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Title winners: Reviewing the 2023 Inland Lakes softball season

jared greenleaf, cheboygan daily tribune
·4 min read
Inland Lakes' Maggie Grant (19), Natalie Wandrie (middle) and Caleigh Jones (6) celebrate an out during a recent Division 4 regional softball semifinal against Johannesburg-Lewiston in Rudyard.
Inland Lakes' Maggie Grant (19), Natalie Wandrie (middle) and Caleigh Jones (6) celebrate an out during a recent Division 4 regional softball semifinal against Johannesburg-Lewiston in Rudyard.

INDIAN RIVER – There never seems to be a down year for head coach Krissi Thompson and the Inland Lakes softball program.

They don’t ever seem to rebuild, but they always seem to reload.

This past spring, the Bulldogs had another winning season on the diamond and provided a lot of fireworks for their supporters.

So, let’s break down the Bulldogs in our next edition of the Cheboygan area spring sports team reviews.

OVERVIEW: When it comes to winning, the Bulldogs (23-9) did plenty of it as they captured another Ski Valley Conference title and a district crown. The Bulldogs shared the Ski Valley with Johannesburg-Lewiston after the two split in a doubleheader in the regular season, then they picked up a sweep over a solid Mancelona team. I’d say the biggest victory of the season for the Bulldogs was the 3-0 triumph over Rogers City in the district final. Even without Natalie Wandrie, the Bulldogs found a way to overcome it all and knock off the Hurons on their home field. However, the Bulldogs saw their season end after losing to JoBurg, which will be competing in East Lansing this weekend. It was a tough way to end the season, but it was still an outstanding spring for the Bulldogs.

Senior Natalie Wandrie homered 24 times during her final campaign with Inland Lakes softball.
Senior Natalie Wandrie homered 24 times during her final campaign with Inland Lakes softball.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Natalie Wandrie – I mean, when you hit 24 home runs in one season, there’s probably a great chance you’re the most valuable player on the squad. That was the case for Wandrie, who delivered an incredible final campaign with her bat. Wandrie was almost impossible to get out, and when she didn’t hit home runs, she’d still get on base anyway. She was a dominant force all season, but she also shined with her glove at the shortstop position. Like previous seasons, Wandrie showed she’s one of the best two-way players in the area. The Bulldogs will definitely take a hit by losing Wandrie, one of the greatest area power hitters in recent memory.

BREAKOUT STAR: Brooklyn LaBrecque – The Bulldogs have quite a few impressive young players, but the one who stood out the most seemed to be LaBrecque, who was a terrific hitter and a rock-solid centerfielder as a sophomore. LaBrecque came up with several big hits all season and also showed she’s one of the best and most athletic players around. It’ll be exciting to see the kind of leap LaBrecque makes during her junior season. If her sophomore campaign provided any indication, it’s that she’ll emerge as one of the top area players in 2024.

Brooklyn LaBrecque had a breakout season for Inland Lakes as a sophomore.
Brooklyn LaBrecque had a breakout season for Inland Lakes as a sophomore.

PLAYER TO WATCH NEXT SEASON: Maggie Grant and Lexi Kovtun – I’ll go with two here as each saw a lot of time on the mound at pitcher for the Bulldogs. Grant, a junior, came up with some big starts for the Bulldogs, while Kovtun, a sophomore, stood out against a quality opponent like Cheboygan as well as the shutout display in the district championship victory over Rogers City. Either way you look at it, the Bulldogs will have great pitching options to choose from. That will certainly make it difficult once again for opponents in the Ski Valley and elsewhere. In addition to their pitching, both are quality offensive players as well.

Lexi Kovtun will be one of the players to watch for when she returns for Inland Lakes softball as a junior next spring.
Lexi Kovtun will be one of the players to watch for when she returns for Inland Lakes softball as a junior next spring.

SAYING GOODBYE: Wandrie exiting the program will be a big blow for the Bulldogs, but so will losing their other three seniors. Fellow senior Ryann Clancy was one of the best all-around players on the Bulldogs, while senior twins Caitlin and Caleigh Jones both started consistently and made massive contributions during their final seasons with the program. Clancy, who was an outstanding hitter all spring, came up big with a solo homer against Rogers City in the district final, while Caitlin Jones sealed the title with a two-run blast. All four displayed great leadership, skill and versatility to a squad that won multiple titles. To say all four will be missed would be one gigantic understatement.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2024: Even with the losses of their stellar four-player senior class, the Bulldogs should be really, really strong again next spring. They’ll bring back their top two pitchers in Grant and Kovtun, while LaBrecque returns as arguably the best two-way player on the squad. The Bulldogs also have other talented young players, like Jenna Stubbs, who had an outstanding campaign as a freshman starting catcher. That’s a solid group of young players to work with. The Bulldogs will look to challenge JoBurg for the Ski Valley title once again, but the outstanding Jayden Marlatt returns for the Cardinals as a senior. That will of course be an issue for the Bulldogs, but even in the regional semifinal loss to the Cardinals, they showed they could put the bat on the ball against Marlatt. I’m already looking forward to watching the Bulldogs next spring.

This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Title winners: Reviewing the 2023 Inland Lakes softball season