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PARK FALLS CARDINALS - Coach Ken Dischler - 12th Year - The Park Falls Cardinals return 14 letter winners and all starters -- plus one -- for the 2008 softball season. Park Falls finished 15-6 last season, starting one junior, five sophomores and three freshmen. Those starters return, along with junior Bekka Slack, an all- district performer as a freshman who missed her sophomore season while recovering from an ACL injury. Slack hit .431 as a freshman with 26 stolen bases, fielding .907 at third base with a team-high 31 assists. Last season, the Cards were paced in hitting by freshman Devin Schmidt, who returns for her sophomore season at second base. Schmidt earned all-Lumberjack Conference and all-district honors with a .426 average, and earned honorable mention on the WFSCA all-state team. Eleven of her 26 hits were for extra bases. All-LC and all-district performers Kelsey Christianson and Andi Schemberger are back. They split time last season between catcher and first base.Christianson, now a senior, hit .388 with three home runs and slugged .701.

Half of her 26 hits on the season were for extra bases and she gunned out seven of 10 runners attempting to steal against her. She earned third-team honors as a catcher on the all-state team. Schemberger, now a sophomore, hit .380 and drove in 23 runs, second on the team behind Christianson s 28. Another all-LC and all-district performer back is junior Kelsey Walasek in the circle. Walasek earned honorable mention all-state honors with a 14-6 record, 1.66 ERA and 182 strikeouts in 131 innings. She hit .383 with 12 of her 23

hits going for extra bases, including a team-high four triples. She drew 28 walks and had an on-base percentage of .578. She led the team in assists with 45 and fielded 1.000 in the circle. Between strikeouts, putouts and assists, she had a hand in 59% of the team s putouts. All-LC performer Maddie Lamb, a junior, is back for her third season at shortstop. She hit .292, scored 24 runs and led the team with nine sacrifice bunts. She fielded .880 in LC play. Sophomore Libby Slack stepped in at third base last season for her sister and

finished with a .321 batting average. She blistered the ball at a .706 clip over the season s final eight games, which included two regional games and a sectional tilt. Tiffany Zwicke and Jess Withey started last season in right field and center field, respectively. Zwicke hit .292 with seven doubles and Withey batted .265 and fielded .923. Left field was shared by Britt Engel and Laura Pechacek. All four are juniors. Kendall Carden, now a senior, Theresa Ellner, now a junior, and Brittany Meyer, now a sophomore, also return as letterwinners for Coach Ken Dischler and assistants Bill Walasek and Bill Mallak. The Cards may call on senior Teresa Grassel, junior Michelle Pierce or fireballing freshman Taylor Walasek for spot duty in the circle this season.

 

Northland Pines - Coach Marty Pietila, 2nd year

 

Tomahawk - Coach John Larson

 

Medford - Coach Virgil Berndt, 18th Year - With a tough extra-inning regional final loss ending our 2007 season, we are looking forward to getting back on the diamond. Medford is coming off a conference championship season and will be looking to repeat. That will be a tough task this year. Several key losses to graduation and a Park Falls team that is loaded with talent will be some of the challenges the Raiders will face. Key returning players: All Conference players Morgan Beyer 3B, Brooke Butkus SS, Jennifer Johnas 2B, Ashley Herrell Utility. Other returning letter winners: Grace Gelhaus C, Ashley Jochimsen OF, Katelyn Hartl OF, Katie Keefe OF, Kelsie Bolz OF Also returning to the line up in 2008 will be pitchers Hanna Rohland and Hailey Kozey. Both were expected to be our leaders in the circle in 07, but injuries forced them to miss the entire season. They should provide us with some quality depth in the circle and both will be key on offense as well. We also have some quality nderclassmen that are ready to push these girls for some playing time. With a little luck and some hard work the Raiders should put a very competive team on the field this year.

 

Phillips - Coach Mike Smart -

 

Lakeland - Coaches Wade and Mary Wentland