What's the outlook for Livingston County softball in 2025?
Hartland was the only Livingston County softball team to advance beyond districts last season, but it was still a strong year for the sport in this area.
Three of the five teams won at least 20 games. The two who didn’t, Brighton and Howell, were competitive with fairly young lineups.
The season will begin in earnest after players return from spring break next week. Howell is the only county team to play so far, sweeping a doubleheader against Flushing last Wednesday. Getting in that early rust-buster could help the Highlanders when they face Brighton coming out of the break.
Following is a breakdown of the county’s five teams:
Brighton
► Last season: 18-22; 5-9 KLAA West (6th place)
► Top returners: Lauren Damron, 3B-DH, Jr.; Gracyn Houck, IF, Soph.; Samantha Janssen, 1B-OF, Jr.; Anna Minnick, IF, Soph.; Montana Tulley, 3B, Sr.
► Outlook: Brighton began what could be a major turnaround for a struggling program last season, overcoming a slow start to go 13-12 in its final 25 games and reaching its first district championship game since 2017 before losing to a Hartland rally. The foundational pieces were freshmen who are now sophomores, infielders Anna Minnick and Gracyn Houck. Minnick was Brighton’s leading hitter, making first-team all-county. Damron was the third-leading hitter with a .311 average. Brighton will be bolstered by the addition of junior pitcher Eryn McClendon, who was an online-only student at Dexter. McClendon’s speed tops 61 miles per hour. She will also be Brighton’s lead-off hitter. Kendall Pickens and Libby Carah are expected to be key contributors as freshmen.
► Coach Alicia Mobley: “I love the seniors we graduated last year, and they did have a huge impact. But the future is very bright at Brighton. I feel this year we’re in an even better situation than we were last year.”
Fowlerville
► Last season: 20-10-1; 8-2 CAAC Red (1st place)
► Top returners: Avery Borg, C, Soph.; Meadow Browne, P-1B, Sr.; Kiely Davis, SS, Jr.; McKayla Fletcher, 2B, Jr.; Tommi Kleinschmidt, CF, Sr.; Mackenna Maybee, LF, Jr.
► Outlook: Fowlerville graduated Tori Briggs, perhaps the best player in school history, but brings back nine players from a league championship team that won 20 games. Kleinschmidt will have a similar impact at the plate as Briggs, having hit .447 with four homers and 30 RBIs last season. The Gladiators don’t have an established ace in the circle, with Browne, senior Grace Nelson and sophomore Rylee Gulledge expected to split pitching duties. Fowlerville has four players who hit at least .300 in regular duty last season in Kleinschmidt, Borg (.379), Maybee (.364) and Davis (.304).
► Coach Brad Ryan: “Our schedule is brutal. I don’t know what to expect. We’re going to compete and learn and try to get better every game. I’m trying to change the trend of the program where we’re starting to play those better teams every day. I don’t like to win 20 games and not compete for a district title. I’d rather compete every day and compete for a district title.”
Hartland
► Last season: 24-13-1; 10-4 KLAA West (3rd place); district and regional champion
► Top returners: Kaitlyn Brennan, 3B, Soph.; Reese Dunny, OF, Jr.; Olivia Forrest, P, Jr.; Alayna Gardner, OF, Sr.; Sadie Malik, C, Sr.; Skyler Spisz, OF, Sr.
► Outlook: Hartland is the only county team to get preseason attention in the state rankings, receiving honorable mention in Division 1. The Eagles return seven starters from a team that reached the state quarterfinals. Forrest received all-state honorable mention in her first season as Hartland’s No. 1 pitcher. Malik, who provides a power bat and steadying presence behind the plate, and Spisz, a slap hitter from the lead-off spot, are four-year starters. Jayden Gushrowski and Addy Mach could make an impact as freshmen. Spisz (.424), Malik (.400), Dunny (.383), Forrest (.355) and Brennan (.306) hit at least .300 in full-time duty.
► Coach Taylor Wagner: “A lot of girls can play a lot of different positions. We may not have a full established lineup until May 31, whenever districts is. We’re returning those bats and now those bats have more experience. They’re a year older, stronger. They’re going to have some fun offensively.”
Howell
► Last season: 15-18-1; 6-8 KLAA West (5th place)
► Top returners: Lara Anderson, C, Soph.; Addison Caldwell, SS, Sr.; Gianna Gentile P-OF, Sr.; Brooke Keller, P, Jr.; Easton Lavery, P-C, Soph.; Leighton Scott, OF, Jr.; Addison Ulanowski, P, Soph.
► Outlook: Lauren Evans, who coached Plymouth to two state quarterfinals in 11 seasons, takes over as Howell’s head coach after assisting last year. The Highlanders will receive a huge boost with the return of Caldwell, a .500 hitter two years ago who missed last season with a knee injury. Scott (.371), Gentile (.350) and Keller (.341) are other proven hitters. Anderson began the season by hitting three home runs in a doubleheader against Flushing. Ulanowski and Keller are the team’s top two pitchers.
► Coach Lauren Evans: “Our leaders are four seniors who have all been on varsity multiple years. They all lead differently. That’s going to give us great complements all year. We have the leaders on our team who are the doers, we have the verbal leaders, we have the gentle leaders. I’ve been talking to the four of them and said it’s their team. I’m just here to hit the ground balls.”
Pinckney
► Last season: 22-14; 5-3 SEC White (3rd place)
► Top returners: Mackenzie Burns, 3B, Sr.; Kenzie Chelenyak, C, Sr.; Natally Pease, SS-P, Jr.; Ayla Wright, OF-IF, Sr.; Addison Wroblewski, CF, Soph.
► Outlook: Pinckney graduated three starters who were four-year varsity players, including two-time all-state outfielder CeCe Thorington. The Pirates hope Wroblewski, who like Thorington also runs track, provides similar speed in center field and in the lead-off spot. Burns will be able to drive her home, having racked up 115 career RBIs. Pease, the starting shortstop, is Pinckney’s most experienced pitcher. The Pirates will rotate four players in the circle.
► Coach Eric Arnold: “It’s going to be different. I don’t have a generic lineup card in hand every game. If Natally is pitching, she can’t play shortstop. Who is going to play shortstop? If Sydney (Arnold) is pitching, she’s a first baseman. I’ve got to put in a first baseman. It’s going to be a magic show the first couple games until we figure it out.”
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@gannett.com. Follow him on X @BillKhan
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: What's the outlook for Livingston County softball in 2025?
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