SOLON — The Lady Spartans made school history last year as “The Best 18-24 Team You’ll Ever See” in their first State Tournament appearance since 2016. Solon defeated Center Point-Urbana (CPU) 4-3 in the Regional Final to advance to the 3A Tournament in Fort Dodge as the eighth-seed and faced No.1 Benton Community in the first round, falling to the Bobcats 5-1.
“We overcame a lot of obstacles this year, it was not pretty at times. But we peaked at the right time and good things happened,” Coach Brad Holub said at the time.
The team said goodbye to seniors Kayla Meseck, Bailey Woolley, and Kendall Jensen.
Jensen was the go-to pitcher with 20 game starts, 122.2 innings pitched, and an 8-11 record with 69 strikeouts and
a 2.51 ERA. Meseck received WaMaC Recognition after starting 41 of 42 games with 20 hits including two doubles and one triple with 11 RBIs and a .200 batting average. Woolley, also received WaMaC Recognition after starting 37 of 39 games with 25 hits including two doubles and 15 RBIs for a.210 batting average.
This year Holub, in his fourth year with the program and a 138-74 record, returns two seniors – Addie Miller and Izzy Frees. Frees (shortstop/centerfielder) was an All-Conference 1st Team pick as an outfielder and was also named to the Iowa Girls Coaches Association’s Class 3A NE All-District Team and All-State 3rd Team. She was a starter in 39 out of 40 games with a team high 50 hits including a dozen doubles and three triples with 19 RBIs and a .395 batting average. She led the team in stolen bases with 18.
Miller (catcher/outfielder) was also an All-Conference 1st Team and All-State 3rd Team pick as catcher. She produced 46 hits and was a starter in 43 of 44 games with six home runs, one triple, and ten doubles with a team high34 RBIs and a .407 batting average.
Dillon Ostrander, a junior, is back as a utility player with seven starts last year and a .304 batting average. From there the team gets young fast with sophomores Keegan Kleppe and Emerson Miller back as returning starters and sophomores Addi Walter, Laeni Hinkel, Avery Babbitt, and Layla Knazze back as letterwinners. Kleppe (second base) started in 40 games with a .264 average, Miller (pitcher/DH) had a .253 batting average and a 1-1 record in the circle with one save and a 3.68 ERA.
Walter is the Lady Spartans’ primary defense at first base after 30 starts last season. Hinkel (right field) had 33 starts and a .247 average while Babbitt (catcher/DH) made 29 starts with a .211 average, and Knazze (utility) made 11 starts with a .188 average.
Freshman Liv Nelson will trade in her track cleats for softball cleats as she returns to the starting lineup as a utility player with a .161 average last season.
New to the varsity squad are freshmen Beckett Kruse (outfield/1st base) and Riya Farlinger (utility/catcher). Coach Holub described both as an athlete and noted Kruse is, “a solid hitter.”
“We have a nice mix of veterans (Izzie and Addie) and youth,” said Holub. “But we’ve got an inexperienced pitching staff. (We) should be solid defensively and solid bats.”
Fourth-year assistant coach Cory Keeney will be joined by four others including the return of a familiar face to the Solon diamond as Hilary Wilson joins the staff. Wilson is graduating from DMACC and qualified for the NJCAA World Series. Holub notes she will be going to Bradley next season to continue her softball career.
A former friendly rival, Jenna Sprague (Mt. Vernon pitcher) joins the staff after concluding her first year at Washburn University in Topeka, KS after two seasons of playing for Kirkwood.
Ellie Owen, a December UNI grad with four seasons of Panther softball will go from the diamond to a 4th grade
classroom in Solon this fall. Rounding out the assistant coaches is Mollie Rasmussen, a junior at the U of I with an elementary education major, Holub notes she will want to continue coaching after graduation.
Looking at the WaMaC this season, Holub and company see challenges across the East and West divisions.
“Williamsburg will be very good,” he said. “Mount Vernon, Clear Creek Amana, and CPU will be good. Solon, if we can get consistent pitching, should be in the mix.”
After a scrimmage against Cedar Rapids Kennedy last Friday, the Lady Spartans open the 2025 campaign Tuesday, May 27 with a home doubleheader against Beckman Catholic starting at 5:30 p.m. and will host Mount Vernon for a doubleheader Thursday, May 29, also starting at 5:30 p.m.
Editor’s note – Joel Kellar contributed to this report