Despite a slight chill remaining in the air, area baseball and softball diamonds will come to life during opening day Monday.
While Iola will wait until Tuesday to kick start the 2025 baseball and softball seasons, other area schools will jump right into the action with Humboldt, Crest, Marmaton Valley and Yates Center taking to the diamond for the first time this year.
Iola will not entirely miss out on the action as the junior varsity baseball and softball teams will host the Chanute Comets Monday, with varsity games slated for Tuesday afternoon. The Mustangs look to three-peat for the Pioneer League baseball title while their softball counterparts hope to cement their legacy with a Pioneer League title after finishing in the middle of the pack last season.
The Humboldt Cubs and Lady Cubs will host Frontenac for Monday’s season opener. The Cubs return from a Tri-Valley League title but play with a bit of a chip on their shoulder after Burlington derailed their run to the state tournament. As for the Lady Cubs, they too have a chip on their shoulder after failing to own at least a share of the Tri-Valley League title for the first time in a decade.
The Marmaton Valley Wildcats will be the only Allen County team to start the season on the road Monday as they head to Central Heights for the season opener. After opening the season 0-7, they ended it on a 10-game winning streak and look to pick up where they left off when they face the Vikings.
A bit further out, another group of Wildcats in Yates Center will also start their season on the road at Southern Lyon County. Playing in a Three Rivers League loaded with talented teams, the Wildcats hope to build a bit of momentum on the road before getting into conference play. As for the softball team, they, too, look to build a bit of momentum ahead of a difficult conference season with a team light in numbers but heavy in talent.
In Colony, the Crest Lancers hope to season up their youthful roster on the road at St. Paul.
While carrying an experienced group of pitchers into Monday’s game, the Lancers may have a few looming questions regarding its starting lineup after graduating multiple seniors following last season. As for the Lady Lancers, with half of their 12-person roster limited in practice due to participating in the recent basketball state tournament, they may need to knock off a bit of rust before being up to their natural playing ability.
Although lacking numbers, the Lady Lancers do not lack talent and may be one of the teams near the top of the Three Rivers League in May.
