Wilsonville Softball has had a historic and record-breaking last four years. League championships piled on league championships with state championship and semi-final appearances sprinkled into the mix.
When this record-breaking spree began, this year’s seniors were just freshmen, all five of whom made the varsity team. As the years progressed, Wilsonville lost many influential players in the class of 2022 and 2023.
This year’s seniors, deemed as the “core five” since their freshman year, consist of center fielder Mary Matthews, right fielder Calli Weaving, third baseman Grace Wilson, first baseman Talia Valdez, and catcher Maddie Holly.
The class of 2024 seniors transitioned into leadership roles and built a new foundation for Wilsonville. The Wildcats carry a young squad of five seniors, one junior, six sophomores, and three freshmen.
“We are trying to be leaders and be an example for the younger ones so we can all get on the same page and make it through the league and playoffs,” said Valdez. “We try to create a welcoming environment and try to help the younger ones improve their skills to better the team as a whole,” added Wilson.
Wilsonville made it to the semi-finals last year, unfortunately losing to Dallas who would go on to become the 5A State Champions. They look to make a similar run through the playoffs this year.
“We want to win the league for the fourth year in a row and work our way through the playoffs,” said Valdez. “It’ll come down to playing as one team and practicing how we want to play,” added Valdez. “We are rebuilding this year but we want to win the league and make it as far as we can through the playoffs,”
The Wildcats have a stacked pre-season schedule taking on many 6A powerhouses to prepare them for league play. Unfortunately, Milwaukie High School, a league opponent, was unable to form a varsity roster and will be unable to play this year.
Wilsonville will begin its pre-season with the annual jamboree which will consist of three, two-inning games against Tualatin, Lincoln, and Nelson. They will then travel to Newberg High School on Wednesday, March 13th, and will finish their week off against Lakeridge at home on Friday, March 15.
The class of 2024 wants to keep the ball rolling and secure their 4th league championship in a row.