After a busy summer schedule of softball, Wayne High has been putting in the work early in the fall with a road jamboree as NSAA competition begins this week on the home diamond.
The Blue Devil softball team will be made up of 18 players which includes eight freshmen who played a lot of games with the Dirt Devil 14s summer softball program.
Rob Sweetland will be starting his 23rd year leading WHS softball.
Coach Sweetland said fans will see a lot of moving pieces.
“From pitching circle, to outfield, to catcher to infield,” said Sweetland. “I mean everybody is in competition to play. So, the first week or so has been getting people reps at different positions and seeing how they respond to different situations.”
Joining coach Sweetland will be Kiley Koch and Lauren Gilliland on staff.
Wayne traveled to Norfolk High last Thursday for a jamboree outing.
Coach Sweetland added it was good to get some at-bats against a different team while also utilizing all three of their pitchers multiple innings.
“So, it was good to see how they threw,” Sweetland added. “We were able to move people around and get them some actually game-time at different spots.”
Seniors will be Rylin Hall on the rightside of the infield, Sammi Gubbels pitching and rightside of infield and Taytem Ellis (ACL injury). Others include junior Nyla Bolles who was an All-State outfielder last year and has also seen some time as catcher, junior Mackenzie Nissen pitching and left side of the infield and outfield as well as junior Reagan McGuire at shortstop.
Coach Sweetland mentioned it will be tough to be without All-State centerfielder Ellis following ACL surgery.
“Unfortunately, that’s a big missing piece as (she) would have been a four-year starter for us,” Sweetland mentioned. “It’s just a big piece that we’re missing right in the middle of the field, in the middle of the line-up. But she’s still around and providing good leadership and coaching from the sidelines now.”
Wayne High is coming off a 23-8 record last year after winning their district over Cozad and qualifying for the 2023 NSAA Class C State Softball Championships (WHS went 0-2 at state). This year, Wayne is back in Class B.
Some incoming freshmen who stick out so far to coach Sweetland will be Kinnley McGuire as a pitcher and left side infielder and outfielder as well as Courtney Roeber as an outfielder and catcher
With each practice, the coaches have seen improvement and would like that to carry over once games start while also learning how to manage themselves during game situations. Being more vocal and staying positive will also be key throughout the season.
“It’s always great to say yeah let’s make a district final, or let’s make it to state or let’s win conference,” said Sweetland. “Those are always going to be goals of the team. We’re just more focused on getting better. So, that’ll put us in a position to be able to compete in those things at the end.”
The 2024 season will open on Thursday, Aug. 22 at 6:30 p.m. against Class B state runner-up Blair before hosing the Wayne Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 24 beginning at 9:30 a.m. Other teams coming to Wayne will be Arlington, Centura/Central Valley, O' Neill, Ord, Pierce, Ponca and Twin River.
