As the softball season begins, we take a look at the schools playing in the Public League this spring.
*Note: All coaches were contacted multiple times, the schools below are the ones who responded. If your school isn’t listed, have your coach reach out to Michael Wojtychiw at mmwojtychiw@cps.edu. This post will be updated if more schools respond.
School: Amundsen
Last year’s record: 10-5
Starters returning (name, position, year):
Mariyahna Murray, Senior, Utility
Kate Frey, Sophomore, Sophomore, Infield
Araceli Condie-Espinosa, Sophomore, Infield
Key non-starters returning (name, position, year):
Devin Horrow, Sophomore, Infield
Frances Oliver, Sophomore, Utility
Key newcomers (name, position, year):
Ashley Ellevog, Freshman, Catcher
Maeve Oliver, Freshman, Pitcher
School: Clemente
Last year’s record: 5-4
Starters returning:
Giannie Redmond, SS
Breanna Clinton, 3B
Talina Figueroa, C
Jamaris Nguyen, P
Josyline Cervantes, P
Kayla Porrata, 2B
Sabrina Negron, C/1B
School: Hancock
Last year’s record: 10-11 Overall, 7-4 CPL Red
Social media handles:
- Instagram= @jhcp.softball
College commits:
- Ariel Herrera (Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota)
Starters returning (name, position, year, stats and honors):
- Alyssa Lopez
- RHP/1B, Senior, 1st Team All City, AVG .643, SLG 1.339, 50 IP, 72 SO
- Ariel Herrera
- RHP/OF, Senior, AVG .540, SLG 1.220, 15 SB, 40 IP, 70 SO
- Hannah Scuito
- C/UTL, Junior, AVG .353, SLG .765, FPCT 1.000, 70 PO
- Ariana Miguel
- OF, Senior, AVG .344, SLG .438, 15 SB
- Natalia Holguin
- 3B/SS, Junior, AVG .300, SLG .600, FPCT .800
- Nailani Deaton
- 2B/1B/SS, Junior, AVG .375, SLG .583, FPCT .857
- Mikaila Esteban
- OF, Senior, ABG .414, SLG .552, FPCT .833
Key non-starters returning (name, position, year):
Key newcomers (name, position, year):
- Hayden Scuito UTL, Sophomore
- Isela Garcia OF, Sophomore
- Bella Garcia OF, Sophomore
Big/Key games:
- Hancock v. Whitney Young
- Hancock v. Lincoln Park
Season outlook:
- Hancock Varsity Softball, competing in the highest conference in the city, looks up to a competitive season with 8 varsity returning players. This program ranked top 5 in the city and is looking to continue this upwards trend since Hancock first joined the CPL red conference in 2019 after an undefeated season in CPL blue.
School: Kennedy
Last year’s record: 4-12-1
Social media handle: jfk.crusader.softball (Instagram)
Starters returning (name, position, year, stats):
Senior Lana Dahl, C/Util
Senior Yolanda Antonio, C/2B, .306 batting average
Key newcomers (name, position, year):
Freshman Ariel Huerta, OF/C/Util
Freshman Andrea Segura, Util
Freshman Gisella Lopez, Util
Freshman Angelina Gregory, P/Util
Big/key games:
The game against Hancock is the neighborhood rivalry game on Thursday March 23rd.
Coach’s Season Outlook: Kennedy has many newcomers to the team. With a young team and four seniors and one junior, we will need our freshmen to step up.
School: Payton
Last year’s record: 10-10
Social media handle: https://www.instagram.com/paytonsoftball/
Starters returning:
Sophie McBroom, RF/1B, Senior (4 year starter)
Lilia Tanabe, C, Junior (2022 Team MVP)
Natalie Yoder 3B, Senior (2023 Co-Captain)
Ava Manrique, CF, Junior
Casey Hiss, P/2B, Senior (2023 Co-Captain)
Alexis Patterson, P, Senior (4 year starter)
Tessa McGuire, SS, Sophomore
Key non-starters returning:
Ashley Warren, LF, Junior (3 year varsity player)
Key newcomers:
Rory O’Connell, IF, Junior (1st year varsity player)
Louise Goldman, 1B, Junior (2nd year varsity player)
Season outlook: This Grizzly team follows a team oriented mindset around the sanskrit word Muditā (Pāli and Sanskrit: मुदिता). Muditā means joy; or vicarious joy that comes from delighting in other people’s success. This is a veteran squad that takes that mindset to heart. We will feature 11 returning players and many of whom have been on varsity since their freshman year. The program will continue its upward trend having moved from the Blue division a few years ago to the very competitive CPL Red division. Along with the many solid red division opponents, the team scheduled a rugged non-conference schedule.
Big/Key games: Along with our many Red division rivals, we look forward to big games against some of our top non conference opponents. This rugged list of opponents includes other city teams like (2022 3A state runner up) St. Ignatius, Speer Academy, DePaul College Prep, Amundsen, De LaSalle and Muchin College Prep. Not to mention a host of solid suburban teams and tournaments.
Coach’s Season Goals:
- To finish as one of the top 3A teams in the city of Chicago.
- Win the 3A Regional Championship
- Deliver an attitude of gratitude that Walter Payton would be proud of.
School: Rickover
Last year’s record: 7-4 (conference) and (10-7 overall)
Starters returning (name, position, year):
Aaliyah Mateo, SS/P, 2024
Alexandra Martinez, 2B/P/OF, 2023
Natalie Espinoza, RF/CF/2B/C, 2023
Grace Grobner, P/LF, 2025
Halena Gartner, P/1B/SS, 2024
Soleil Gonzales, C/P, 2025
Miabella “Nick” Villa, C/LF/1B, 2025
Elisabel Nieves, RF/2B/SS, 2023
Key non-starters returning (name, position, year):
Maritza Ponce, CF, SS, 2B, 2023
Key newcomers (name, position, year):
Kayla Mateo, 3B/IF/C, 2026
Bella Rodriguez-Hernandez, CF/OF/2B, 2026
Brittaney Gonzalez, OF, 2026
Rubi Bandera, OF, 2026
Big/Key games:
All
Coach’s Season Outlook:
The Lady SeaDragons return to continue making an impact in the White North Conference. Coming from a 13-0 record in a lower conference two years ago, Rickover was successful in making a huge impact last year finishing the season off in 4th place in the higher conference. Rickover looks to try matching or improving our record with 9 returning players this season. In addition, we were able to gain 2 experienced freshmen and 3 young freshmen willing to work hard and learn the sport of softball.
School: Taft
Last year’s record: 23-8
Social media handles: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoTaftSoftball/; Twitter: @TaftSoftballFam
College commits: Joselyn Ulloa, Missouri S&T (2024)
Starters returning (name, year, position and honors):
Joselyn Ulloa Junior, CF (2x All-Chicago Public League, 2022 1st Team All-State)
Elena Gonzalez, Sophomore, SS (2022 All-Chicago Public League)
Dehn Schoen, Senior, P
Key non-starters returning (name, position, year):
Olivia Saldana, 3B/P, Junior
Carley Creeth, C/Utility, Senior
Key newcomers (name, position, year):
Michaela Power, Middle INF/Pitcher, Freshman
Big/Key games:
Oak Creek (Wisconsin)
Lane Tech (Conference Rival)
Whitney Young (Conference Game)
Baldwinsville (New York)
Marysville (Ohio)
Coach’s Season Outlook:
Our team this year is very young but very talented. We have a solid pitching core sharing the load in Schoen, Dennewitz, Saldana and Power. We are playing a very strong schedule and we’ll be challenged throughout the season. We have trips to play out of state in Tennessee and Wisconsin this season. We understand that this entire season is in preparation for state playoffs. We want our program to continue to compete at the state level. If this team can find their identity early in the season (after graduating 8 seniors last year), it’s going to be a fun year!
School: Whitney Young
Last year’s record: 29-3
Social media handle: @wy_softball (Twitter and Instagram)
College commit: Maya Martinez is our only senior – she’s committed to play at University of Chicago next year.
Starters returning (name, position, year, stats and honors):
Senior: Maya Martinez, LF, 1B, SS
3rd Team All State: 2020 & 2021
All City: 2020 & 2021
35 GP, .537 AVG ., 96 R, 123 H, 107 RBI, 35 2B, 4 3B, 17 HR
Junior: Sydney Gilbert, CF
All City: 2020 & 2021
61 GP, .446 AVG, 71 R, 81 H, 50 RBI, 18 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR
Junior: Nyah Allen, P & RF
3rd Team All State: 2021
All City: 2020 & 2021
2021 Stats: 29 GP, .583 AVG, 34 R, 56 H, 34 RBI, 16 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR
Junior: Gigi Martinez, 3B, 1B
2021 Stats: 27 GP, .394 AVG, 23 R, 28 H, 21 RBI, 6 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR
Junior: Kate Coonan, SS & 2B
28 GP, .397 AVG, 19 R, 27 H, 15 RBI, 8 2B, 1 HR
Key non-starters returning:
Sonali Angus, junior
Key newcomers (name, position, year):
Natalie Nieves, 1B & 3B
Emily Rodriguez, P & 3B
Georgia Lang, C & INF
Sarah Alvarez, P & OF
Big/Key games:
3/29 @ Taft
4/21 v Lane
Coach’s Season Outlook:
Coming off a SuperSectional, only CPL team to ever make it to multiple SuperSectionals, loss to eventual state champs St. Charles North. We hope to pick up right where we left off and win the City Championship and try to get downstate. We graduated four starters, but gained four super talented freshmen. Our returning starters have all taken the next steps in the athletic development and we expect huge seasons from them. We will only start 1 senior and we hope to make her final high school season a memorable one.
