The Forest City softball team will open their 2022 season at home tonight in a game you can hear on KIOW FM 107.3.
The Indians were 9-17 a year ago and lost most of their experienced players.
Starting with the pitching, Forest City lost Alyson Walker to graduation. She threw 118 and 2/3 of the 133 and 1/3 innings the Indians played last year. Freshman Michaela Dehrkoop threw 12 and 1/3, while junior Allison Klein didn’t pitch last but has in the past.
The Indians will welcome back their most potent hitter, sophomore Emma Anderson. As a freshman, Anderson’s slugging percentage was .548. She hit six doubles, three triples, and three home runs with ten singles.
Missing will be their most effective hitter, Ellie Caylor, who hit .450 last year. They will also miss Lanna Johnson, a .300 hitter, Hannah Anderson, who collected 21 hits last year, Walker, who added 16 hits, and another 14 hits from Olivia Gayther.
To help Anderson in the lineup, Keevan Jones will return, who hit .284 and collected 21 hits, Karly Lambert, who had 25 hits and batted .347, and Klein, who started all 24 games last year and added 11 more hits.
Justin Uhlenhopp, who was just named as Waldorf’s new softball coach, will return for his fifth season at the helm. He has guided the Indians to a 33-59 record over four completed seasons.
The first pitch is set for 6:00 PM tonight – KIOW’s Zarren Egesdal will be on-air at 5:50 PM tonight with the pregame show.
