After a one-year absence, the Ankeny Centennial softball team will be looking to return to Fort Dodge for the Class 5A state tournament this summer.
The Jaguars placed third in Class 5A in 2020 and earned a runner-up finish in 2021. Last year, they advanced to a regional final before Linn-Mar (Marion) erupted for seven runs in the sixth inning to post a 9-4 victory at Centennial.
Coach Brett Delaney returns several starters from a team that posted a 25-13 record.
“After losing to Linn-Mar last year, this group went to work,” said Centennial coach Brett Delaney. “Their commitment to each other on the field and off has been outstanding. We play in probably the toughest conference in the state of Iowa. Night in and night out, you are seeing the best of the best. We have talked about being consistent and making routine plays.”
The Jaguars boast four returning all-staters. They are senior pitcher Jadeyn Stahr, senior catcher Sydney Morris, junior third baseman Addi Starr and freshman outfielder Jordyn Kennedy.
Stahr posted a 13-5 record with a 2.33 ERA and 57 strikeouts as a junior. She will play for Iowa Central.
Starr batted .348 with 11 doubles and 25 RBIs. She was selected to the Class 5A second team and to the Class 5A West all-district team by the Iowa Girls’ Coaches Association, joining Stahr on both of those squads.
As a freshman in 2021, Starr played a key role in the team’s run to the Class 5A championship game. She was named to the all-tournament team along with Morris.
Morris batted .366 with 11 doubles and 22 RBIs last season. She was a repeat pick to the Class 5A third team.
Kennedy, meanwhile, made an immediate impact as an eighth grader, leading the team with a .416 average, four home runs and 27 RBIs. She joined Morris on the Class 5A third team.
Three other all-conference players are back. They are senior pitcher Lauren Gustofson, senior outfielder Mackenzie James and junior outfielder Payton Drefke.
Gustofson posted a 7-6 mark with a 4.16 ERA while batting .400 with one homer and 11 RBIs. She joined Kennedy on the CIML Iowa Conference first team, earning a spot as a utility player.
James batted .375 with one homer, eight doubles and 20 RBIs. The Simpson College recruit was named to the all-conference second team.
Drefke batted .383 with three doubles and 12 RBIs. She was a repeat pick to the all-conference second team along with Starr.
Drefke is also the No. 1 player on the Centennial girls’ golf team. She won’t fully join the softball team until the completion of the golf season.
Junior Cora Boyle is another returning starter. She batted .203 with 11 RBIs while seeing a lot of action in the infield.
Boyle will also provide some depth on the pitching staff. She went 4-1 with a 4.32 ERA as a sophomore.
Senior Mariah Belzer, a Rogers State recruit, has also joined the program. She previously played for the Jaguars Elite club team.
“We are really excited about all the talent in our program currently,” Delaney said. “We are very fortunate to have girls at a level pushing for their opportunities. We are still in the evaluation process, but there is a chance for a few underclassmen to have a big impact with our team this summer.”
Centennial will open its season on Monday with a CIML Conference doubleheader at Waukee.
“We have had some really good practices this preseason,” Delaney said. “We have a great group of seven returning seniors and nine returning starters that have brought the energy and excitement on a daily basis. They are pushing each other and teaching the younger players. I am excited and happy for them to show off their hard work.”
