The Fastpitch Chronicle

Several teams in the Southeast Conference could contend for the conference title.

Kenosha Bradford, last year’s conference champion, will need its younger players to step up and replace the four graduated seniors who led the team to the 2013 state championship game. The team returns all-state junior catcher Kori Grasso and all-district senior outfielder Angie Malsack along with several other contributors from the 2013 squad.

Kenosha Tremper returns the majority of its starting lineup from 2013 that led the team to a second-place finish in the conference, including slugging catcher Courtney Reeves and seasoned pitcher Sadie Schmidt. In addition to a skilled, experienced senior class that includes all-conference outfielders Bridget Nelson and Taylor Moreland, Tremper has several talented underclassmen.

Racine Case returns the talented battery of senior pitcher Courtney Ellingson (UW-Parkside commitment) and senior catcher Breanna Guenther. Both players are left-handed sluggers with exceptional power. Case returns nearly the entire starting lineup from a team that finished third in the conference last year and advanced to the sectional final.

Franklin finished fourth in the conference in 2013 and will need to replace all-conference pitcher Annie Versnik, who led the team to the state tournament in 2012. They return senior first-baseman Kayla Hirt and senior outfielder Andi Zblewski, both of whom earned all-conference honors last season.

Kenosha Indian Trail looks to build on its fifth place finish in 2013 as it enters its second year as a varsity program. They return a talented pitching staff led by Emilia Jackson, who was second-team all-conference as a freshman. The entire starting lineup could return and build upon the experience gained in the previous season.

Oak Creek graduated several seniors from its sixth-place 2013 squad, but returns power-hitting seniors Mikayla Kenney and Kayla Grant. The pitching staff includes senior Alex Widenski and sophomore Nicky Widenski, who look to step up and lead the 2014 team to a higher finish in the conference.

Racine Park and Racine Horlick finished at the bottom of the conference in 2013, but both teams have young, skilled players returning to their rosters. Horlick has a deep pitching staff led by Cassie Walek and Autumn Kangas and supported by second-team all-conference outfielder Vienne Seitz. Park returns its own able pitching staff with Rebecca Counts and Marisa Rothen.