High school softball season is underway: Here are 5 Volusia-Flagler teams to watch

In each of the last three years, the Volusia-Flagler area has sent a softball team to the FHSAA's Final Four.

Will that trend continue in 2024?

The season officially began Monday, though weekend showers washed away a handful of games on or around Presidents' Day. As the opening week draws to a close, let's look at five local softball teams worth keeping an eye on throughout the spring.

Baseball season underway: 5 intriguing Volusia-Flagler teams, including state semifinalist Spruce Creek

Deltona

In 2022, Deltona became the first Volusia-Flagler school to win an FHSAA state softball championship. The Wolves came within one game of defending that crown last spring, falling 5-0 in the Class 5A final to Parrish Community.

Ace pitcher Katie McCaw, who won 37 games and piled up 389 strikeouts the last two seasons, is gone. So, too, are the Wolves' three leaders in batting average.

CiCi Ortiz will be part of the Wolves' 1-2 pitching punch this year. She posted a .368 batting average with nine extra-base hits and 22 RBIs as a junior. Four-year starter Sophie Strempel brings experience and pop to the middle of the order (.329, 1 HR, 14 RBIs, 16 runs scored).

Flagler Palm Coast

Coming off back-to-back seasons with double-digit wins, FPC has a new coach in charge as Brooklynn Jimeson takes over for Yessy Paneto. Jimeson, a Matanzas grad, played D-II softball at Henderson State in Arkansas.

The Bulldogs lose a handful of key pieces, most notably All-Area selections Bailey Holmes (graduation) and Aun'Yale Howard (track and field), but also bring back a couple members of their core group from 2023. Sadie Schell led the team with 22 RBIs and Alexis Laura averaged better than a strikeout per inning with a 2.06 ERA.

Three newcomers from Matanzas will fill everyday holes: juniors Skylar Ludovici, Ashleigh Pigeon and Ava Thomas. Freshman Mackenzie West will split time at catcher and the corner infield, and could make an instant impact with the bat.

Spruce Creek

Its region is loaded with championship contenders — Lake Brantley and Lake Mary, among them — but Spruce Creek fields one of its more formidable squads in years.

Julie Kelley, signed to play at Kentucky, is the area's premier two-way player. She hit .333 with seven home runs, five doubles and 18 RBIs, and posted an 8-4 pitching record with a 1.56 ERA and 192 Ks in 121⅓ innings.

Alexis Minaberry clubbed four home runs in an impressive freshman campaign, outfielder Neena Hernandez holds a .364 career batting average and Avery Helms went 3 for 4 with a homer, a double and two RBIs in the Hawks' season debut against Viera.

Taylor

Taylor endured the toughest opening inning imaginable Tuesday, surrendering 13 runs to title-hopeful Eustis. To the Wildcats' credit, they responded in the fourth with seven runs of their own.

Better days surely lie ahead for a program that regularly punches above its student enrollment. Taylor went 14-10 last year, including victories over Spruce Creek, Mainland, Matanzas and DeLand on two occasions.

Amya Ramos recorded team-highs in home runs (three), triples (four) and RBIs (30), and is fresh off a pair of top-10 showings at the FHSAA's Class 1A weightlifting championships. Hannah Harper, Haley Worden and Daisy Dickerson each registered 25-plus hits last year, with Dickerson pitching a team-high 76⅔ innings as an eighth-grader.

University

Removing Annalyn Duncan's nine homers and 32 RBIs from the lineup is obviously a blow, but the Titans should still have plenty of pop — as shown in their 15-0 win over Pine Ridge to start the year.

Catcher Addison Pertler could be the program's next college prospect after a strong sophomore season in which she hit .343 with five doubles and 20 RBIs and posted a .979 fielding percentage. Gianna Hall had a supporting role in the Titans' previous playoff endeavors, and newcomers Nina Rios-Cruz (Trinity Christian) and Kendall Lee (Father Lopez) both topped .500 batting averages as freshmen at their previous schools.

Olivia Boon, Mia Fisher and Savannah Gaumont-Lanvin shared time in the circle last year, pitching to a combined 3.89 ERA with 82 strikeouts compared to 76 walks.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Deltona, Spruce Creek among Volusia-Flagler softball teams to watch