Freshman pitcher Lauren Sandholm helped the Ankeny Centennial softball team to a 29-10 record and a share of the CIML Conference championship.
Sandholm compiled a 14-7 mark with a 1.58 ERA while recording 150 strikeouts and limiting opposing batters to a .204 average. She also batted .302 with one home run, two doubles and six RBIs.
Sandholm was named to the Class 5A all-state first team by the Iowa Girls’ Coaches Association. She was a repeat pick to both the all-conference first team and the Class 5A West all-district squad.
Here is some inside info on Sandholm:
Congratulations on an outstanding season. I know it didn’t end the way you wanted it to, but are you happy with the way that you performed?
Overall, I felt like I had a successful season. As one of my goals from last year was to improve my strikeout numbers, I was able to break the single-season strikeout record (150) and the career strikeout record (217) in just my second season as a Jaguar. Over the offseason I spent a lot of time working on increasing my velocity and spin rates which I believe contributed to the increase in strikeouts. We took some hard losses this season and looking back I can think of a few things, even specific pitches, that could have gone better to change the outcome of those games.
What was the highlight of your season?
My highlight of the season was the doubleheader against Ankeny (on June 26). The atmosphere of playing at home in front of packed stands was amazing. Even though we split the doubleheader, both of the games were close. I pitched the full seven innings in the first game (and got the win in the Jaguars’ 4-3 victory). I got the opportunity to come in and finish out the second game of the night (and took the loss as Ankeny won, 8-7, in 10 innings). The second game was back and forth, and I love to compete in those high-pressure situations.
You hit your first varsity home run during a win over eventual Class 3A champion Williamsburg at the Fort Dodge Invitational on June 15. Did you know when you hit the ball that it was out of the park?
No, I did not think the ball was going out. I actually almost tripped rounding first base after looking up and realizing it was over.
You had 53 at-bats this season after having just five as an eighth grader, when you focused primarily on your pitching. Do you feel like you’ve made a lot of progress as a hitter?
I worked a lot over the offseason to improve my hitting mechanics and strength in order to add another aspect to my game alongside pitching. As a hitter in the lineup this year, I had more of a base hit mentality and I felt like I was able to embrace that role and execute in different situations.
I know from your highlights on Twitter that you throw a rise ball, a fastball and a drop ball. Do you throw any other pitches, or would you like to add some in the future?
Along with the fastball, drop ball and rise ball, I also throw a changeup. I didn’t get the opportunity to throw the changeup much this year, but it is definitely a pitch I hope to incorporate more into my game. My pitching coach really focuses on mastering a pitch before moving on to learning new pitches. I plan on continuing to work on commanding my current pitches, including throwing my rise and drop at different levels.
After winning the Class 5A state title a year ago, your team obviously had a target on its back this season. Do you think there will be less pressure on the team next year?
There was definitely a bit of pressure that we felt this season in our attempt to be back-to-back state champions. I’m hoping next season there is a little less pressure from not being the defending state champion, which will allow the team to play more relaxed overall.
Did you watch any of the games at the state tournament, and were you surprised that Pleasant Valley won the Class 5A crown?
I was busy playing softball in California during the week of the state tournament, but I was still able to catch parts of the 5A championship game online. Pleasant Valley was seeded No. 2 in the tournament so I expected them to go pretty far, even though we didn’t get the chance to play them in the regular season. When we played Valley earlier in the season they hit the ball really well, so I knew those two teams could put up a lot of runs in the championship game. (The Spartans won, 14-11).
I know you’ve been busy the last couple of weeks. You mentioned that you competed in the 16U Premier Division of the PGF Nationals in Huntington Beach. How did your team do?
My Select Fastpitch club team played in the highest 16U division at PGF Nationals. All the organizations and teams in our division were top notch. We competed really well, but just didn’t put everything together to pull out wins in bracket play. We exited earlier than we expected with a 4-3 loss to a Finesse team from Michigan and a 2-0 loss to an Arizona Storm team.
You then spent a week with your family in Naples, Fla., before flying to Kansas City this weekend for the Monica Abbott Speed Retreat, a premier event for pitchers in the 2025-28 classes. Did you learn a lot about some different pitching techniques?
Monica is one of the greatest pitchers in the history of the game. It’s always an amazing opportunity to work with her. She also brought in Karlyn Pickens, junior pitcher at the University of Tennessee, and Alana Vawter, another pitcher who played four years at Stanford and a fifth year at the University of South Carolina. It was great to get to ask them questions and get advice on playing softball at the highest level. Some of the key takeaways I learned from hearing Monica talk was to accept challenges by not being afraid to make changes while still finding ways to love the game, as well as attacking every opportunity and not backing down. I got some new drills that work on explosiveness and increasing velocity. I also got more specific drills that focus on different spin pitches.
With Cora Boyle having graduated, do you feel like you’re ready to shoulder a heavier pitching load next season? Would you like to throw more innings?
The teams in the CIML are always tough, and we also play a hard non-conference schedule. I think you need at least two pitchers in order for a team to be successful in the CIML. I threw 42 more innings this year as a freshman than I did as an eighth grader. This season, I came into multiple games in the relief position, even after throwing a full seven innings in the first game of a doubleheader. So I know I am capable of throwing more innings.
I know it’s probably fairly early in the recruiting process for you, but have you started to look at any potential schools yet?
My Select Fastpitch club director and coach had me make a list of my dream schools last winter. They also suggested other schools that they thought would be a good fit for me. Over the last year, I have attended elite prospect camps at LSU, Missouri and Iowa State. I am going to the Kansas and Arkansas camps in August, and I plan on attending camps at Arizona State, Ohio State, Michigan, Tennessee and Minnesota in the near future. These camps allow me to get a feel for each of the programs (facilities, campus, culture) and their coaching staff. And it allows the coaches to get to know me and evaluate my skills. My club coaches and (Centennial) coach (Brett) Delaney have been helpful in getting feedback from the college coaches after the camps, as well as after seeing me play in games. I can’t have any recruiting conversations with Division I coaches until Sept. 1, 2025. So, this input is great for my development and my recruiting journey.
