Co-op softball squad reloads for 2023
It’s a bit of the old, a bit of new this spring for the 2023 Colby/Abby softball club. They see much of their lineup from last year return for this year’s squad, with seven of their nine starters coming back. And while there are plenty of familiar faces in the dugout, the co-op will have a new one at the helm this season.
Glen Orsburn will be stepping in as the new skipper for the 2023 season and brings with him some experience coaching teams late into the postseason. As an assistant coach at Appleton East, Orsburn was part of a coaching staff that saw six teams advance to state during his time there. And while things are still early with only a week of practice under their belts, the new head coach has liked what he’s seen from his team in the early going.
“They’re working hard,” Orsburn said of the team’s effort in practice. “I’m a firm believer in judging where we are at and as long as we continue to make improvements, that’s where I would really like to see us on a week-toweek basis.”
The co-op will be looking to continue to grow from their 2022 season. While second-team all conference shortstop Alea Graff and first baseman Kya Viegut graduated, last year’s team was fairly young, with most of the starting lineup composed of freshmen and sophomores. Despite their overall youth, the team still finished fourth in the Cloverbelt-East and won the team’s first playoff game since the two schools combined to form one team.
They certainly seem to have the tools to do so. Sophomore Tatum Bargender was the co-op’s main weapon on the mound last season and earned herself first-team all-conference honors as a freshman last season. She and fellow sophomore outfielder Halie VanLuven, who also received an all-conference honorable mention nod last season, will head a host of returners. Juniors Kylie Orth, McKinley Klabon, and Josie Higley as well as sophomores Neveah Treankler and Harrison Schmitt all started on a regular basis for the co-op last year and will make up the core of the lineup and defense behind Bargender. Senior Sierra Strassburger, juniors Taylor Hammel and Torrance Bloome and sophomore Lucia Perez will also be returning from last year’s team with varsity game experience. The co-op’s head coach expects solid contributions from up and down the batting order.
“I would like to see every girl be an impact player,” Orsburn said. “Every player will have a role on this team. Whatever their role may be on that day, at that given time, I think they will play it well.”
If the club is hoping to take the next step forward, they will likely have to adopt such a mentality, as even bench players will likely need to make an impact. With a roster of twelve players, all the team’s varsity members are positioned to make some sort of contri- bution. This may also have some effect on the camaraderie Orsburn has seen already during the early portions of the season.
“I see this group pulling together as a team, and that’s a strength,” the head coach stated. “Teamwork is really important and you really have to see each other in the light of ‘I want my teammate to continue to improve and I want to improve’ and I’m seeing that so far.”
Looking at the task in front of them in the Cloverbelt- East, they may have some tough competition to deal with. Both the Loyal/Greenwood and Neillsville teams that went 11-1 in the conference last season will only be missing two seniors from their respective squads and Columbus Catholic also appears to potentially have a solid returning roster. If the co-op hopes to compete at the top of the conference, they will have to find the next gear to compete with these top teams, which they went a collective 0-6 against last season.
The varsity team’s first test is scheduled as a nonconference affair at Auburndale on Thursday, March 30. The Eagles were 11-9 last season and defeated the Colby/Abby squad 10-1 the last time the two clubs faced off. The start time for the game is set for 4:45 p.m.
