Lady Rebels Raise the Bar for Future Seasons

Howell Lady Rebel softball coach Elissa Connell said after the year her team had this season, there is very little room for complaints.

After a bumpy regular season the girls came together at just the right time to bring home the first sectional championship in the program's history. Not only that, but they were just a few hits away from bringing home the Group IV overall title. "We are very proud of the girls and their successful season," Connell said.

The coach attributed the team's success to several factors. "The seniors brought a tremendous amount of leadership and experience to the team and they will surely be missed," she said. "We are, however, looking forward to having some of the underclassmen step up and take on those leadership roles."

One of the best examples of the success the underclassmen enjoyed was the work of junior Carsin Conner. Whether it was as the starting pitcher for the Rebels, coming in as a reliever or at the plate Conner made her presence felt especially in the final stretch of the season. With a .426 batting average for the year she had five home runs and also drove in a team leading 18 RBI. When it came to the pitching circle, Conner won 11 games while taking just three losses. 

Another leader at the plate was senior Lauren VanWie. In her last year with the team she hit .307 with 13 RBI, and two home runs. The 20 hits she recorded on the year helped her to score 10 runs for her team. 

Lauren Saal also had a big year for the Lady Rebels as a junior. She hit .436 on the year with eight RBI and an impressive 12 doubles. She also had a solid 31 hits on the season while scoring 14 runs. 

The future also looks bright for the team beyond the class of 2012 with players like sophomore Kelly Hardiman succeeding so early in her varsity career. With a .306 average the young player also scored 16 runs on 23 hits. She also had five doubles. Perhaps her biggest strength was her patience at the plate. This year she had 11 walks which was tied with Christina Polihrom for the most on the team.

A close second in that category was junior Cassidy Brozowski who had 10 on the year. In addition to her ability to get on base, Brozowski was a consistent run scorer. Not only did she have 18 hits on the year, she also scored 16 runs. She also made several big plays for the Rebels while patrolling center field.

Another hot bat for the team was Annmarie Bartow who knocked out 22 hits for Howell. She also scored seven  runs and drove in 12 more to help the squad succeed. With an even .400 average it was a success all around. 

With so many players back next year, there seems to be very little doubt that the girls will be ready to defend their sectional title, make another run for the group title and compete better for the divisional title than they did this year.