Despite some less than hospitable late winter and early spring weather, high school softball season is underway in the West Hills, and all seven schools in the Gazette’s coverage area will field teams.
Last year, three of the seven schools – Cornell, Moon Area and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart – reached postseason play. None of those teams, however, advanced beyond the first round.
A look at each team’s forecast for the 2026 season, based on information provided by its coaching staff, follows.
BISHOP CANEVIN
First-year head coach Theresa Terlecki, who is assisted by Brittany Zahn and Ryan McClain, said her team has been working hard in the weight room over the past few months, focusing on lifting, conditioning and building the foundation for a successful program.
“A lot of our players are either brand new to softball or returning after time away from the game,” Terlecki said. “But they’ve shown a great attitude and a willingness to learn.”
Terlecki said her team, which is 0-1, features two dedicated travel ball players and a few rec ball players “who have been showing up, putting in the work and improving every day.”
Eight of the Crusaders’ nine projected starters are juniors and one is a sophomore. Last year’s team went 3-11 overall and 2-8 in Class 1A Section 1, and Terlecki said her goal this season is simply to continue building and improving each time the team takes the field.
Junior Macie McClain, who recorded more than 140 strikeouts last season after transferring to Bishop Canevin, will be the Crusaders’ top pitcher. Lea Pilarski also will see time pitching and has impressed Terlecki with the work she’s put in.
Junior Gianna Mathews is new to the sport but appears to be picking things up quickly at third base. “She’s a great athlete and I’m excited to see what she does this season,” Terlecki said of Mathews.
Junior Ava Washington returns as the Crusaders’ starting catcher and brings strong defensive skills to the position. Zoe Goodwin looks to have first base locked up, and other projected starters include Lizzy Fuchs, Desiah Trent and Deaira Johnson.
“Overall, I’m excited to see this group grow and compete as we continue building our program,” Terlecki said.
CARLYNTON
Cougars coach Traci Melko welcomes back an experienced group that lost only one player to graduation.
“We are excited about our 2026 team,” Melko said of her squad, which is 1-1 on the young campaign. “The girls have been working extremely hard.”
Carlynton features five returning senior starters in shortstop Carlee Hughes, first baseman/catcher Sarah Loney, pitcher Danica DeCecco, center fielder Lucy Vetter and second baseman McKenzi Tomaszewski.
Also back and expected to start are junior outfielder Hanalee Nordeen and sophomores Ava Kimberling and Ava Barber. Kimberling will play first base and catch while Barber should see time in left field and at second base.
Freshman Kaycie Chapman also is expected to contribute in her first season.
CORNELL
The Raiders, 0-1, will look to piggyback off a successful season that saw them advance to the Class 1A playoffs for just the second time in school history. Coach Brian Bethel, starting his sixth season as Raiders coach, guided last year’s squad to a 7-8 overall record and a 4-6 mark in Section 1, which earned Cornell a 10th seed in the playoffs. There, the Raiders’ season ended in a first-round loss to No. 7 seed Serra Catholic.
Five seniors from last year’s team moved on via graduation, but the Raiders will return four starters from the 2025 team.
Two of those starters are seniors McKenna Griffith and Shaylee Barrett. Griffith will pitch and play shortstop while Barrett is Cornell’s primary catcher.
Also returning are junior Gianna Gracyk and sophomore Sam Melius. Gracyk will play third base and also pitch for the Raiders while Melius is penciled in to play center field.
Bethel also is expecting a contribution from newcomer Sam Moser, a freshman first baseman.
MONTOUR
The Spartans, 2-1 this year under coach Ken Kutchman, are coming off a season in which they went 4-12 overall and 1-9 in Class 5A Section 3. Five players from last year’s team graduated, including two who are playing at the next level in Danielle Terpack (Seton Hill) and Shania Cope (Point Park).
Players to watch this year include senior Hailey Staub and juniors Cayley Hughes, Emily McClean and Paige Fiedler. Staub, a Colgate commit, will play center field. Hughes is penciled in behind the plate, while McClean will play left field and Fiedler first base.
Sophomore Gabby McDowell returns as the Spartans’ top pitcher and fellow sophomore Hailey Herbst will start at shortstop.
Montour also will have five freshmen who are expected to contribute, including Alexa Richardson, who will be part of the team’s pitching rotation.
The Spartans had some early-season action when they traveled to the Cal Ripken Softball Experience in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. There, Montour had one scrimmage and dropped a 6-4 decision to Karns High School of Knoxville, Tenn. Since returning north, the Spartans were 1-0 entering Wednesday’s game against Western Beaver.
MOON AREA
Coach Luke Russell’s Tigers will look to improve upon last year’s record of 8-10 overall and 4-6 in Class 5A Section 3. That was good enough for a fourth-place finish and a berth in the WPIAL playoffs as the No. 16 seed, but their tournament run was short-lived as they lost to No. 1 seed Penn-Trafford, 5-3, in the opening round.
Moon lost two key players to graduation in catcher Cami Chambers and outfielder Macy Trost, both of whom were named second-team all-section. But the Tigers return six starters, headed by sophomore pitcher Katie DeMarco, a second-team all-section selection.
Other returning starters are seniors Sydney Ray, Abbie Warnagiris and Danica Bacu and sophomores Alina McMahon and Taya Fitzgerald.
Ray will start at shortstop, Warnagiris will play first base and Bacu will patrol one of the outfield spots along with McMahon. Fitzgerald is scheduled to start at third base.
DeMarco started the season with a bang, holding Mars Area without a hit or a walk in Moon Area’s 16-0 non-section victory last week. The Tigers are 2-3 including a pair of losses during an early season trip to Florida.
OUR LADY OF THE SACRED HEART
The Chargers will look to extend their WPIAL playoff streak to seven years under coach Doc Quinn and they have a solid core of returning players to make that happen, led by three-time all-section selection Leeann Walzer.
“It’s a great team to coach,” said Quinn, who has guided OLSH to two section titles. “They work hard.”
Walzer, a catcher, is joined by fellow seniors Cam Hummel, Julia Pinter, Claire Bulls and Ashlyn Johnson. Hummel, a three-year starter, is the team’s top pitcher.
The Chargers also feature a strong sophomore class led by utility players Mya Eshenbaugh, Sophia Wasko and Sydney Trippe.
STO-ROX
First-year coach Ed Pierce has a major construction job on his hands, as the Vikings only resumed playing last year on an exhibition basis after not fielding a team for a while. The Vikings, who will be sharing players with the school’s other spring sports teams — including flag football – will compete on an exhibition basis again this year.
Players expected to contribute this season on the softball diamond include Nynal Griffin, Allison Dotson, Danielle Reel, Brookly Sykes and Clarissa Gary. All except Reel are seniors.
Griffin figures to see plenty of action at first base while Dotson is expected to be the Vikings’ top pitcher. Sykes, who has played outfield in the past, could wind up at third base and also will see action on the mound.
Pierce said Gary is capable of playing just about anywhere on the diamond and had played mostly third base in the past, but she’s expected to get a shot at shortstop.
Reel, who played last season, is the Vikings’ starting catcher and will help lead some of the team’s younger players as Sto-Rox expects to compete next year as part of a regular WPIAL section.
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