Greenfield-Central’s Lilly Stewart gets mobbed by her teammates after she hit a home run against Anderson in the first round of the Class 4A Mt. Vernon Sectional on Monday, May 24, 2021.
Tom Russo | Daily Reporter
GREENFIELD — When asked about last year’s in-season adversities, Greenfield-Central softball coach Jason Stewart didn’t hesitate to speak his truth.
“I’m glad last year is over. I ain’t gonna lie,” Stewart professed. “Now, with that said, I will say, I had as much fun coaching last year’s team, then I’ve ever had, but just the stress of the COVID stuff. It wore on you daily.”
Before COVID-19 protocols hit the Cougars softball program extensively in 2021 — a year removed from the season’s complete cancellation due to the pandemic — Greenfield-Central was red hot.
Unbeaten through the team’s first six games, the Cougars went 10-2 until late April, when contact-tracing quarantines limited both the Greenfield-Central lineup card, offensive production and progression overall.
The Cougars finished the 2021 campaign at 16-11 overall and 2-5 in the Hoosier Heritage Conference, placing sixth, while losing to rival Pendleton Heights, 12-7, in the sectional semifinals last May.
“We got hit harder than probably anybody last year when we got stuck playing with nine and one pitcher for a while, and we thought, well, maybe this will be the time we get a break?,” Stewart said.
Unfortunately, that won’t be the case in 2022.
With their season opener set for Saturday at Zionsville, the Cougars will take the field without one of their key projected returners, senior catcher and cleanup hitter Ellie Ewald, who could possibly miss the entire year with an offseason shoulder injury.
Ewald, a University of Indianapolis commit, hit .378 for the Cougars in 27 games played last season with 28 RBI, five doubles, 14 runs scored and seven of the team’s 45 home runs.
“You can’t replace what Ellie brings,” Stewart said. “You can’t just stick a kid in there and tell them to hit .420 and 10 bombs and play good catcher. It’s just a matter of other kids having to pick it up.”
The response to the Cougars’ first setback of the season is an infusion of youth and several other key returnees, which will keep the team moving forward despite the loss of Ewald.
“We’ve still got some pop in the middle of the order. We still return a lot of home runs and a lot of kids who can hit it,” Stewart said. “And, we’ve got a very good freshmen class. Considering all things, it might be the best freshmen class we’ve had since I’ve been here. I could have as many as five freshmen starting at some point in the year at varsity.”
The team’s experience comes from some of the Cougars’ top-hitters from a season ago, including senior Ella Redman (.419 batting average, 32 RBI, nine doubles, 12 home runs), senior Megan Wineinger (.521, 16 RBI, four doubles), junior Lilly Stewart (.354, 20 RBI, five doubles, four home runs) and senior Morgan Hornaday (.366, 23 runs, 19 RBI, six doubles, three home runs).
Add in junior Olivia Roberts (.359, 28 runs, 18 RBI, five doubles, five home runs), the team’s defensive player of the year, and the Cougars are in prime position to compete swing for swing.
“I think we’re going to be able to generate quite a few runs. Those kids all played well for us last year. Megan is one of the best leadoff hitters in the state. I’d put her up there with anybody. Ella really had a breakout year last year. Lilly and Liv both had good years for their first years coming in. I expect big things out of those two, now being juniors,” Stewart said.
“And Morgan’s stats were deceiving. She was hitting about .480. Morgan was one of our best hitters, and then she got contact traced and had to sit for two weeks and kind of got in a funk and didn’t get her timing back. She ended up around .360 or so, but for the first half, she was one of our leading hitters.”
This spring, the focus with be on the Cougars’ proven upperclassmen, but the six freshmen on the varsity roster will provide ample support both defensively, in the pitcher’s circle and at the plate.
Madysen Herbert is projected to share pitching duties with junior Faith Butler to give the team a 1-2 punch, while frosh Leileanna Faitele and senior Taylor Smith (.333) will take over at catcher.
Frosh Josie White is attempting to seize the starting role at shortshop and a spot behind Wineinger in the batting order. Freshmen newcomers Makenna Rankins and Addison Herrin could see rotational time in the outfield with Hornaday, Butler and sophomore Katie Muegge.
From there, nothing is set in stone, just yet, as the Cougars intend to utilize the early portion of the season to fine-tune their defensive and offensive strengths.
“Our team right now, it’s going to be real interesting. It’s probably the most flexible team I’ve ever had. We need to get them outside and see what they can do, and I’ve told these girls, ‘There are a lot of girls we’re going to be moving around in different spots.’ Unfortunately, it might cost us a game here or there early, trying to figure out the best combo defensively, so we’re really not set hardly anywhere,” Stewart said.
“It’s a scary thought, but it kind it makes it fun and exciting, trying to figure it out and move things around. I told the girls, ‘Don’t get too comfortable.’ We’re going to see what works and who is most comfortable at each position.”
The team’s interchangeable dynamic could mean Stewart and Redman at first base, third base or maybe even designated player. Wineinger is penciled in at second base, and Roberts is good enough to play anywhere in the field. Once, Roberts’ spot is cemented, the rest of the pieces could fall into place, Stewart said.
“It’s been interesting running into some of the challenges we’ve been hit with even before we picked up a ball,” Stewart said. “But, I think, we’re going to be alright.”
The Cougars’ schedule will test the revamped lineup immediately with a handful of non-conference challenges ahead through late March and early April.
“I tried to make this a tougher, if not the toughest, schedule we’ve ever had. That was obviously before we lost our four-hole hitter and catcher, but we added Hamilton Southeastern, Zionsville and Danville,” Stewart said. “I think, we have as much talent as anybody in the sectional. It’s just figuring out which nine or 10 to have out there each day.
“The expectations and goals for these girls, it doesn’t change. That’s to win 20 games, compete for our conference in the top-three of it and give ourselves a chance to win a sectional. It’s going to be tougher this year, but I’m not letting them off the hook by saying it’s OK because we’re missing this kid or that kid.”
2022 Greenfield-Central Softball Schedule
Mar. 26: Greenfield-Central at Zionsville, 11 a.m.
Mar. 28: Greenfield-Central at Lapel, 5:30 p.m.
Mar. 29: Greenfield-Central at Hamilton Southeastern, 6 p.m.
Mar. 31: Greenfield-Central at Richmond, 5:30 p.m.
Apr. 4: Elwood at Greenfield-Central, 5:30 p.m.
Apr. 5: Greenfield-Central at Scecina Memorial, 5:30 p.m.
Apr. 6: Greenfield-Central at Danville, 5:30 p.m.
Apr. 8: (DH) Greenfield-Central at Madison-Grant, 6 p.m.
Apr. 11: Noblesville at Greenfield-Central, 6 p.m.
Apr. 13: Westfield at Greenfield-Central, 6 p.m.
Apr. 18: Greenfield-Central at Delta, 5:30 p.m.*
Apr. 21: Rushville at Greenfield-Central, 5:30 p.m.
Apr. 22: Greenfield-Central at Indianapolis Lutheran, 5:30 p.m.
Apr. 27: Greenfield-Central at Yorktown, 5:30 p.m.*
Apr. 29: Mt. Vernon at Greenfield-Central, 7 p.m.*
May 2: New Castle at Greenfield-Central, 5:30 p.m.*
May 4: Shenandoah at Greenfield-Central, 7 p.m.
May 5: New Palestine at Greenfield-Central, 5:30 p.m.*
May 9: Cardinal Ritter at Greenfield-Central, 5:30 p.m.
May 10: Greenfield-Central at Pendleton Heights, 6 p.m.*
May 12: Lawrence Central at Greenfield-Central, 7 p.m.
May 14: Cougar Classic Tournament, 9 a.m.
May 18: Greenfield-Central at Shelbyville, 5:30 p.m.*
May 19: Greenfield-Central at Carmel, 5:30 p.m.
May 20: Lawrence North at Greenfield-Central, 7 p.m.
* Hoosier Heritage Conference game
