All the questions have been answered, and then some. A year after setting high-water marks in wins and qualifying for their first state tournament since 2010, the Panthers softball team knew they would have to figure out how to replace many of the key positions that led them to such lofty achievements.
To that, the 2019 version of M-CHS softball has responded with an explosive year, clobbering opponents with a relentless offense en route to a 16-5 regular season mark. Their 9-3 mark in 3A District 5 landed them a runner-up spot to state-ranked Basalt, and entering the 3A Region 8 tournament this weekend in Limon as a squad poised to make a return visit to the 3A state tournament.
The Panthers offense has drawn the headlines this year, and for good reason. M-CHS posted a team batting average of .419 in the regular season and an eye-popping .547 on-base percentage.
From the top to the bottom of the order, the Panthers kept opposing pitchers on their heels, producing 14 double-digit run performances, including a pair of wins over rival Durango.
“It all came together this year,” said senior standout Presley Frost. “These girls are really showing what they can do.”
Leading the way offensively this season, senior Alyssa Cornett has guided the top of the order, leading the Panthers in most statistical categories, including hits (33), runs (37) and RBIs (35). Classmate Taelynn Comisky put together a similarly impressive campaign, emerging as one of the toughest outs in the Panther lineup with a .456/.575/.578 slash line.
While Cornett and Comisky were regulars on the 2018 squad, new players also have flourished in their roles, including Lizzie Likes and Hailey Veach, who have combined for 56 runs and 38 RBIs.
Underclassmen like Veach, along with Allie Kibel and Rylee Hickman, have become part of a positive team mentality that has the coaching staff excited for the trajectory of the program.
Senior Myra Simmons, who is getting varsity playing time for the first time in her career, has also emerged as a major contributor at first base.
“It’s been a lot of fun this year,” said Simmons, “especially to get to be a part of a winning team in my senior year.”
As for the Panthers’ development, it’s been a wholesale adjustment from a team that loved to play small ball a year ago.
“We’re more aggressive at the plate,” added Frost. “We want to go after that first good strike.”
Frost was on her way to another mammoth offensive year herself before injuries have limited her role down the stretch.
Among the roles vacated by Frost has been in the circle, where sophomore Taiah Wilson has taken on the role with aplomb, posting an 11-2 win-loss record this season.
“It takes a tough mentality to be a great pitcher,” said Frost, “and we trust her (Wilson) out there because we know she’s going to pitch strikes.”
Wilson has had a strong defense backing her up, where the Panthers have fielded at a .901 clip this year.
The Panthers, under second-year head coach Brittney Whiteman, know that they will need all three facets of their game as they gear up for the championship portion of the season. They enter the regional as the ninth-ranked team in the state, and hopeful for a successful trip to the Eastern Plains this weekend.
“We’re going to take it one game at time, but our goal is to make it back to state,” she said.
The Panthers can do just that by picking up a win on Saturday morning over No. 24 seed St. Mary’s, which enters with a 12-11 record out of 3A District 2. The winner will move on to face No. 8 seed and regional host Limon. If the Panthers reach that game, they would have assured themselves a slot in the 16-team field in the 3A State Tournament at Aurora Sports Park on the weekend of Oct. 25-26.
“The bond we have developed since February and through summer ball has been special,” said Frost, reflecting on her career and the accomplishments of her team. “We’ve really become a family.”
