North Union’s varsity softball team is pictured from left, Ryleigh Rasey, Zoe Wedding, Kailin McElroy, Emma McElroy and Sierra Farrington; second row, Rylee Fox, Shelby Cowgill, Catherine Hinkle, Kale Keigley, Caralyn Hinkle and Kennedy Harrah; back row, assistant coach Aly Blunk, Savannah Queen, Brenna Martino, Emma Padovano, Reese DeCamp assistant coach Maddie Wedding and head coach Pat Grove.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Bob Putman)
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There is a new head coach leading the North Union softball program.
However, the Lady Cats will have a lot of familiar faces when it takes the field in 2024.
Pat Grove is embarking on his first-ever high school coaching job, but he is not a newcomer to coaching high school softball players.
Grove has spent nearly two decades coaching area travel teams and has had several North Union players, both current and past, on his squads.
“Coaching travel ball is very similar to high school coaching.” Grove said last year after being hired as head coach.
He succeeded Emily Lindsey, who stepped down after the 2023 campaign.
Now that the season has begun, not much has changed in Grove’s thinking.
“Softball is softball and the development is all the same,” he said.
North Union was 20-5 last season with a 13-3 mark in Central Buckeye Conference play.
The Lady Cats finished second in the Mad River Division, one game back of Indian Lake.
North Union has some holes to fill with the graduation of Laine Sparks, Chailyn Fishbaugh, Jada Davis, Jayla Kelley and Cagney Stewart.
Sparks, Davis, Kelley and Stewart were all first-team selections in the Mad River Division.
Grove, though, welcomes back nine returning letter winners from last year’s team.
Leading the way are seniors Reese DeCamp, Emma Padovano, Ryleigh Rasey and Savannah Queen.
They are joined by junior Brenna Martino and sophomores Kennedy Harrah, Emma McElroy, Catherine Hinkle and Kale Keigley.
While there is a good number of returnees, there is still a little newness to those who will be on the field.
“We have four with true-game experience,” Grove said. “It will take a little time, but we will get there. It is our job as coaches to get them ready.”
DeCamp was North Union’s top pitcher last year, finishing with a 13-2 record and an ERA of 3.25. She also helped offensively with a .452 batting average and 31 RBIs.
Rasey, an infielder, batted .403 last season with 25 RBIs, while Keigley, an outfielder, also hit at a .403 clip.
Harrah, an infielder, scored 17 runs and had 14 RBIs and McElroy made several starts in the outfield late in the season.
Queen, Martino and Hinkle played in reserve roles last season and will be counted on to do more this season.
A returnee to this year’s team is senior shortstop Zoe Wedding, who was part of the program as a freshman, but did not play as a sophomore and junior.
Players new to varsity competition will be sophomores Sierra Farrington and Shelby Cowgill, along with freshmen Kailyn McElroy, Rylee Fox and Caralyn Hinkle.
“Our seniors have done a good job of leading the team,” Grove said.
With a good part of last year’s offensive production lost to graduation, Grove said pitching and defense, at least initially, will be key to Lady Cat victories.
“We will play a little differently this season,” he said. “Offensively, we will use our speed and then layer it with our hitting. Our strengths will be defense and pitching.”
The Lady Cats’ opening schedule is no piece of cake.
They play their first five games on the road that includes matchups against River Valley, which annually is one of the top teams in the Mid Ohio Athletic Conference, CBC foe London, Olentangy Orange and Indian Lake, the Mad River Division champion in 2023 and one of the favorites to win another title.
“That schedule will allow us to see what we are right from the start,” Grove said.