Spring sports preview: Fastpitch
Head coach: Tim Lusk (second year)
2017 finish: 14-12 (8-4, second in Olympic League); 3-3 in playoffs; 0-2 at state 2A tourney
Top returning players: Shelby Jones (sr.), Isabelle Dennis (jr.), Raelynn Opdyke (jr.), Bobbi Sparks (jr.), Jessica Dominguez (sr.), Madison Nute (jr.), Latisha Robideau (jr.), Shelby Wells (jr.)
Newcomers: Ashleigh Cate (jr.), Kailyn Lopez (fr.), Maddie Nute (jr.), Kylynn Stringer (so.), Jayla Julmist (fr.)
Top competition: Port Angeles, North Kitsap, Olympic
Replacing a solid group of seniors is never easy. And while second-year Sequim head coach Tim Lusk has a slew of talented young players, he and the Wolves have a bit of a proverbial learning curve this spring.
“Right now we are dealing with some freshman players and some players in new positions,” says Lusk, four non-league games into the 2018 campaign. Sequim has taken some lumps as Lusk works in a crop of ninth-graders into his varsity squad.
“Once they click, we are going to have a very solid team.”
in 2017, Sequim won their final four league games and won three out of four games at the West Central District tournament to qualify for the state 2A tournament. It was the Wolves’ seventh-consecutive state tourney appearance.
But Sequim also lost a trio of solid seniors in shortstop Jordan Bentz, third baseman Chloie Sparks and outfielder Adrienne Haggerty.
Lusk will look to returners Isabelle Dennis (pitcher, second base) and Bobbi Sparks (shortstop) both named to the second team all-Olympic League last spring, to help lead the team.
Lusk says he will likely use Dennis, returning senior hurler Shelby Jones and sophomore Kylynn Stringer for pitching duties.
“They (Dennis and Jones) have different pitching styles,” Lusk says.
“I’ve always believed in having a strong pitching staff,” he says, rather than one ace. He used the approach last season and it seemed to work well, helping the Wolves advance to the state tourney.
“Whatever it takes to get the victory,” he says.
Lusk says he has high hopes for Sequim’s incoming freshmen, particularly Jayla Julmist and Kailyn Lopez.
“We have a couple of outstanding freshmen players (but) there’s a big difference between travel ball and high school varsity,” he says.
Behind ace Nizhoni Wheller, Port Angeles’ Roughriders took league and districts last year and went on to place second at the state 2A tourney. Lusk says he expects the Riders to be solid this year along with Kingston, who recently added an ace to their staff.
“Randy (Steinman) is never not going to put a squad on the field (but) I think we’ll have some battles,” Lusk says.
On the diamond
Sequim dropped all four of its non-league openers, falling 11-2 to Bainbridge on March 13, 7-1 to Forks on March 17 and a pair of March 17 games away — 11-3 to Lynden and 15-3 to Sehome.
The Wolves (0-4) were scheduled to play at North Mason on March 20.
Sequim hosts North Mason on March 23 and Archbishop Murphy on March 24.
