Kee softball team has sights set on State Tournament return in 2016

by Val Meyer

As the Kee softball team starts up another season, the squad is ecstatic to see what the upcoming season has in store. Last year, the Hawks had an outstanding season, winning 29 games and only losing 10. The final loss was the regional finals game against Bellevue-Marquette Catholic High School, a game in which the Hawks fell to the Mohawks, 2-1, to end up just one step shy of back-to-back State softball appearances.

“The final game of the 2015 season was definitely a hard pill to swallow,” Kee softball coach Liz Hill said. “But it has motivated the returning players to work hard in the off-season to make a State appearance this year.”

Assisting Coach Hill for the 2016 season will be Tiffanie Peters and former Kee softball player Valerie Meyer, a graduate of last year’s squad.
With junior varsity and varsity squads combined, there are 29 players taking the field for the Hawks this season, with eight of those players being returning letterwinners from last summer. Those veterans include senior Ellie Cooper, junior Courtney Cooper, sophomores Kendra Cooper, Chloe Severson, Nicki Wood and Annabelle Dibert, and freshmen Makayla Walleser and Katie Brennan.

“There are many girls with experience on this team this year, and I look to all of these young ladies to reach the goals that we have set out for this season,” Coach Hill said. Coach Hill also commented about Ellie Cooper being a lone senior, and how she leads more by example and how her actions speak louder than words to lead the team to follow in her footsteps.

Last season, the Hawks lost just two seniors, including first baseman Molly Walleser and Meyer in the outfield. Coach Hill said that she will miss these two players not only assisting the team on defense, but also in the hitting line-up as well.

Both Meyer and Walleser took with them top-five numbers in many offensive categories last season, along with multiple seasons of varsity contributions. Both received All-Conference accolades for their efforts, Meyer being named a First Team selection and Walleser being named to the Upper Iowa Conference All-Conference Second Team.
Despite graduation of those two multi-year varsity mainstays, the Hawks will still return plenty of firepower in their large collection of veteran returnees. Kendra Cooper returns with the Hawks’ highest batting average of .431 that included other team highs of 56 hits, 13 doubles, two triples and 10 homeruns. Severson also posted a team-high two triples last season and ranked third on the team with four homeruns and 38 RBI. Courtney Cooper led the Hawks with 42 RBI and ranked second with 50 total hits with third-place team rankings of four homeruns and a batting average of .379, while Ellie Cooper led the Hawk offense with 38 runs scored.

The main strength for this year’s team will be offense due to the dedication and hard work that the softball squad put into the off-season weight lifting and hitting. Coach Hill also added that the biggest weakness for the Hawks will be filling the shoes of the two seniors that left last season. The softball Hawks’ main key to success will be coming out every night to play, and to take one pitch at a time.

“The girls need to stay within themselves during each practice and each game of this season,” Coach Hill said. “It is critical that we work together as a team so that we work hard as a team; therefore, we are tough to beat for the teams that we face this summer.”

Starting off the 2016 season, the Hawks have had much focus and energy, and the coaches have added in a mental component to further improve the softball program. Coach Hill said that the players have been responding extremely well and are committed to the mental focus that this sport requires.

The goals for Kee this season will be first to become conference champions for the third year in a row, and to then make it to the State Tournament in Fort Dodge for the second time in three seasons. “We have to make sure to consistently improve throughout the season, so that we are playing our best ball once we get into district play,” Coach Hill said.
Coach Hill also said the Upper Iowa Conference will be tough, as usual, but she said the girls will be prepared to play every night. Coach Hill also predicts that Turkey Valley and South Winneshiek will be the two most difficult teams to beat this year, but these two teams are the two last conference games that the Hawks play, so Coach Hill said she is confident that the Hawks will be ready to take on the battle when it comes.

The Lady Hawks already opened their 2016 schedule in fine fashion, posting an undefeated week in their first four games of the season while outscoring their opponents by a combined 39-0. Details of Kee’s triumphant opening week appear elsewhere on this week’s Sports pages.