The Montana softball team that takes the field next Friday vs. Fresno State will have four new starters replacing graduated seniors at 3B, SS, 1B and RF... and a fifth who alternated starting duties at C.
But I watched every game last fall and am optimistic that the 2022 squad will be a pretty solid defensive team. Sr. Jaxie Klucewich looked very comfortable at SS, sr. Kendall Curtis is back at 2B (after missing much of last season to injury) and soph Hannah Jablonski handled 3-4 hot smashes down the 1b line very capably. I didn't see enough chances to 3B Grace Hardy or RF Presli Jantzi to make an assesment. I strongly believed Montana had the best defensive outfield in 2022, and two of those players (LF Elise Ontiveros and CF Julie Phelps) will anchor those positions this season. Last year's primary starting catcher jr. Riley Stockton returns as well. I have heard that several underclass infielders are also quite capable defenders competing for playing time.
I do believe Jantzi has the potential to be an outstanding hitter, as does returning RF starter Elise Oliveros. I'm hoping that jr. Kelley Sweyer can step in at DP, where she's proven several times that she has long-ball power.
My hunch is that this team has the ability to compete in the Big Sky. What is yet to be determined is top-to-bottom hitting ability, the ability to bunt (which vexed last year's team horribly) and pitching depth. One of the biggest questions to me is pitching depth. I've heard that sr. Maggie Joseph is healthy, which would take a ton of pressure off of returning pitchers Allie Brock and Dana Butterfield. I was impressed with the initial outings by frosh pitchers Grace Haegele and Evelyn O'Brien, but the ideal scenario is for them to get adjusted to D1 softball gradually, not thrown into the fire like Butterfield was last year (though she did a remarkable job, in my opinion).
I'm hoping that Alabamagrizzly's predictions are on target. I do know that this year's preseason schedule looks like it'll provide some opportunities for the GrizSB team to get a few wins before conf. play starts. Go Griz.