Season Preview: 2019 Seward County Softball
Posted: Jan 23, 2019

Season Preview: 2019 Seward County Softball

LIBERAL, Kan. – A year after rewriting the record books, the Seward County softball team will look to build off that success with first year head coach Ryan Wondrasek.

Wondrasek comes to Seward after spending the past two seasons at NCAA Division I University of Nebraska. While at Omaha, he helped coach three All-Summit League selections in 2018, along with a National Fast Pitch Coaches Association All-Region selection.

He brings with him Assistant Coach Jessica Nelson. Nelson joins Seward after completing her playing career at the University of Nebraska Omaha where she was coached by Wondrasek.  She was the team captain and was voted on the All-Tournament Team in the Summit League Conference tournament.

Seward lost seven All-Conference selections from a year ago, including the all-time strikeout leader and home run leader in Monique Ashley and Sage Harrison.  The Lady Saints do however return three All-Jayhawk selection in Corrina Porras (3B), Miranda Nester (OF) and Jordan Cordrey (P).

The Lady Saints are also set to return starting first baseman Madeline Owen, who finished third on the team in runs scored, and catcher Cassandra Esquibel.  Seward welcomes one sophomore transfer, Nicole Nelson, who joins the Lady Saints after spending the spring with NAIA LSU of Alexandria.

2019 KJCCC Predicted Order of Finish
Jayhawk West Jayhawk East
  1. Seward County
  2. Colby
  3. Dodge City
  4. Garden City
  5. Northwest Tech
  1. Butler
  2. Barton
  3. Hutchinson
  4. Independence
  5. Pratt

The 2019 squad will be a freshman heavy team, with eight of their players entering their first year. Infielder Jaci Oakley (Shattuck, Oklahoma), outfielder Dazy Gomez (Irving, Texas), outfielder Ashlee Ortiz New Laguna, New Mexico), outfielder Nissy Lechuga (Arlington, Texas), outfielder Angel Ortiz (New Laguna, New Mexico), catcher AJ Luna (Grand Prairie, Texas), utility Emily Mojica (Grandby, Missouri) and pitcher Alyssah Pontoja (Amarillo, Texas) will all vie for playing time.

The Lady Saints were predicted to finish 1st in the preseason coaches' poll in the newly aligned Jayhawk West, while defending Region VI Champion Butler was predicted to win the Jayhawk East.

Seward will open the season on Friday, February 1 when they travel to Fort Worth, Texas to participate in the Cowtown Classic.  They will play Laredo (9 a.m.), Ranger (11 a.m.) and Coastal Bend (5 p.m.) on Friday before finishing the classic with Enid (9 a.m.) and North Central Texas (11 a.m.) on Saturday. Their home opener will be against Clarendon on Wednesday, February 6th.