Head Softball Coach John Basset at Spoon River College is looking forward to a great 2021 spring season for the Snapper softball team. “We finished the Covid-19 shortened 2020 spring season on a 13-game winning streak and a 17-3 overall record.”
The Snappers will be led by ten returning sophomores. Noelle Hobbs (Washington, IL) finished last season batting .534 with an incredible 1.509 slugging percentage. Giulia Cianfriglia (Verona, Italy) hit 7 home runs in the shortened season and also had a robust 1.380 slugging percentage. Rayna Davis (Humble, TX), Jayden Montana (Regina, SK, Canada), Kira Brown (Springfield, IL), Addy Williams (Cuba, IL), Daisy Bejarano (Baytown, TX), and Paige Collopy (Knoxville, IL) all hit over .400 last year.
The Snappers bring in three freshmen pitchers to work alongside sophomore Miranda Fogal (Monticello, IL). Makayla Ellison (Marquette Heights, IL), Sydney Owens (Orleans, IN), and lefty Lauren Smith (Channahon, IL) will all be looked on to contribute immediately.
“Miranda has made tremendous strides since last season, and a big part of that was us coaches adjusting to maximize what she does well. I’m really looking forward to seeing how high her ceiling will be,” said Coach John Bassett
Rounding out this year’s roster is sophomore Miranda Alvarez (Peoria, IL) and freshmen Grace Stufflebeam (Macomb, IL), Allison Mortland (Canton, IL), Sloan Miller (Cuba, IL), Mackenzie Stiewe, (Waterford, WI), and De’Asisa Davenport (Wharton, TX).
“We have a tremendously talented team. I have high expectations for our freshmen pitchers, and we have a really strong offensive and defensive unit returning from last year. Now we get to add a lot of speed with Mortland, defensive prowess with Davenport, strong hitting with Stiewe, and lots of athleticism with Stufflebeam, Miller, and Alvarez,” said Bassett.
“Last year’s team was unique and special. They played for each other and you could feel the competitiveness and passion every day. I feel our team this year is even more talented than last year. I can’t wait to get to work to find out if this year’s group has that same competitive drive that we enjoyed last season. If they do, then this could be a really special team.”
The first game is February 6 at the Iowa Dome Tournament. The complete schedule can be viewed at www.src.edu under the Snappers Athletic tab. Follow the Spoon River College Athletics Facebook page for the most up-to-date information and to watch live streams of games when available.
Spoon River College is a two-year, public community college in West Central Illinois, with campuses and Community Outreach Centers in Canton and Macomb, and Learning Centers in Havana and Rushville.