Head Coach: Notre Dame-Green Pond Grant Lilly. 2nd year as Varsity Head coach 15-9 last season.
Assistant Coaches:
Chris ryan assistant Varsity
Jon Fisher assistant Varsity
Chad Palank assistant Varsity
Sport: Softball
Team Name: Notre Dame Crusaders
League: Colonial league East
2024 Record: 15-9 (including league and district playoffs)
Key Players Lost:
Megan Shields -Catcher
Skyler Howlett -3B
Danica Gross -1B
Julia Szczepanski -2B
Key Returning Players:
Hannah Lilly
Senior, 5’4″
SS, .326 BA, 29 hits,19 runs
Hannah is a great defensive shortstop, with great leadership. She has a consistent bat and is anticipating reaching her 100 hit milestone this season. She has a great softball IQ and will be a threat on the bases.
Addison Ryan
Senior, 5’10”
1B, 18 hits, 4 HR, 16 RBIs
Last year Addison spent most of her time in the outfield, but this year we are expecting her to be our starting first baseman. She has a strong bat and will be a great leader for our younger girls.
Rachel Fisher
Sophomore, 5’6″
P, .286 BA, 4 HR
Rachel is expected to continue her role as our starting pitcher. Last year she reached the milestone of 100 strikeouts and guided us in league and district playoffs. We expect her to continue to work hard on the mound.
Natalie Lilly
Sophomore, 5’6″
CF, .471 BA, 16 hits
Natalie’s freshman season got cut short due to an injury, but we are expecting her to return with her strong bat and speed in the outfield and on the bases. Last season, in only eight total games played, she had 16 hits with a .471 batting average.
Sydney Ryan
Sophomore, 5’10”
C, .338 BA, 22 hits, 5 HR, 19 RBIs
In Sydney’s freshman season she mainly served as our designated hitter, having a batting average of .338 and hitting 5 homeruns. This year she is expected to continue her impressive performance at the plate and become and integral part of our defense, as catcher.
Claire Cerual
Senior, 5’3″
3B
Last year Claire missed half of the season because she was the lead in our school’s spring musical, but this year we are expecting to have her as our starting third baseman. Claire is a great leader and brings alot of energy to the team.
Key Newcomers:
Riley Palank, Freshman
5’6, 2B
Gabby Apgar, Freshman
5’8, Utility
2025 Outlook: Our biggest strength will be the power in the lineup. I expect everyone in our lineup to be aggressive at the plate and on the bases. Our defense and chemistry on the field is looking even better than it did last year. Our sophomore pitcher, Rachel Fisher, will be going into this season with confidence and knowledge of what she is capable of. Our pitcher and catcher dynamic is very strong, the two girls are good friends and work well together.
Photo courtesy of Jackie Lilly
