Varsity Sports Live Spring Season Preview: Spring Hill Broncos Basketball
BY DYLAN FUNK
With winter sports officially over, everyone’s attention turns to the spring sports season at Spring Hill High School.
Morgan Abel will return as head baseball coach after seeing his team finish 13-6 in 2023 and claim a share of the league title and a 5A Regional championship. The season would end with a 3-2 loss vs. De Soto at the 5A state tournament in Wichita.
Key players returning include sophomore shortstop/pitcher Keaton Neal, senior first baseman/pitcher Holden Lough (committed to Mid-America Nazarene), senior pitcher Caiden Stewart, senior utility man Ryan Pahl, and senior outfielder Holden Miller (committed to Highland Community College).
After graduating seven seniors, Abel expects this year’s team to pick up where they left off in 2023.
“I am excited to see what this group of young men will do this season for our baseball program on and off the field,” Abel said. “They are hungry and determined to compete every day, and I look forward to seeing how we take the next step as a competitive program.”
Softball head coach Corey Katzer returns for 2024. His team will defend its Frontier League title and look to make its fourth straight appearance at the state tournament.
The Broncos are poised for a deep postseason run in 2024 after finishing 17-6 last season and returning many key pieces, including senior shortstop Mya January (D-I commit to Central Arkansas).
January hit .392 with 29 hits and six home runs during her junior campaign, racking up 32 RBIs and six stolen bases. The other D-I commit on the team, junior Jayleigh White, is also returning after missing last season with a knee injury. White will be a prominent starter for the Broncos with a chance to compete for the ace spot in the rotation.
Other key players returning include junior third baseman Hallie McFarland (.414 avg. in 2023), junior infielder Emma Reeves (batted .373, 28 hits and 14 RBIs), senior center fielder Marissa January (batted .357 and stole nine bases), and junior right fielder/catcher Ellie Ruffin (batted .419, 12 RBIs and six stolen bases).
“We absolutely have a tremendous amount of potential, and with that potential comes expectations,” Katzer said. The sky is the limit for this group of young ladies. I believe that they have the potential to do some very outstanding things. We just need to work them into reality.
The girls soccer team will have head coach Eric Swartz back this season as they look to win the Frontier League title for the fifth consecutive season.
Their run last year, behind their five senior starters, finished 9-7 overall and 5-0 in Frontier League play. The Broncos pulled off the upset as the eighth seed as Piper to beat the top-seeded Pirates to win a regional championship. Spring Hill would get beat by St. James Academy in the state quarterfinals.
Key players returning for Swartz include junior center back Hailey Bergmann (2nd Team All-State, 1st Team All-Frontier League), junior forward/midfielder Elizabeth Williams (2nd Team All-Frontier League), and senior center midfielder Olivia Infante (Honorable Mention All-Frontier League).
“We have a lot of new faces on the team this year who will make major contributions to our success,” Swartz said. My main focus will be to have these girls play as a team and understand our system, not as eleven individuals on the field.”
Other spring sports include track and field, boys tennis, girls swimming, and boys golf.
BY DYLAN FUNK
With winter sports officially over, everyone’s attention turns to the spring sports season at Spring Hill High School.
Morgan Abel will return as head baseball coach after seeing his team finish 13-6 in 2023 and claim a share of the league title and a 5A Regional championship. The season would end with a 3-2 loss vs. De Soto at the 5A state tournament in Wichita.
Key players returning include sophomore shortstop/pitcher Keaton Neal, senior first baseman/pitcher Holden Lough (committed to Mid-America Nazarene), senior pitcher Caiden Stewart, senior utility man Ryan Pahl, and senior outfielder Holden Miller (committed to Highland Community College).
After graduating seven seniors, Abel expects this year’s team to pick up where they left off in 2023.
“I am excited to see what this group of young men will do this season for our baseball program on and off the field,” Abel said. “They are hungry and determined to compete every day, and I look forward to seeing how we take the next step as a competitive program.”
Softball head coach Corey Katzer returns for 2024. His team will defend its Frontier League title and look to make its fourth straight appearance at the state tournament.
The Broncos are poised for a deep postseason run in 2024 after finishing 17-6 last season and returning many key pieces, including senior shortstop Mya January (D-I commit to Central Arkansas).
January hit .392 with 29 hits and six home runs during her junior campaign, racking up 32 RBIs and six stolen bases. The other D-I commit on the team, junior Jayleigh White, is also returning after missing last season with a knee injury. White will be a prominent starter for the Broncos with a chance to compete for the ace spot in the rotation.
Other key players returning include junior third baseman Hallie McFarland (.414 avg. in 2023), junior infielder Emma Reeves (batted .373, 28 hits and 14 RBIs), senior center fielder Marissa January (batted .357 and stole nine bases), and junior right fielder/catcher Ellie Ruffin (batted .419, 12 RBIs and six stolen bases).
“We absolutely have a tremendous amount of potential, and with that potential comes expectations,” Katzer said. The sky is the limit for this group of young ladies. I believe that they have the potential to do some very outstanding things. We just need to work them into reality.
The girls soccer team will have head coach Eric Swartz back this season as they look to win the Frontier League title for the fifth consecutive season.
Their run last year, behind their five senior starters, finished 9-7 overall and 5-0 in Frontier League play. The Broncos pulled off the upset as the eighth seed as Piper to beat the top-seeded Pirates to win a regional championship. Spring Hill would get beat by St. James Academy in the state quarterfinals.
Key players returning for Swartz include junior center back Hailey Bergmann (2nd Team All-State, 1st Team All-Frontier League), junior forward/midfielder Elizabeth Williams (2nd Team All-Frontier League), and senior center midfielder Olivia Infante (Honorable Mention All-Frontier League).
“We have a lot of new faces on the team this year who will make major contributions to our success,” Swartz said. My main focus will be to have these girls play as a team and understand our system, not as eleven individuals on the field.”
Other spring sports include track and field, boys tennis, girls swimming, and boys golf.
SPRING HILL SPORTS LIVE
COMING UP
|
|
PAST BROADCASTS (2023-2024)
september 2023
|
|
|
|
|
|
october 2023
|
|
|
december 2023
|
|
|
january 2024
|
|
|
february 2024
|
|
|
|
april 2024