Andover Girls Softball looks to capture its fourth-straight Big East Title this season. With just one Senior and a young core of players, Andover will work hard to maintain last year’s undefeated record.
“Other teams have been beaten by us for years, and will be looking for redemption. That being said, we are focused on the present season, and there is a lot of time between now and [the Big East tournament on] May 17th,” said first baseman Victoria Bergeron ’16.
Co-Captain Kasey Hartung ’14 added, “As long as we stay resilient and smart on the field, we will be tremendously successful this year. We have all the skills — we just need to start piecing them together.”
Co-Captain Ravenne Nasser ’15 will be the ace of the pitching staff. To complement her fastball, Nasser sports an array of dizzying off-speed pitches: a screwball, a riseball and a changeup. Nasser maintains an ability to change speeds and throw with command to both sides of the plate. Jen Kaplan ’15 and Miranda Nestor ’16 will follow Nasser in the pitching line-up.
The pitchers will be managed by catcher Mackenzie Bradford ’15, a three-year Varsity catcher. Bradford brings physical skill and the ability to handle her staff and make pitchers comfortable in games. “Especially catching for [Nasser], we always know what we want to throw which works well for us. We have been throwing together since freshman year, so we are on the exact same page when it comes to games,” said Bradford.
In addition to Bergeron and Hartung, Andover will add Mackenzie Bradford’s younger sister, Madi Bradford ’17, a lefty-hitting middle infielder with good speed, and Tiffany Bauman ’16, a versatile fielder who can play in the infield and the outfield to the roster.
“Madi Bradford is definitely someone to watch out for. She could be incredibly helpful in our middle infield especially since we lost a great shortstop, and she could use her speed and slapping to score a lot of runs for us,” said Nasser.
Three-year veteran Kayla Thompson ’15, a righty slugger with a patient bat at the plate and a strong arm, will lead Andover’s outfield.
“I think what puts us ahead is how cohesive our team is. Coming off spring training [in Florida over March break], we have already bonded and communicate super well,” said Nasser.
Hartung and Nasser will bring passion and hard work to the softball field.
“On top of being a really good player, [Hartung] is super supportive and a great leader off the field,” said Nasser.
Hartung added, “I’ve never had a teammate that is as dedicated and truly passionate about softball as [Nasser] is. She’s so talented and competitive and her desire to win is infectious, so I know she can lead us to another championship.”
Andover will look to begin its quest for a fourth straight championship with a strong win in its opening scrimmage against Andover High School on April 2.
