Maize South Softball – Team Spotlight – Presented by Dudley’s Irish Pub
By Blake Chadwick As head coach Cody Stucky enters his 21st year as a softball coach, the motto for the year is to “Focus and Finish’ after their 17-5, 2024 campaign fell just short of the class 5A state championship. Stucky, who has always had a love for baseball and softball, grew up watching his […]
Derby’s Ava Hastings – Athlete Spotlight – Presented by Wichita Heating and Air
By Cooper Chadwick As a freshman, Derby High School’s Ava Hastings is ready to make her mark on a talented and experienced team. Head coach Christy Weve is already impressed with what Hastings is going to bring to the panthers. “Ava works hard on and off the field. She is fast, has a strong arm […]
Kingman’s Macie Brannan – Athlete Spotlight – Presented by Rogers Crop Insurance Inc
By Cooper Chadwick With a new head coach, things are bound to be different, but senior Macie Brannan is excited for what head coach Ashley Podschun will bring to the Kingman Eagles this year. “I am excited to have a new coach and get to know her and see how she coaches,” Brannan said. “I’m […]
Haven’s Sophia Faidley – Athlete Spotlight – Presented by Hellas Construction
By Blake Chadwick After back-to-back league championships in 2023 and 2024, senior catcher Sophia Faidley will look to get the Haven Wildcats back and make a deep state championship run. “As a player, Sophie is very focused and determined, and she works hard to be a good catcher,” head coach Darin Ashworth said. “She’s a […]
Derby Softball – Team Spotlight – Presented by Primerica – Rob Cooper
By Blake Chadwick The Derby Panther softball team is a program that consistently excels year after year. Now entering head coach Christy Weve’s 22nd season at the helm, the team aims to build on last year’s impressive 24-5 record and look to make it four straight state tournament appearances. “I expect the season to go […]
Andale-Garden Plain’s Emery Bensen-Hladik – Athlete Spotlight – Presented by C.E. Machine Company Inc
By Ken Hansard Last spring, after graduating eight seniors from the 2023 squad, the Andale-Garden Plain softball team was supposed to be entering a rebuilding phase; however, anyone who knows the history of these schools knows that there really is no such thing – that high turnover just means a chance to reload. The Indians, […]
Halstead’s Kaci Young – Athlete Spotlight – Presented by Action Physical Therapy
By Ken Hansard As Kaci Young looks toward her final season of softball for Halstead, she can also reflect on a lot of past success. The Dragons finished last season 20-4. A big reason for that impressive record came from Young’s exploits at shortstop and on the mound, where she recorded an impressive 176 strikeouts […]
Derby’s Karlie Demel – Poll Winner – Presented by Advanced Physical Therapy
By Matt Browning Derby’s Karlie Demel has long been known as a leadoff type of a hitter – doing whatever it takes to get on base for the middle of the order. But Demel is ready to bring more to the table in 2025. “I was one and two hole (in the order) last season […]
Conway Springs’ Regan May – Poll Winner – Presented by Advanced Physical Therapy
By Matt Browning Conway Springs’ Regan May tore her ACL during last summer’s softball season, so needless to say he is pumped for the 2025 school season. “An injury like that will either make you lay down or build a fire inside you,” May said. “Recovery was mentally and physically tough. It made me realize how much softball is a […]
Wichita Southeast’s Paige Jacobs – Athlete Spotlight – Presented by Tommy Leach Shelter Insurance
By Hayden Swope Wichita Southeast softball player, Paige Jacobs, was an all-league honorable mention pitcher, and she was only a sophomore. Now a junior, Jacobs has been spending extra time on the field and in the weight room to prepare for the season. Southeast head coach Aspen Salinas has been nothing but impressed with Jacobs, […]