One win shy of Final Four trip in ’16, Trenton softball looks to continue success with talented 2017 group

The Trenton Lady Bulldogs, on a memorable Saturday afternoon of softball during the city’s annual Missouri Day Festival, had their 2016 season end, falling 4-3 to the Lathrop Lady Mules in the Class 2 state quarterfinals nearly 10 months ago.  With fewer numbers this fall, and six key seniors having graduated from the program, practice for the 2017 edition of THS softball began on Monday morning at the Ebbe Sports Complex.  Despite the challenges that graduation gives to the continuity of a strong program, hopes remain as high as ever for Trenton to have a successful next two months on the diamond.  Just how successful is perhaps the biggest question to be answered.

Losing six seniors to graduation, including starting infielders Jaylen Neff and Whitley Richman, in addition to speedy outfielders Tenna Roberts and Mason Hooyman, has chopped Trenton’s overall number of girls in the softball program to 17 this fall, a number that is workable for playing time purposes, but provides challenges for Head Coach John Cowling:

The Lady Bulldogs enter 2017 in much the same position as a year ago, having the mark of pre-season favorite in the Grand River Conference, yet, in a larger sense, trying to solve, in postseason play, KCI champion Lathrop, having their season end in back-to-back seasons playoff losses against the rise-ball of now-Lathrop junior Brooke Huitt:

Trenton will have two seniors on the roster this season, with both Jayden Roeder and Ashten Whitaker expected to be key cogs in the Lady Bulldogs engine.  The power of the softball program resides with the junior class, a deep and talented group of student-athletes that includes ace pitcher Ainsley Tolson, power-hitting catcher Salem Croy, and slick infielder Mykah Hurley that has seen back-to-back district titles in softball, and a trip to the Show-Me Showdown in basketball, less than five months ago.  The seasoned focus of the now group of upperclassmen has caught the eye of Coach Cowling:

Trenton will open the 2017 softball season in the Cameron Invitational Tournament on Saturday, August 19th, joining the host Dragons, along with DeKalb, Excelsior Springs, Jefferson, Lawson, Maysville, Richmond, Savannah, Benton, St. Joseph Central, and Lafayette at the day-long event.  The home and Grand River Conference opener for the Lady Bulldogs will be Tuesday, August 22nd, with Trenton hosting the Maysville Lady Wolverines at 5:30 PM on Hot Country Z 101.7.