By RYAN WALKER
The Bluffton softball team last year had almost a repeat in the win and loss column from two seasons ago, ending with a record of 4-15. The team posted just one win in the Allen County Athletic Conference.
Despite those numbers, the Tigers have every reason to believe things are trending upward, as there were no seniors on the 2022 squad, and yet only one on this team.
“We are still young but experienced.” Third-year head coach Ben Powers said. “I think we’re ready to take the next step.”
The lone senior on the roster is Lily King, who logged the second most innings on the team last year and was a regular in the everyday starting lineup.
Perhaps the key piece to a more competitive 2023 campaign is sophomore Marly Drayer, who exploded on the scene as a freshman and earned ACAC second-team all-conference honors. In 10 games, according to MaxPreps stats, she led the ACAC in on-base percentage (.657), third in batting average (.500), and first on Bluffton’s team with 16 stolen bases. Coach Powers, though, had high praise for her on the defensive side. “We may have the best centerfielder in the conference.”
Other key returners are sophomore Averi Petty and junior Kayla Kiefer. Petty hit .407 for the Tigers, and Kiefer led the team in extra-base hits. Both were the top RBI leaders from a season ago.
Similar to Southern Wells head coach Jason Riley, Powers thinks Heritage and Adams Central should be at the top of the conference this season. The Patriots are the defending champs, and the Jets won the year prior.
Bluffton and Southern Wells sat at the bottom of the seven-team group, the Tigers edging the Raiders in the regular season to pull ahead in sixth place. The two will play this year at Bluffton on April 25.
Powers says the goal for this team is to have a winning season, something the program did last in 2017 with an 11-7 record. To do so, the young group with more experience will have to kick it up a notch and take advantage of the returning all of its starters.
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