Most high school softball teams don’t have a Division I recruit on their roster.
Ankeny is blessed to have three.
The Hawkettes will again be led by seniors Cassie Johnson and Abby Rusher and junior Aubrey Lensmeyer. Johnson will play for Texas Tech next year, Rusher is headed to Creighton, and Lensmeyer has committed to South Dakota.
Last year, the trio helped Ankeny to a 31-8 record and its first trip to the state tournament since 2015.
“I think our culture is at an all-time high, and I feel like we have to keep that first,” said Ankeny coach Dave Bingham, whose team will open the season on Monday with a non-conference game at Norwalk, the No. 2 squad in Class 4A. “It makes the season valuable, and we have that in place with this squad because of the leadership the past two years.”
Johnson, a catcher and outfielder, emerged as a star at Ankeny as an eighth grader in 2020, when she batted .455 with eight home runs and 39 RBIs in just 21 games. She then played club softball the next two years before returning to the Hawkettes as a junior.
Johnson led the team last year with a .505 average, 14 home runs and 47 RBIs. She helped Ankeny to a tie for seventh place in Class 5A.
Rusher, a pitcher, posted a 19-5 mark with a 1.72 ERA and 143 strikeouts. She also batted .364 with one homer and 34 RBIs.
Johnson and Rusher were both named to the Class 5A all-state first team by the Iowa Girls’ Coaches Association. They were also selected to the CIML Conference first team and to the Class 5A West all-district team.
Lensmeyer, a pitcher, posted a 1-3 record with a 3.82 ERA. She also batted .276 with two homers and 15 RBIs.
Sophomore outfielder Avery Nelson is the team’s other returning starter. She batted .250 with three doubles and five RBIs while starting 29 of the 39 games as a freshman.
Both Lensmeyer and Nelson received all-conference honorable mention.
“The preseason has been great,” said Bingham, whose squad is No. 5 in the Class 5A preseason rankings. “Even with Mother Nature (not cooperating), we found a way to practice outside every day. We had one scrimmage down in Pleasantville, and it was a special night for the kids. They were super focused.”
Seniors Lily Hans and Josie Parton are among the team’s other returnees. Hans will play for Missouri Western, while Parton has committed to swim for Northern Iowa.
Hans and Parton both played in about half the games last season. Hans batted .231 with a homer and six RBIs, while Parton batted .333.
Junior Madison Myers is among the newcomers who could earn some immediate playing time. She has committed to Grand View.
“We have a ton of kids that will make an impact,” Bingham said. “We play eight games in the first week while school is still going on against some of the top teams in the state. We end with three in a row on Saturday.”
Bingham said his team is looking to add a Class 5A title to the school’s trophy case.
“On the field, we have one external goal and that never changes. It is to win a championship,” he said. “So to reach their full potential, we have to have fun, put the culture first, and score more runs than the other team. There’s no doubt in my mind these kids have that in their hearts.”
