WAUSA – The Wausa Vikings 14/16s softball team has had an upand-down past two weeks of games.
Wausa lost to Osmond 10-4 on June 11 and Laurel 12-4 on June 13, and then beat Crofton 19-15 on June 18 and Randolph 20-5 on June 20.
“This is a group that has as much upside as any group in the area,” Wausa assistant coach Jared Wiebelhaus said. “Our 18s have a little more power in the lineup, but this younger group has speed all over the field. It’s two very different styles of softball, and both are effective. Our speed on defense makes it tough to find any gaps for opposing teams.
“On the flip side, anytime we get runners on base, we are an absolute headache for opposing catchers,” he said. “This group is finally starting to read the ball a little bit better, and if they get a good jump on a ball in the dirt, they’re gone. You don’t see them hesitating nearly as much as they did at the start of the season.”
He noted the Vikings have several players with good throwing arms as well.
“Reagan and Kennedy Gillilan, Avery Stevens and Izzy Seagren have all thrown well throughout the year,” Wiebelhaus said. “The biggest thing this group needs is just reps.
“If they continue to pick up on the little things during the course of a game and understand things at a higher level, they will be pretty tough to beat,” he said.
Wausa was 6-6 overall in 2024 heading into its game at Emerson on June 25 and then is set to compete on June 29 at their league tournament in Laurel.
