Team Capsules

Bellevue Wolverines

Coach - Jim Butcher, 10th year.

1998 results - 3-16 in league (ninth).

Top returning starters - C Lindsey Gehrig, so.; 2B Kylee Zimmer, jr.; SS Courtney Norris, jr.; LF Maya Vergien, sr.; CF Courtney Eastes, jr.; RF Barbara Bauman, sr.

Top returning subs - 1B Gretta Peterson, sr.

Impact newcomers - 3B Christy Westcott, so.; U Shelbie Newland, so.; U Lauren Newman, so.; P Yvette Jaime, fr.; P Katie Zimmer, fr.; P Casey Milligan, fr.

Outlook - Butcher says this year's young team is "the most talented group I've ever had." Now if he can only get them to show up for practice. "Through our first 19 practices, I never had the starting team on the field at the same time," he said. "On Wednesday, I had eight players. A lot of other things have taken priority over softball. The biggest thing we need is leadership and commitment to the program."

Cedarcrest Wolves

Coach - Mandi Mattson, first year.

1998 results - 3-15 in league (eighth).

Returning starters - SS Heidi Vandanacker, jr.; LF Casi Lee, jr.; P Lauren Peterson, jr.; 3B Adrea Wickstrom, so.

Returning subs - P Tanja Burnite, so.; 3B Cherry Daniels, jr.; P Dorothy Westermann, so.

Impact newcomers - 3B Kaitlyn Schnaible, fr.; 2B Fallon Luemmen, jr.; 1B Emily Anderson, fr.; CF Julia Riera, jr.; C Whitney Short, so.; 1B Katia Sellers, so.

Outlook - Mattson likes her team's depth, speed, pitching and offense while acknowledging that her squad's youth and inexperience could be liabilities. Has aspirations of reaching the league's top half.

Interlake Saints

Coach - Dar Bullock, ninth year.

1998 results - 10-8 in league (tie, fifth)

Returning starters - SS Suzanne Santos, sr.; OF Mandy Rasmussen, sr.; OF Chelsea Potter, sr., P Megan Hemingson, jr.; P Lisa Christopher, jr.; 1B Lyndsay Henthorn, jr.; U Jennifer Lorella, jr.

Returning subs - OF Jessica Jansen, so.; OF Katie McBride, jr.

Impact newcomers - OF Tessie Crane, jr.; U Amanda Ericks, fr.; U Jennifer Herod, fr.

Outlook - Potter, as DH, and Rasmussen, as an outfielder, earned first-team all-KingCo honors last season; Santos was a second-teamer. Pitching and infield are strong. Needs help in outfield and power hitting.

Issaquah Indians

Coach - Mollie Jones, first year.

1998 results - 17-1 in league (tie, first), 24-6 overall, lost state championship game to Capital, 1-0.

Returning starters - SS Sarah Cox, jr.; 1B Crista Decker, jr.; OF Heather Nickel; OF Renee Russell, C K.C. Thompson, sr.

Returning subs - 3B Allison Nickel, OF Hillary Holberg, OF Nicole Dascenzo, P Crista Bowser.

Impact newcomers - 2B Danielle Leong.

Outlook - Solid returning core of players will keep Indians near or at the top of league. Returning all-KingCo first-team members include Decker and Thompson (who played third last year); Allison Nickel was a second-team DH.

Liberty Patriots

Coach - Julie Jackson, fourth year.

1998 results - 11-7 league in (fourth); lost two state playoff games.

Returning starters - P-1B Tera Streit, sr.; U Trina Himmelman, sr.; CF Heather Kier, sr.; SS Hannah Owings, jr.; C Sarah Carrier, jr.; 3B-OF Amy Griswald, jr.

Impact newcomers - 3B Carmen Kier, fr.; P-2B Jessica Johnson, so.; OF Janelle Sidebotham, so.; OF Tegan O'Leary, so.

Outlook - Loss of standouts (Kelly Meeks, Rennie Elwell, et al.) would deflate many teams, yet Jackson says this lineup, bolstered by talented newcomers, will be stronger. Carmen Kier is solid at third. First-team All-KingCo returnees include Himmelman and Owings; Streit and Heather Kier are second-teamers. Jackson foresees a third- or second-place finish.

Mercer Island Islanders

Coach - Kathy Shumaker, first year.

1998 results - 0-19 in league (10th).

Returning starters - C Shayna Israel, sr.; SS Cate O'Leary, jr.; 3B Talia Devens, so.; 2B Sarah Tobis, so.; 1B-P Kelly Hamman, so.

Impact newcomers - P Jacquie DiJulio, fr.; U Kirsten Soelling, fr.; U Alissa Borda, fr.

Outlook - Shumaker, the team's fifth coach in five years, brings a motivational approach to long-suffering Islander program. Young team has only one senior and one junior on the roster. "I try to make practice fun as well as teach new skills," Shumaker said. "My goal is to continue to work hard, motivate the girls, turn the program around and start winning some ballgames."

Mount Si Wildcats

Coach - Dirk Hansen, second year.

1998 results - 13-6 in league (third); finished eighth in state tournament.

Returning starters - P Hillary Strom, sr.; C Trish Schlaht, sr.; SS Kelley Duvall, sr., 3B Geneveve Weber, jr.; OF Rachael Charbonneau, sr.

Returning subs - 1B Tracie Tawney, OF Terese Duvall, jr.; OF Dana Luizzo, so.; OF Heather Lewis, so.

Impact newcomers - 1B Erica Tawney, so.; OF Nicole Deason, jr.; 3B Lauren Davis, fr.; OF Heather Lewis, so.

Outlook - "We've got so much talent that sometimes all I do is stand back and let them play while I lead the cheers," said Hansen. Strom has opened the season like a ball of fire, striking out 18 in a nine-inning victory over Idaho's defending champs and tossing a five-inning perfect game against Newport. Schlaht, Tracie Tawney and Duvall are returning all-league first-teamers. Talent-rich team should be tough to beat.

Newport Knights

Coach - Ryan Parkinson, first year.

1998 results - 6-14 in league (seventh).

Returning starters - SS Jackie Lew, jr.; 1B Brianne Youngs, sr.; CF Katie Grothkopp, sr.; LF Lanny Kim, sr.; C Tara Wood, so.

Returning subs - 3B Katie Watt, sr.; RF Laura Nestler, jr.

Impact newcomers - P Erin Dixon, fr.; P Jamie Laflin, fr.; 2B Carole Critchlow, fr.

Outlook - Knights will rely on freshman pitchers to try to rise in standings. "We'd like to sneak into the KingCo tournament," Parkinson said. "We're not going to blow people away, but with some clutch hitting we can win some games."

Sammamish Totems

Coach - Mike Eckhart, sixth year.

1998 results - 10-8 in league (tie, fifth)

Returning starters - 1B Claire Parsons, jr.; P-2B Ivy Mulkins, sr.; C Lindsay Anderson, jr.; OF Kathy Phon, so.

Impact newcomers - P-SS Karin Lappin, jr.; INF Erin Inthavong, jr.; OF Katherine Jochim, so.; OF Ashley Minnie, so.; P-SS Jamie Lewis, fr.; C-OF Katie Nicholls, fr.

Outlook - Parsons was a second-team all-league first baseman last spring. Eckhart says his young team is in "a serious rebuilding year."

Skyline Spartans

Coach - Shelley Brown, second year.

1998 results - 17-1 in league (tie, first), 4-2 in state tournament, fourth in state.

Returning starters - P Rebecca Sanders, sr., 1B Callie Bergan, jr., SS Candi Adamo, sr.; 3B-C Holly Martinez, so.; RF Megan Shaw, sr.; CF Kristin Rowe, jr.; 2B Missy Mordy, sr.

Returning subs - C Breanne Lewis, so.; LF Jamie Hopfaus, sr.

Impact newcomers - OF Amy Dooley, fr.; OF Katherine McAvoy, fr.; P Tara Burns, fr.; OF Andrea Gilmore sr.; P Lindsey Dooley, fr.

Outlook - Spartans lost only their third baseman and right fielder from last year's powerhouse. Brown, a '97 UW grad and former Husky leadoff hitter, expects a good club to improve even more this season now that the school has provided batting cages and pitching machines. Sanders is one of league's premier pitchers. A genuine title contender.