Sports
East Ridge Softball Team Prepares for Second Season
The Raptors are led by a new coach and a group of players hoping to build off the experience they gained in their inaugural season.
It's round two for the East Ridge softball team in 2011. The team opened its inaugural season with a respectable .500 overall record, but with a new coach and greater expectations, the team is hoping to build some momentum in its second season.
Last season: 12-12
Conference record: 6-9 (tied for seventh place in Suburban East Conference)
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Section 4AAA tournament: lost to North St. Paul 4-0, lost to Roseville 6-0
opened in the fall of 2009, and the Raptors’ softball team finished its inaugural season 12-12 last spring. Tom Nemo, former head coach at Tartan High School, takes over a team that hopes its added experience will spur success in its second season. The Raptors, who had no seniors last season, will count on “six or seven” seniors to provide leadership, Nemo said. One of those seniors is Jessie Simonson, a transfer from , where she was a part of two Class A state championship teams.
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Key Returning Players
Senior pitcher Sam Gregory and junior catcher Taylor LeMay were All-Conference selections last season. Senior Alyssa Ronquillo and junior Kelsey Jarrett earned All-Conference honorable mentions. Nemo also expects seniors Amanda Maki and Erica Bohlke to be crucial contributors.
“There are a lot of kids who are hungry, who are dedicated,” Nemo said. “We’ve got a very good group.”
Conference Outlook
East Ridge competes in the Suburban East Conference, which Nemo said is “more of a well-balanced league,” in relation to some other area conferences, Nemo said. He expects Hastings and Forest Lake, both of which made the Class AAA state tournament last season, to again have strong teams. He also said Stillwater will give his team good competition.
