With five freshmen on the roster and nary a senior to be found, few would’ve predicted success for the Hillsboro High School softball team in 2024. But after a 9-3 start, this year’s Spartans are opening eyes outside the team and program, while at the same time surprising no one within it.
“I'm not surprised,” Hillsboro head coach Aaron Price said. “We knew this fall that the five freshmen would all be big contributors for us this season.
“We're young and we're hitting the ball well, and our pitching has been effective. We definitely have a lot to work on, but we've had a good start and shown what this team is capable of.”
Price said the team has in many ways been led by the collective, but did single-out junior shortstop Madi Price, along with freshman catcher and outfielder Anika Webster as two players who’ve stepped to the forefront.
Webster—in addition to her play on the field—has been invaluable when it comes to her ability to inspire, along with her mental aptitude and ability to communicate it. While Price brings a level of maturity that’s to be expected from a returning all-league and all-state performer.
“Madi (Price) brings the experience that you would expect from a first team all-league and all-state selection,” Price said. “Anika (Webster) is a new addition this year and is always communicating on the field, always picking up her teammates, always plugged into the game.”
Additionally, pitchers Olivia Smythe-Marcel, Marisol Contreras, and Madisyn Luke—who are all freshmen—have been solid in the circle, led by Smythe-Marcel who had a 2.63 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 21.1 innings pitched through the team’s first 12 games.
Offensively, Price mentioned sophomore infielder Bella Godinez who the coach said has “been fantastic at the plate,” along with Luke as key contributors, citing the latter’s uncanny ability to reach base from the team’s leadoff position.
“It feels like she's almost guaranteed to get on base every at bat,” the coach said. “And she's a great baserunner.”
Luke is batting .500 with an on-base percentage of .571 in 49 plate appearances, while Godinez is batting .475 with six doubles, four home runs and 23 RBI in 46 plate appearances.
It’s that type of offensive potency that Price said makes swinging the bats the primary strength of the Spartans’ team.
“Our strength is our hitting,” he said. “I would put our top five or six up against anyone in our league.”
With that said, and with Hillsboro being so young, the coach said he and his staff have been working with their kids on the fundamental aspects of the game. Despite their talent, he said their lack of experience has made them prone to occasional mental errors that can often be the difference between a winning and losing outcome.
“Our focus since week 2 has been on the little things; baserunning, always being aware of the situation, mental errors, things like that,” Price said. “We have the talent to compete with the top teams in our league, but not if we spot them a few runs on our mistakes.”
With that in mind, the coach said that doesn’t stop them from thinking big in 2024, for they aim to compete in league play, and hopefully beyond it.
“Ultimately, we're always playing to win our conference,” Price said. “The NWOC looks really good this year and we know winning the conference is a tough ask, but short of that, we'd love to earn a state playoff bid.”
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