Bonduel softball looks to fill big holes in lineup

After losing six starters to graduation, the Bonduel High School softball team is left questioning who will fill the key roles in the lineup.

“I just don’t know what to expect. I really don’t,” head coach Chris Reinke said.

The Bears return just five players who have varsity experience. Seniors Brynn Reinke and Althea Berry will be the team’s leaders as the only returning starters, but even their roles are up in the air.

Reinke played shortstop last year but will be relied on to pitch this season after the Bears lost their two top pitchers, Cameri Gehm and Kaylee Pedersen. Berry, a center fielder, could be moved to the infield or split time on the mound depending on where the needs are.

Senior Dallas Zernicke is the only player whose position is solidified at catcher.

Juniors McKenzie Wollenberg and Mackenzie Moore round out the varsity returners.

“Even with our returners, there are a ton of questions surrounding what spot they’ll end up in,” Coach Reinke said. “For example, Brynn (Reinke) is strong at shortstop, but we’ll need her to take over pitching. But she doesn’t have that experience as a starting pitcher, so that’ll be a learning experience.”

For Coach Reinke, the biggest question on defense is who will take over third base after losing starter Brittany Wudtke.

Third base “is a huge position to fill, and you really need a fearless player there,” Reinke said, “and I have no idea who’s going to step up and fill that. That’s probably my biggest worry.”

While Reinke sees some potential in her young players, she won’t be able to get any real idea of their capabilities until they practice on the field. Unfortunately, the team is struggling with field conditions that leave them unable to have full practices.

“I think that affects us a lot heading into the season, because I can’t get the kids in different spots to get a good look at everybody,” Reinke said. “So we’ll estimate different things, but it’s not the same as being able to get out on the field.”

As of now, Reinke plans to start freshmen Halea Sporiky in the infield and Joanie Wudtke as an outfielder.

“Those freshmen and some others show talent. But when I pull the different kids up to varsity, it’s going to be based on our practices in the gym and the little bit we’ve been able to do outside, and that’s not very telling.”

While defense is Reinke’s main concern, she’s also unsure how the inexperience will translate in batting.

“They look good in the cage, but that doesn’t mean that they’ll be able to hit the ball when there’s an actual pitcher,” Reinke said. “It’s very different.”

Reinke expects to start the season with a big roster and shared positions until she can solidify the lineup.

The Bears finished last season 9-11 overall and in the middle of the Central Wisconsin Conference-East (7-7). This year, they’re hoping to use the season as a learning opportunity.

“Our goal is really just to keep improving and figuring out our spots until we get to tournament season,” she said. “I think we need to be realistic with all these kids that don’t have experience at the varsity level. It’s a different ball game.”

Still, Berry and Brynn Reinke are confident in their team’s abilities.

“We have a lot of athleticism,” Berry said. “We don’t have a lot of experience, but I think that’s pretty easy to fix. We just need to work on it. It’s a fun group, and they’re hard workers. And I think they genuinely want to get better each practice.”

As two of three returning seniors, they’re excited for the leadership role.

“It’s the last ride for us, so we just need to make the most out of it,” Brynn Reinke said. “We need to take every game one step at a time and just try to make improvements in each practice, and take what we learned from the talented seniors last year and do our best to teach it to the group this year. We’re excited for that responsibility.”