Palm Beach County softball preview: Pitchers you should know for 2024 season

The journey to senior year has held no shortage of twists and turns for American Heritage-Delray softball's Aubrey Wurst. The 2024 season will be no different.

Since her freshman year, Wurst has been manning the circle for the Stallions and last spring, she finally got to experience her first winning season and title run at Heritage.

Before she retakes the field to start the regular season at Chaminade-Madonna on Wednesday, Wurst spoke with the Post about how Heritage is going to build from its 9-6 run to back-to-back district championships and 3A region quarterfinals.

"We have an extremely young team with a lot of middle school players," Wurst said.

The Stallions return just three players in Wurst, Morgan Katz, and Emma Canabal. The latest roster hosts four sixth-graders, three seventh-graders, and one eighth-grader.

"For me personally, I first want to be a leader and a positive example to all the younger girls on our team. Obviously, my goal for our team is to win districts again this year," Wurst said.

Wurst is already starting strong as the only Power 5 player-to-be on Heritage's squad, committed to the University of Maryland.

"Our main goal is to continue to improve as a team and be playing our best softball by the time playoffs come around."

Palm Beach County baseball preview: Pitchers you should know for the 2024 season

Wurst recalls return from injury, flip from UNC to Maryland

Ever humble, Wurst didn't give herself much of any credit for what her 1.44 ERA brought to Heritage's turnaround from 7-9, turning it over instead to Katz taking on the role of catcher full-time.

"Prior to that we struggled with having a catcher who was consistent and willing to play the position," Wurst explained. "Morgan did an amazing job for us and that was probably the main reason we were able to finish the season strong and win districts. I am so excited to have her back again this year as my catcher!"

With Katz back behind the batter's box, there's a good chance that Wurst will reach another one of her goals: 500 career strikeouts.

She currently has 385 in 192 innings, a most-impressive feat considering what Wurst endured in the spring of 2022.

Wurst had to leave the game in March after learning she had a 10-inch tumor in her abdomen and was expected to miss the remainder of the season. Only she made a mind-boggling recovery and returned to the diamond a little over a month later on April 27 and went on to win districts.

That year, Wurst went 5-4 in 10 appearances with a 1.90 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 55.1 innings, and later on that October, she announced her first commitment to the University of North Carolina.

"My sophomore season was a bit of a blur with everything that was going on, and last year it was so nice to just be able to go out and play softball for my school," Wurst said.

"Everything I went through with my surgery just made me appreciate the game more."

Back fully-loaded and tumor-free last spring, Wurst allowed 33 hits, earned 19 of 61 total runs, and struck out 161 over 92.2 innings. Then in May, Wurst learned the news that Tar Heels coach Donna Papa announced her retirement after 38 seasons as the head coach in Chapel Hill.

Months after Megan Smith Lyon was announced as the new hire, Wurst took to social media to announce that she was no longer committed to UNC.

Thanking staff for the opportunity at UNC, Wurst said she "decided to explore other options to be sure I was making the right decision." After a visit to Maryland in September and spending the day with coach Lauren Karn, Wurst knew the school was her "forever home" and inked her commitment in November.

"Between the coaching staff, players, campus, and academics, it all seemed to be a perfect fit and made sense to me. I don’t want to rush the time I have left in high school but I am super excited about officially being a Terp," Wurst said.

"Every time I step in the circle, I realize how lucky I am to get to continue to play the sport that I love."

More pitchers to know in 2024

Sophia Colangelo, Cardinal Newman

Starting the preseason with 16 strikeouts, allowing four hits and one run to Forest Hill in an 8-4 win, Colangelo is putting in work early for the Crusaders. Newman went 10-10 last spring with 44.2 innings and 76 strikeouts from the now-senior. Colangelo, a Catholic University commit, takes the circle again with the support of sophomore slinger Maeve Adams.

Kylie Guthrie, Dwyer

Guthrie was the anchor of a notably young Panther pitching staff in 2023. A sophomore herself that season, she led the stat sheet with a 4.65 ERA and 40 strikeouts over 64.2 innings. Against a brutal schedule, Guthrie limited hitters to a .269 batting average as Dwyer qualified for its fifth consecutive 6A playoff appearance.

Nariyah Jones, Park Vista

Sisters Nicole and Angeline Mergen's efforts in relieving three-year starter Chloe Fariello, a senior, dominated much of the conversation surrounding Vista's 19-6-1 run to region semifinals. However, Jones' arm was the unsung hero of the Cobras' arsenal. In 10 appearances her junior year, Jones went 4-0 with two saves and a team-leading 1.55 ERA. Over 40.2 innings, she sat down 49 and earned just five runs with opponents batting .184.

Tori Payne, Wellington

A stellar Wellington defense saw the Wolverines limit their opposition to no runs or one run in 13 games of its 20-3-1 rout to the 7A state semifinals last spring. This season will be a little different without longtime staple of the circle Jordan White, now starting her freshman year at Jacksonville University, but Welly retains quite the slinger in Payne. As a sophomore in 2023, Payne managed a 1.95 ERA, going 12-0 with 83 strikeouts in 61 innings.

Giselle Portanova, Spanish River

Portanova's pitching nabbed a milestone 7A state title for Spanish River in one of the wildest runs in FHSAA playoff history. To see the Sharks go from seventh-seed to state champions last spring, the then-sophomore held an ERA of 1.89 with 85 strikeouts through 89 innings. In the trophy matchup against Plant, Portanova delivered a complete game and sat down five, winning 3-2.

Taylor Priske, Oxbridge

The circle at Oxbridge has hosted some greats, from now-assistant coach Luna Curran − a two-time Softball Player of the Year winner for the Post − to outgoing senior Chandler Barry, who is starting her first college season up at Barry University. This season, Priske, a freshman, is the latest to inherit the starting role. Fret not, though. Priske earned stripes on varsity last spring an eighth grader going 4-0 with two complete games, including a no-hitter. The ThunderWolves went 20-6 and will be looking to make the third consecutive final four appearance in May.

Sydney Shaffer, Palm Beach Gardens

A 16-member roster for Gardens last spring held seven sophomores and six freshman. While a 10-13 record suggested 2023 was a year of growing pains, the Gators often found themselves a run or two away from winning record. After losing the district title to Jupiter, 4-3, and the first-round of 7A regionals to Boone, 3-2, Gardens is back with more vengeance, more experience, and standout Shaffer for her junior year. Shaffer led the book with a 2.58 ERA, striking out 102 in 77.2 innings.

Emilee Smarr is a sports reporter for the Palm Beach Post. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County softball preview: Pitchers to know for 2024 season