ACC head softball coach, Nicole Peters, is entering her third season in charge of the Lady Devils, and seventh overall. A season ago, Allen Community College finished with a disappointing 15-31 record and a 7-13 mark in the Jayhawk conference.
But the past is well behind Peters. In fact, she is riding high with confidence heading into 2020.
“I’d like to think that this year will be my best because we’ve got a ton of kids with experience,” Peters said. “We have 10 returners and 13 freshmen, so I think that speaks for the depth that we have.”
Peters said the needed leadership from sophomores last season was lacking. It wasn’t that the girls weren’t outspoken or encouraging of their teammates, but with only five sophomores they simply didn’t have enough players.
To add insult to injury, only three of those five featured on a consistent basis, forcing many
first-year players to quickly adapt to the change of pace from high school to college.
Luckily, last year’s inexperienced freshmen are now equipped to lead the charge and make some noise. Peters is counting on Chanute native Madisyn Thompson to power the Devil offense. Last year Thompson batted .364 with 28 RBIs and 5 home runs.
“Madi is usually our number three, four, or five hitter,” Peters said. “She has strong contact, and can hit the long ball which is always nice. She has a lot of experience at first base, and I think she commands the field well from there, too.”
Another key piece returning is catcher Meg Kirk. In her freshman year, Kirk batted .304 with 17 RBIs and a trio of homeruns. Peters points out that she intends to have Kirk split time with a freshman.
When it comes to pitching, Peters has sophomores Ashtyn Jurging and Chloe Enderud. The
pair handled a majority of duties on the mound, earning 13 wins between the two of them, just two shy of the Devils’ season total.
“Ashtyn has a really good changeup and rise-ball. She’s right-handed and Chloe is left-handed, so it’s kind of different and they compliment each other very well,” Peters said. “At the same time, we have five freshmen that are coming in and throwing too. I think it will be nice for us to mix it up. While last year we depended on a certain three, this year we have a wide variety to choose from.”
Even with those four sophomores paving the way, ACC will need a big boost from its freshman class. And although rookies haven’t suited up quiet yet, Peters was impressed by their performances in the fall.
“We play a fall season, so we got to see them play against some four-year schools and other two-year schools. We got the chance to throw them out there and mix it up,” Peters said. “We brought in a really talented group of freshmen, and I’m really excited to bring them out and see what they can do.”
If weather permits, the Red Devils will open the 2020 season at Oklahoma Wesleyan on Tuesday, Feb. 11. ACC will not play at home until Friday, Feb. 21, when they will host Tabor College’s JV team.
