No surprises in Rockets’ lineup

Numbers are down this season for Cedar Grove-Belgium’s softball teams, but experience is up, especially in the most important position.

Anna Thiele returns for her senior season on the pitcher’s mound. Two years ago, she earned honorable mention Big East all-conference recognition.

“It feels good. It’s always good when you have returning people you trust to be in their spots,” coach Scott Soerens said.

Two honorable mention all-conference selections from last season are back as well.

Senior Emily Poull will again patrol centerfield, after hitting .381 last season with two home runs and a host of stolen bases.

Junior Maria Dries is back and is expected to move to first base from the outfield and again pitch. Last season, she hit .307 with two home runs and led the team in triples.

Olivia Piatek, who backed up all-conference honorable mention Morgan Green behind the plate last season, will be behind the plate full time.

Allison Niebauer will play third base, Megan Gonwa will be at shortsop and Loren Holzberger will play second.

Poull will be flanked by Natalie Davies in right field and Nadia Dries in left, who came over from soccer.

“We look pretty strong defensively,” Soerens said.

Leadoff hitter has yet to be determined, but Soerens said his team is fast. Poull and Piatek can run, and Soerens said Dries got much faster.

“We’ve got better speed than we’ve had in years past,” he said.

Dries and Thiele are expected to be among the team’s RBI leaders. Soerens said power isn’t plentiful in the lineup, a trade-off for speed.

But the team has experience all over the field.

“There’s nobody on the field except for Nadia who’s not played a varsity game,” Soerens said.

Anyone who plays this season will get varsity experience. Only 13 girls are on the team, so there won’t be a junior varsity squad.

The Rockets went 6-12 in the Big East last year, good for eighth place of 11 teams. In the playoffs, they beat Racine St. Catherine’s, 16-6, before losing to their undefeated conference rival Random Lake, 6-1.

The Rockets host conference foe Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 3. They host Howards Grove for a doubleheader at 4 p.m. Friday, April 6.