Several starters are back as Saladino takes over Hawkettes’ softball program

Ankeny’s Avery Nelson hits the ball during the Hawkettes’ 6-5 loss to Urbandale in last year’s third-place game at the Class 5A state tournament. Nelson is one of several returning starters for coach Sarah Saladino (shown above in first base coach’s box), who has taken over the program following the departure of Dave Bingham. (Photo by Jerrad Downer)

The move across the diamond to the third base coach’s box has been a smooth one for Ankeny softball coach Sarah Saladino.

Before taking over the Hawkettes’ program last fall, Saladino had served as the assistant for coach Dave Bingham since 2019. She previously had been a head coach at Waterloo West for four years.

“Overall, I think that it has been a smooth transition into the head coaching role,” said Saladino. “Each day brings a new opportunity to learn something new as well as experience making a decision of what is the best fit for the program. The girls have been very receptive to new ideas that we are adding into the program. They have been wide-eyed and trusting the process each day at practice. We are excited as a staff to continue building a strong culture and developing a program of strength in the CIML.

“As a program, we are holding onto some of the traditions that have been established, but have really been trying different strategies along with approaches,” she added.

Saladino helped the Hawkettes to back-to-back state tournament appearances in 2023-24, including a fourth-place finish in Class 5A last season. Several starters are back from a team that posted a 22-22 record.

Ankeny’s Aubrey Lensmeyer is greeted at home plate by her teammates after hitting a home run during a game at Ankeny Centennial last season. Lensmeyer batted .264 with a team-high nine homers and 29 RBIs as a junior, when she was named to the CIML Conference third team. She is also expected to become the team’s No. 1 pitcher after going 7-10 with a 3.54 ERA and 115 strikeouts. (Photo by Jerrad Downer)

Senior Aubrey Lensmeyer and junior Avery Nelson are the squad’s top returnees. Both players are Division I recruits.

Lensmeyer, a pitcher, posted a 7-10 record with a 3.54 ERA and 115 strikeouts. The South Dakota commit was selected to the CIML Conference third team after also batting .264 with a team-high nine home runs and 29 RBIs.

Lensmeyer will likely become the team’s ace following the graduation of two-time all-state pitcher Abby Rusher, who went 15-11 with a 1.92 ERA and was named to the Class 5A all-tournament team. Rusher is now playing for Creighton.

“I am confident that Aubrey is ready to take on the No. 1 role,” Saladino said. “She has continued to put in the hard work in the offseason, and she is showing through her continuously hard work ethic that she is going to embrace that role, lead by example, but also confident in what she knows and has done. She has put in the work and the time and has earned this role. We are excited to see her on the mound and complement her both defensively and offensively.”

Nelson, an outfielder, will eventually be reunited with Rusher. She has committed to play for the Bluejays, beginning in the fall of 2026.

Nelson batted .370 with 15 RBIs while leading the team with 10 doubles and 21 stolen bases as a sophomore. She earned all-conference honorable mention for the second straight year.

**Ankeny’s Kaylyn Miller throws a pitch during a game at Johnston last season. Miller made six pitching appearances as a junior. (Photo by Dan Holm)**

Senior third baseman Kaylyn Miller is also back after receiving all-conference honorable mention. She batted .188 with three homers, six doubles and 12 RBIs while recording a team-high nine sacrifice bunts.

Miller also made six pitching appearances, going 0-1 with a 7.74 ERA. She has committed to play for Coe College.

Among the other returnees are seniors Lauren Fisher and Madison Meyers, sophomore Autumn Leinen, and freshmen Morgan Fisher and Tenley Heidemann. They all played in at least 14 games a year ago.

Meyers batted .243 with a homer and three RBIs. Heidemann batted .207 with a triple, a double and six RBIs, while Leinen batted .194 with a homer and also knocked in six runs.

Ankeny’s Morgan Fisher puts the ball into play during the Hawkettes’ 8-1 loss to Valley in last year’s Class 5A semifinals. Fisher batted .333 with a double and three RBIs as an eighth grader. (Photo by Evan Reiter)

Morgan Fisher batted .333 with a double and three RBIs. A standout sprinter on the girls’ track team, she ran in four events at the state meet this weekend but can now focus entirely on softball.

“The practices are going well at this point,” Saladino said. “We are establishing routines, structure, and working hard to prepare the fundamentals as well as adding in complexity where needed.”

The Hawkettes will open their season on Tuesday with a non-conference game at ADM (Adel).

“The strength of the team will be that of taking every opportunity to continue to grow all season,” Saladino said. “We have girls on the team and in the lineup that have not had a lot of innings at the varsity level. This will be a great way for the team to continue to have growth throughout the season. We are working on being routine in the field to complement the pitching battery and as a staff we are consistently reminding the team that ‘pressure is a privilege’.

“Pressure is an opportunity and to continue to trust the process while taking the approach of every opportunity to grow and get better,” she added.