THEY GOT POP

MAT-SU — That sharp crack you’re hearing may be coming from the bats of the Colony Knights, who have started the 2011 season hot at the plate. The Knights lead a talented and hopeful Valley contingent into Railbelt Conference play showing composure in the field and hitting anything that comes close to home plate.

“It’s funny. Last year’s team had more experience, but we didn’t play as well. This year we have a lot more youth,” said Colony head coach Mike Stewart. “I think the difference is there’s a lot more competition with these younger players. They want to play, want to get on the field and compete for a starting job.”

That competition has led to a fast 1-1 start in conference play, including a 7-2 win over West Valley on Thursday and a 5-1 loss to Lathrop Friday. That loss to Lathrop was also the first game the Knights haven’t had good offensive production, the coach said.

Still, he gets animated talking about his Knights’ early prowess with the bat.

“I’m pleasantly surprised with the hitting,” he said. “We didn’t hit as well Friday, but still had some good hits and were putting the bat on the ball. That has been the one big surprise.”

What hasn’t been a surprise is Colony’s strong pitching, led by sophomore Olivia Martin. She’s spelled on the mound by senior first-baseman Karli Dryer.

“Olivia’s going to be kind of the work horse this year and pitch most of our conference games,” Stewart said. “Karli is generally around the plate with her pitches. She throws pretty much a fastball and a change-up. She allows us to give Olivia a break once in awhile.”

Colony finished .500 last year and fourth in the Railbelt Conference. Although the Knights qualified for state in 2010, they want to do that — and more — this season, Stewart said.

“The goal is to make it to state, and so far with what I’ve seen, we should do OK,” he said.

While Colony lost its starting outfield, including centerfielder Jenna Hondl, its youth, peppered with some upperclassmen, will mean the Knights have a bright future, Stewart said.

One of the leaders on the field is shortstop Devan Clark, who gives the Knights solid defense up the middle, the coach said.

“She’s actually been with me since she was a freshman,” he said. “She’s just really solid, she fields the ball well, she makes all the plays she has to. And even when she makes an error, she usually ends up making a play out of it anyway. She bobbled a ball in that game on Thursday and still ended up tagging out the runner.”

Junior third-baseman Sage Stefanski is also a player to watch this season, Stewart said. In addition to her defense, Stefanski has been red hot at bat so far, hitting about .500.

“Her bat is really what is giving us a boost,” he said, adding the entire lineup is hitting well.

“We’re seeing a lot of line-drives that have gone for doubles and triples, not just bloopers,” he said. “That’s always a good sign.”

With five seniors, including three regular starters, three juniors and four freshmen on the team, Colony is young, but balanced, the coach said.

One of the bright spots early has been the play of catcher Sam Everett, who works well with Martin, Stewart said. Because both are sophomores, Stewart is excited about them being a battery to lead the Knights for the next three years.

Palmer rebuilds

While Colony may be reloading to make some noise at the state tournament this year, cross-town rival Palmer is making huge strides of its own, fielding a varsity team for the first time in six years.

Coming off a season of junior varsity play, the Moose are rebuilding a program head coach Shanna Omer hopes will show stability and improvement. She’s been encouraged so far this year with about 45 girls out for the program, more than double the 20 in 2010.

“This is the first year Palmer’s had a varsity team in about six years, and last year was the first time we had a team in about five years,” Omer said. “We’re letting everyone play. We have two JV teams now and one varsity, and each time they play they get better.”

Which is the main goal, Omer said. After a 15-0 loss to West Valley on Friday to open in the season, the Moose rebounded with a strong showing in a 6-1 loss to West Anchorage. The difference in on-field confidence and play was huge, she said.

“It just kind of started clicking in that West game and there were a couple innings we got three outs right away,” she said. “They’re becoming more confident, they’re getting used to the ball, they’re working more as a team. The only thing we need to work on now is hitting. It’s a big step up from JV, so the pitching now is much faster.

“We’re farther along than we were last year. We’re much more solid as players. It’s just the hitting that needs to pick it up a notch, and that’ll come as they see more (varsity level) pitching.”

Part of the mix for the Moose this year is a few transfers who played Outside before. Kaylie Yanez, a sophomore who pitches and plays third base, played five years on a club team in Las Vegas.

“She’s phenomenal and (the other players) are learning a lot from her,” Omer said. “They’re seeing how she goes after the ball and her footwork.”

Returning for Palmer’s first varsity season in a half dozen years is senior catcher Katie Kinchen and first-baseman Victoria Contreras, a sophomore.

Moving ahead, Palmer has a lot of potential, Omer said.

“I’m hoping it continues to hold strong,” she said. “There have been some rough years in the past not having enough girls, so we’re hoping to get our foot in the door and show that Palmer really has some talent out there.”

Wasilla to compete

Like Palmer, the Wasilla Warriors are in a unique situation where they don’t have many players with a lot of softball experience, but plays in a competitive varsity Railbelt Conference.

Whether the Warriors would field a team in 2011 was up in the air until first-year head coach Donell Polk volunteered to take over the team.

An experienced slow-pitch player, Polk said he agreed to coach Wasilla at the urging of some of the team’s returning players. Although he had no experience with fast-pitch softball, he couldn’t say no.

“I just didn’t want to see this program die, so I want to teach these kids about a fun sport,” Polk said. “We’re all learning together, but I’ve got an amazing man — Ralph Wesser — who has coached at the higher levels and he’s helping us out a lot. He’s been helping me along, teaching me how fast-pitch goes.”

What that means for Wasilla is that of 33 girls who went out for the program at the beginning of the season, 23 are left. From those 23, Polk sees a lot of potential and heart. While the squad may struggle against some of the conference’s more established programs, the Warriors won’t be an easy game.

“We really don’t have a varsity squad,” he said. “We have maybe three returning seniors who played ball before. Our pitcher has never pitched varsity before, but we do have a lot of freshmen with a lot of potential. We’re trying to rebuild.”

That effort is paying off, Polk said, with a win against the Service JV over the weekend. Service is a strong program that has a lot of depth, he said.

One bright spot is freshman catcher Johnna Elkins, who is showing some natural athletic ability behind the plate, Polk said.

“She played hockey, so she knows how to get dirty,” he said. “She’s gotten some outs for us that have gotten us out of some situations. There’s no reason this kid couldn’t develop even to go on to the next level.”

Returning are a pair of players Polk says “can play anywhere they want to, for the most part” in Kelsey Lyles and Mariah Schachle.

Taking the mound for most games will be senior Jasmine Gilpin, Polk said. Although she hasn’t pitched varsity before, her confidence is there, the coach said.

Another exciting freshman is Cheyenne Drumm, who has a ton of upside.

“I see a lot of great things coming from her in the future,” he said. “She’s just an outstanding all-around player.”

More than wins or losses, however, Polk’s main focus is on hard work, hustle and school pride.

“We’ll play our best to represent Wasilla High School, and that’s where the heart comes in,” he said. “We’re playing varsity teams with the kids who play in these leagues in Anchorage all year-round. This year, the goal is to work real, real hard, win some games and make Wasilla proud of us. We’re going to give it our all every game.”

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.