MORGANTOWN — After being one game away from knocking off eventual state champion John Marshall, the Morgantown High softball team returns almost everyone from a team that finished 19-10 last season.
The Mohigans lost just a single senior to graduation after last year, all-state honorable mention catcher Abigail Harki, returning everyone else from a team that took John Marshall to the final game of the section tournament.
“These guys have been playing together since they were freshmen,” MHS coach Lori Lipscomb said. “I’ve loved what we’ve seen in practice. I feel like we’re ahead of the curve.”
Lipscomb said coming so close to knocking off the Monarchs and winning the section provided her team with an injection of confidence, and has left them hungry for more success this season.
“They’re going to have more hunger for it,” she said. “For all of my years, it took who knows how long to even take a game (against John Marshall), let alone to take two of three in a season. These girls don’t have that hang-up.”
The Mohigans are led by returning first-team all-state pitcher Micah “Mo” Wilson. Now a senior, Wilson had a 1.60 ERA and struck out 164 batters as Morgantown’s workhorse pitcher. At the plate, she batted .508 with 21 RBI.
“I can remember when Mo was a freshman and thinking she could be really good,” Lipscomb said. “Now we’re there and she had a great season.”
Lipscomb thinks Wilson can have an even-better senior season, not only because she’s continued to improve but also because she won’t have to shoulder as much of the load for the Mohigans in 2024. Lipscomb said there are several players who she thinks will be able to give the Mohigans quality innings behind Wilson, including junior Liz Alsop and sophomore Maddie Wisman.
“Mo’s going to have some help behind her,” Lipscomb said. “She won’t have to carry the whole workload like she did last season. It’s a great situation.”
Alsop was an all-state honorable mention last season and her regular position will be in the outfield. She batted .405 with six home runs and 31 RBI last season. Also earning all-state honorable mention honors last season was senior Emily Peterson, who will man first base. She hit .359 with 20 RBI last year.
Other returners include sophomores Beth and Grace Robinson, twin sisters who will be the Mohigans’ double-play duo at second base and shortstop. Wisman will split time with senior Kate Larimer at third base.
The third Robinson sister, junior Anne, will have a spot in the outfield next to Alsop. Larimer will also play in the outfield and Lipscomb said there is potential for a bench player to step up and earn playing time there as well.
As for catcher, junior Paige Rhodes will move up from the JV team to replace Harki.
“Paige Rhodes will step into that starting position and will do fantastic,” Lipscomb said. “She was our JV starter last year and got a few varsity innings. She’s so smart, has a great feel for the game. I trust her to call her own pitches.”
Rounding out the Morgantown roster are seniors Josie Trembush and Elise Lupo, sophomores Madi Stone, Avery Marinovich, Kira Smith and Sierra Mazey, and freshmen Carper Messerly, Audrey Davis and Peyton Aaron.
Morgantown is scheduled to begin the season on March 19 with a road game against rival University on the new turf fields at Mylan Park. MHS will then play two road games at John Marshall (March 20) and Bridgeport (March 22) before playing its first home game on March 23 against Parkersburg South.
The team will take a spring trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C. over the last week of March.
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