senior T.J. Sheehy will start at third base and senior Grace Stewart — who rarely batted last year — in left field.
That leaves center field standout Alyssa Kruger, one of the better defenders at the spot in Class 3A. However, Kruger has volunteered to leave her position to move into the pitching circle, where Emma Olejncizak reigned for nearly five full seasons.
“No one is going to replace Emma, and everyone knows it,” head coach Tina Lutterman said. “But Alyssa has stepped up and she is quite capable. If we play good defense behind her it will make the switch easier than people might think.”
Veteran catcher Brooke Huntington has also departed, as has the potent bat and strong arm of right fielder Rachel Kinney.
Gabby West will be given the first shot behind the plate, with Adriana Eastman attending first base. Both are juniors.
Who will fill the center and right field spots remains an open question, Lutterman confessed.
“Yes, we have the upperclassmen, but after that, it is untested freshmen and eighth-graders,” she said. “Some, if not several, of them are going to have to play, so we just need to be patient as they adjust to seeing varsity competition for the first time.”
Kennedy Tunink, Macy Kilmer, Peyton Tunink, and Jayna Kenney will likely all be pressed into action, and it is those positions that create the guessing game.
No such concerns exist for multi-year starters Diw, Vancil and Kruger.
Diw hit .454 with 59 hits and 43 runs scored last season. She drove in 40 runs, and boasted a .908 slugging percentage with 12 doubles, four triples and 13 home runs.
Vancil batted .323 with 41 hits and 27 runs scored while Kruger had a .321 average on 34 hits including 12 doubles and one home run. Kruger had 22 RBIs and Vancil 17.
West will bring a .298 average to the lineup, while Eastman hit .261 with 17 RBIs. Eastman had two home runs and West one.
Perry was 26-11 last year and 8-6 in Raccoon River Conference action. They open play with a varsity only game, at 5:30 p.m. at Des Moines Christian and will return to action Friday with a trip to Norwalk. Perry is at ADM May 29 before hosting Carroll for their home opener May 30.
