Kirt Manion
kmanion@cherryroad.com
How can something change without being different in any way?
Nebraska City’s softball team is the answer to that question.
The Pioneer team, which lost just one senior a year ago, had a change to its coaching roster in the offseason as Nick Schmitz stepped into the head coaching role with the departure of longtime coach Amy VonFeldt.
Schmitz is hardly new to this team. He has been heavily involved with the summer program with about 14 total years of softball coaching experience. For most of those years, he has served as a top assistant in the Pioneer program.
The new coach was going to be an assistant again. When the top job opened, Schmitz was the first choice to fill it.
“This was kind of an easy choice for me when they asked me to do it,” said Schmitz.
The top assistant this year for Schmitz will be Bailey Williams. Other coaches assisting will be KayeLynn Wilkinson, Sydney Schmitz, Kendyl Schmitz, and Paige Gerdes.
Nebraska City went 14-13 a season ago with the final loss coming by two runs in the subdistrict final against Omaha Roncalli-Duchesne.
The subdistrict champs traveled to Gering and won a best-of-three to advance to the state tournament.
Nebraska City goes into the year feeling that the state bid could have easily belonged to the Pioneer squad.
While there was disappointment with that loss, there is excitement about what it meant to be so close to the state event.
Looking back at the near .500 record, Coach Schmitz said the Pioneers feel they might have left a couple of winnable games on the table last year. And the coach also recognizes that they may have stolen one or two as well.
The main thing the team seeks this year is the chance to compete and to earn it while making their foes earn it as well.
Coach Schmitz said Nebraska City’s pitchers did their part last year in limiting free passes. This year’s offense wants to contribute by cutting down on strikeouts in favor of putting the ball in play and making other teams earn outs.
The competition factor will be there. Top teams include Ralston, Beatrice and Ashland with the Trailblazer Conference figuring to be one of the best leagues, top to bottom, in the entire state.
The summer season gave the Pioneers a chance to test themselves against some of the best.
“We feel good where we’re at. I look forward to those challenges and I know our players do too,” said Coach Schmitz.
Nebraska City Softball
Front row from left are Makenzie Stoll; Addison Ferguson; Payton Harrah, Addisyn Walters, Vivian Gerdes, Rylie Beethe, Reese Grotrian, Ella Gerdes, Maddie Williams; second row: Hanna Marth, Lextyn Harker, Hallee Nickels, Tarryn Godsey, Lily Madison, Kolbi Davis, Rylee Stracke, and Olivia L’Heureux. Not pictured is Palma Herranz.
Photo by Kirt Manion
