With the sting of a 2-1 loss in the Division 3 state championship game on their mind, the Poynette Pumas enter the 2016 with the same two goals the program has always kept in mind.
“Goal number one is to be a more skilled, knowledgeable fastpitch player when you leave a practice or game than you were before it started and goal number two is simply to try to be the strongest opponent or equal to the other strongest opponents that every team we face during a season battles with,” said Head Coach Bob Tomlinson.
Gone from the cast of players who went 29-2 last season are seven key players that were instrumental in many ways to the success of the program during their high school careers. Going around the lineup by position number sees all state pitcher Jordan Blochwitz gone after three fantastic seasons that saw the Pumas get to the sectional all four seasons of her high school days; catcher Emily Cibulka, also a three-year starter who Tomlinson says was one of the best receivers in program history especially in terms of not allowing runners to go go station-to-station; second sacker Jordyn Mackey, also an all state performer more than once was the team’s leadoff batter while slapping from the left side. She took was a three-year starter and four-year varsity player. Shortstop Shelby Wheeler batted second in the order and started every varsity game during her high school career, playing in two state championship games (freshman and senior years). Centerfielder Jenna Sandstrom, also a three-year starter really blossomed during 2015 where she batted near .400. Rightfielder Dani Treinen’s cleats will be really hard to fill as the righthanded hitter just kept improving throughout her high school career without ever having played a summer fastpitch game. She hit the only-walk off home run in WIAA state tournament history in last year’s state semi-final against Lomira. More importantly it was Treinen’s speed and savvy in rightfield that was a key to many wins for the Pumas. Designated player/first sacker Amber Breuch hit two homers and several doubles last season and will be missed as well.
The Pumas move on undaunted however as they will fill those position spots and batting order lines with players who were certainly talented enough to have started on most teams the Pumas faced. Senior Riley Barnharst, a first-team all conference pick last season will move from first base to the catching position in 2016 but will still play a few other positions as the coaching staff inserts players that will make up most of the 2017 team. Barnharst has a tremendous throwing arm and hits line drives to all fields and is the team leader both on and off the field. Pitcher/Utility player Allie Bredeson will see plenty of innings in the circle and is one of the team’s most dangerous hitters. She will do some work at the team DP and will play some infield innings. Other seniors looking to crack the lineup incude utility players Jordi Horne and Abby Neabling who have played extensively in the Poynette summer program. Outfielder’s Tatum Fehrenbach, a power-hitter will get her chances to provide offensive pop. Utility player Brea Falstad has shown promise for several years and will be seenplaying outfield and infield positions and provide good power and a high level of moxie on the basepaths.
Junior third sacker Brooke Dredske will hold down the hot corner for the majority of the season but will also some innings at the other corner. Dredske hit .424 in 2015 with a school record eight home runs, 11 doubles and a triple. “She’s a tough out,” said Tomlinson. Junior Haley Radewan is a dangerous hitter and and excellent middle infielder who hits with power and for average. It was her towering three-run homer in the sectional final last year that keyed Poynette’s 8th trip to the state tournament. Another junior, Mya Knuteson is coming back from a torn ACL injury on the a basketball court somewhere last summer. She missed the entire basketball season while doing rehab work but has been cleared to play softball and has looked to be near peak form. She will play outfield and infield this season and will provide even more speed to the lineup. She played leftfield last season.
Other juniors vying for more playing time and coming off a great JV season (one loss) and successful summer run are: infielders Meagan Brookins, Allison Tomlinson, outfielders Rachel Renz and McKenna Horacek, and utility players Sidney Gorman and Kalyn Haag.
The Pumas have more than a handful of pitchers in the program so both the varsity and junior varsity teams will be tough in the circle. Senior Allie Bredeson and her sophomore sister Mattie along with Radewan along with sophomores Paige Doherty and Heather Kimberley and freshman Ashley Hellenbrand are a pretty impressive stable of throwers. Finding innings for all of them will be a challenge for the coaching staff but all of those players are competent position players as well. They all hit with power and for average. Tomlinson wasn’t sure at the time of this report who will get the nod in the first inning of the first game but said that many games will feature a pitching by committee approach much like the then Indians did back in 2006 when five different pitcher notched wins for a team that took second place at the state tournament. “We’ll again be tough to score on,” the coach added.
Other sophomores include: Taylor Fournier, Taylor Frank-Walters, Marissa Klitzke, Mikayla Sorge, Morigan Struck, and Amber Walter. The Pumas also welcomed other freshmen in: Pylar Wheeler, Leah Tomlinson, Caysee Schutz, Rosalind Plenty, Alyssa Mason, Kylee Lewis, Camalya LaSarge, Willow Kovars, Aubri Kitson, Rachel Hopperdietzel, and Kylee Connella.
Tomlinson feels that there are several teams that could take a shot at the conference title this season. He sees Columbus with their stable of pitchers as a top contender along with Lakeside Lutheran, a team with a bundle of returning players, all good including pitcher Hollie Doyle. He also feels that Luther Prep, with a solid pitcher could suprise all three of those teams.
As for the post season, the Pumas are in the same half sectional as Marshall, Lakeside Lutheran, Brodhead, Parkview and Wisconsin Heights and sees any one of those teams as potential players in the sectional final to be played at Diamond of Champions in Poynette.
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