North Union’s varsity softball squad is pictured from left, front row, Ryleigh Rasey, Chailyn Fishbaugh and Baylee Grubb; second row, Jada Davis, Reese DeCamp, Jayla Kelley, Laine Sparks, Cagney Stewart and Bailee Amstutz; back row, head coach Emily Clark, Savannah Queen, Candace Holloway, Emma Padavano, Kayla Sedgwick, Brenna Martino and assistant coach Jessica Green. (Journal-Tribune photo by Aleksei Pavloff)
North Union’s JV softball team is pictured from left, front row, Makayla Cox, Allison Stacklin, Nevaeh Oberdier and Rylan Riffle; back row, Mikah Cole, Trinity Lardone, Lexie Foley, Audrey Baldwin, Mattie Colegrove and Lilly Fogle. (Journal-Tribune photo by Aleksei Pavloff)
Emily Clark has gone back to her softball roots as she embarks on her first year as the head coach of the North Union Lady Cats.
Clark, a 2015 NU graduate, succeeds Dawn Draper, who stepped down as coach in 2021, ending a more than two-decade Hall of Fame run at the top of the Lady Cats program.
Clark is excited to take over a team that formulated her growth and led to outstanding careers at North Union and The Ohio State University.
“Being able to be the head coach my alma mater means so much,” Clark said. “I am so thankful to everybody and being able to help with the next step of North Union softball.”
Having the community back the softball team is something Clark has been able to witness since her days as a youth player.
“People like to come watch us play and we can take pride in that fact,” she said.
The Lady Cats are the defending champion of the Central Buckeye Conference’s Mad River Division, finishing with a league mark of 12-4 and an overall record of 20-7.
Graduation took four players from that team, but Clark welcomed back 11 letter winners, including seniors Candace Holloway (first base) and Kayla Sedgwick (outfield).
Also returning are juniors Bailee Amstutz (pitcher, third base), Jada Davis (shortstop), Chailyn Fishbaugh (outfield), Laine Sparks (pitcher, third base), Cagney Stewart (catcher, outfield) and sophmores Reese DeCamp (pitcher, outfield), Emma Padavano (outfield), Savannh Queen (outfield) and Ryleigh Rasey (outfield, catcher).
Amstutz will be sidelined for the season because of an injury.
Filling in for the Lady Cats are senior Baylee Grubb (outfield), junior Jayla Kelley (utility) and freshman Brenna Martino (pitcher, infield).
“We are young, but experienced,” Clark said. “I feel our strength will be our hitting and pitching will hopefully become a strength.”
Sedgwick, Sparks, and Stewart combined to hit for a .417 average and collected 77 RBIs.
Davis posted a .347 average and in limited action, DeCamp also hit at a .347 clip.
Clark feels the team is strong on defense around the infield with Sparks, Davis, Sedgwick and Holloway from third to first.
Heading into the season, the outfield had the least amount of playing experience.
Clark, however, is confident Padavano, Queen, Rasey and Grubb will improve with more time on the field.
Amstutz, who went 4-3 with 2.21 ERA last year, would have been part of the pitching rotation.
However, DeCamp and Sparks combined to go 16-4 and notched 114 strikeouts in 112 innings pitched.
Clark expects her team to be right in the mix again for a league title with other contenders including Kenton Ridge, Springfield Shawnee and Benjamin Logan.
“We want our team to stay aggressive and push for runs every inning,” Clark said.
“We are also stressing communication as we build trust in each other and in themselves. We want the players to take the field like they own it. For me, it means so much to get back on the dirt and compete.”