NTL SOFTBALL: SENIOR LADEN WYALUSING LOOKS TO CONTINUE STRONG RUN IN NTL (2021-04-08)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
It may have been two years since Wyalusing coach John Loomis’ team took the field, but when they did in 2019, they were the Co-NTL Champions.

That gives Loomis high expectations for this season, though, like pretty much every other team, they have holes to fill.

“Right now we’re working through the process of who’s going to play where,” said Loomis. “Obviously, we have a couple of established players starting with Hailey Jayne.”

That’s a good place to start as Jayne was one of the top players in the league as a sophomore in 2019.

She went 17-3 in the circle with 146 strikeouts and a 2.67 ERA. At the plate she had a .451 batting average with 11-RBI and six doubles.

“It’s just getting all the pieces around her,” remarked Loomis. “We have a good group of kids. We have several sophomore players that I’m excited about, with obviously our veteran players, too. I think we’re going to have a good team, but I think it’s going to take a lot of hard work.”

It helps that he has some depth at the pitching position for a change.

“I’ve never had the luxury of having three pitchers,” said Loomis. “Obviously, Hailey is our ace, but Janelle Johns and London Edwards, we have two sophomore pitchers, so to have that depth there takes a lot of pressure off of Hailey.”

Right now, though, it’s pretty open as to who’s going to be behind her on the field.

“Callie Bennett, she brings in some experience, along with Laci Norton,” said Loomis.

Norton hit .393 two years ago as a freshman with a .902 fielding percentage at second base.

Other seniors Haley McGroarty, Danelle Cornell, Imogen Herbert and Kenlie Mignon are also expected to man important spots.

This group of 12th graders already has a pretty strong resume. They are 2-time NTL champions, winning the league as freshmen out right, and also won a district title back in 2018 as well. In 2019 they were runners-up.

Now, they’re hoping to go out with a bang.

“That all kind of round us out,” said Loomis. “We have a very good core of people back. And I think that the sophomores are really going to helps us out. Once we solidify that catcher spot then everything else is going to fall into place.”