Lomira, Mayville, and Oakfield each look like state contenders in early part of high school softball season

Here is an early season recap from the high school softball teams throughout the Fond du Lac and Oshkosh area, including a list of players to watch:

*Stats and team records as of 4/17*

Flyway Conference

Lomira (7-0 overall, 4-0 conference): The Lions have outscored opponents, 68-15, during their seven-game winning streak to open the season, earning the No. 5 spot in Division 3 in the first two WFSCA/WSN Softball Coaches polls of the year.

Players to watch: Trista Gassner, sophomore; Taylor Bloohm, junior; Haleigh Caspary, sophomore; Nora Buske, junior; Savanna Frea, junior; Morgan Schroeder, senior, Piersten Litterick, senior.

Mayville (4-1, 3-0): After enduring a lengthy wait from having their first five contests either postponed or cancelled, the Cardinals are off to a solid start with the lone blemish on their record coming this past Monday in a 5-3 loss on the road at Jefferson. The conference co-champions began the season ranked No. 2 in the WFSCA/WSN Softball Coaches poll but have since slipped to No. 3.

Players to watch: Addie Anderson, junior; Allie Schwirtz, junior; Hayden Schabel, junior; Izzy McFadden, junior; Hannah Wolf, senior; Addy Youngbeck, senior.

Campbellsport (4-2, 3-1): The Cougars began the season ranked No. 10 in Division 2 in the WFSCA/WSN Softball Coaches poll, jumping out to a hot 4-0 start, but have since dropped out of the rankings after back-to-back losses to Oakfield and Mayville.

Players to watch: Sam Schodrow, senior; Megan McCarty, junior; Olivia McCarty, sophomore, Lilly Twohig, senior; Emma Batzler, freshman; Emma Muraski, freshman; Peyton Hall, sophomore.

Laconia (7-2, 3-1): The Spartans kicked off their season early, back on March 26-28, with a 3-1 record at The Ripken Experience tournament in Pigeon Forge, TN. After returning to Rosendale, Laconia dropped a home contest to Lomira, 8-2, but have since rattled off four wins in a row, including three shutouts.

Players to watch: Addison Maurer, senior; Emma Bohn, junior, Lily Schultz, freshman; Aubrey Maurer, sophomore; Kaylee Taplin, senior.

St. Mary's Springs (3-4, 2-2): The Ledgers evened their conference record with a huge 16-0 win over WLA on Tuesday, snapping a three-game losing streak after a 2-1 start. Following a friendly road contest upcoming, this Friday against winless Omro, Springs will face a tough week ahead beginning with Saturday's matchup at unbeaten Mishicot (9-0).

Players to watch: Gracie Konkol, junior; Aubrey Hafermann, junior; Addy King, senior.

Winnebago Lutheran (2-4, 0-3): The conference co-champions from last season were ranked No. 10 in Division 3 in the WFSCA/WSN Softball Coaches poll to open the year, but have struggled out of the gate, alternating wins and losses since dropping their first two games of the season to fellow co-champ, Mayville, and Laconia.

Players to watch: Averie Suprenand, senior; Maddie Anhalt, junior; Addy Suprenand, sophomore; Leah Matthias, senior; Kylah Simon, sophomore; Anna Trewin, junior.

North Fond du Lac (2-6, 0-4): After an early 2-0 start to the season, picking up non-conference wins over Shiocton and Columbus, cancellations and a postponement disrupted whatever momentum the Orioles had built as North Fondy has now dropped six straight since the end of March.

Players to watch: Lauren Stettbacher, senior; Allison Now, sophomore; Leah Patterson, junior.

Omro (0-6, 0-4): The Foxes are riding a 28-game losing skid, seeking their first victory since May 13, 2022 - an 8-6 non-conference win over Berlin. Omro's last conference victory came back on April 29, 2021, in a 4-3 win over Laconia. The Foxes have racked up an ugly -50 run differential (52-2) through their first four conference matchups.

Players to watch: MaKenzie Decker, senior.

Keep voting for Athlete of the Week: Here are the nominees for the Fond du Lac Reporter/Oshkosh Northwestern Athlete of the Week: Week of Apr. 8-13

Top Prep Performers list from last week: Check out last week's top prep performers throughout the Fond du Lac and Oshkosh area

Fox Valley Association

Oshkosh West (5-4 overall, 3-1 conference - 3rd place): The Wildcats began the season 4-0 and ranked No. 6 in Division 1, according to the WFSCA/WSN Softball Coaches poll, but have lost four of their last five games since.

Players to watch: Braelee Jodarski, senior IF; Chloe Tritt, senior IF; Alayna Sadowska, senior P; Laina Hammen, senior UT; Colleen Fitzpatrick, sophomore OF; Emmy Reichenberger, junior C.

Oshkosh North (3-2, 2-1 - tied-4th): The Spartans opened with a win against Hortonville before dropping their next two contests. Since then, they've won back-to-back games to get back over the .500 mark.

Players to watch: Emma Niemczyk, junior OF; Olivia Borowitz, sophomore IF; Anna Borst, junior C; Lauren Geer, senior IF; Kara Cummings, sophomore P; Ava Hanson, senior UT; Sophia Housworth, junior IF.

Fond du Lac (2-4, 1-4 - 8th): Fondy opened the season with a high-scoring victory on the road at Manitowoc Lincoln, but then lost three in a row before putting up double digit runs again in a win at Appleton East on Monday.

Players to watch: McKenna Shultis, sophomore OF; Susan Vokes, junior UT; Ally Osier, junior P; Tristyn Ernst, sophomore OF; Ava Vermillion, senior IF; Reghan Ziegler, junior C.

East Central

Waupun (3-2 overall, 2-1 conference - 3rd place): The Warriors began their season as the No. 4-ranked team in Division 2 in the WFSCA/WSN Softball Coaches poll with back-to-back shutout victories over Kettle Moraine Lutheran (15-0) and Ripon (12-0), but then dropped two in a row to Kewaskum and Oconomowoc to fall out of the rankings. A 9-1 win over Columbus on Tuesday bumped Waupun back over .500.

Players to watch: Lexie Gerritson, senior IF; Kaylie Westphal, junior C; Addison Braun, sophomore P; Rowan Harder, junior OF; Roz Rivera, senior P; Kylie Pluim, senior C.

Winneconne (4-3, 1-2 - 5th): After rolling off a three-game winning streak to start out 3-1, the Wolves have since lost two of their last three games.

Players to watch: Maddox Stille, senior C; Claire Kollat, junior IF; Claire Schaffer, junior OF; Eden Youngbauer, senior; Libby Jahnke, freshman SS; Grace Mitchell, freshman C/1B.

Berlin (2-5, 1-3 - 6th): Berlin has picked up wins against last-place conference foe, Ripon, and non-conference cellar-dweller Omro but suffered massive losses in each of their other five games.

Players to watch: Lakelyn Sobieski, sophomore C; Macey Rilling, senior C.

Ripon (1-5, 0-4 - 7th): The Tigers' lone win came in a non-conference blowout over Omro, but otherwise Ripon has been on the other end of the stick in each of their five losses.

Players to watch: Jocelyn Baker, freshman 1B.

Trailways-North

Oakfield (4-0 overall, 3-0 conference - tied-1st place): The Oaks opened the season ranked No. 2 in the WFSCA/WSN Softball Coaches poll in Division 5, returning the reigning conference Player of the Year in Aly Lamonska, and have asserted their dominance by outscoring opponents 38-2 through their first four games. Oakfield is a perennial state contender and, once again, has a legit shot at making a return trip this season.

Players to watch: Aly Lamonska, senior P; Alyvia Robinson, senior UT; Savana Tapp, senior C; Rhyan Vielbig, junior OF; Krista Sabel, junior SS.

Lourdes Academy (1-2, 1-2 - tied-5th): The Knights have been up and down through three games, sandwiching a blowout win between two big losses.

Players to watch: Reagon Proud, senior SS; Aubrey Schettle, sophomore C; Reagan Jaber, junior UT.

To contact Lance LeQue, email him at LLeQue@gannett.com or follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @LanceLeQue.

This article originally appeared on Fond du Lac Reporter: Fond du Lac -Oshkosh area high school softball early season recap