Three defending North regional high school softball champions would like to go a step further this season and are among the five teams to watch in the North this coming season.
Oxford Hills of South Paris was the A North champ, Nokomis of Newport was the B winner and Bucksport triumphed in C but all suffered close losses in the state championship games.
Windham edged Oxford Hills 3-1 while Nokomis and Bucksport lost 2-1 to York and Hall-Dale of Farmingdale, respectively.
Hermon and Skowhegan are the other teams to keep an eye on.
Here is a look at the five teams in alphabetical order with their final records from a year ago.
Bucksport (19-1)
Mike Carrier’s Bucks lost Penobscot Valley Conference Pitcher and Player of the Year Ella Hosford to graduation.
But Hosford missed six games due to injury a year ago and junior Natalie Simpson took her spot in the pitching circle and produced a 6-0 record.
That should prove to be beneficial because Simpson is more prepared to assume the role of the team’s ace this season and she is complemented by four All-PVC Class C selections in first teamers Jetta Shook, Sam Cyr and Lily Chiavelli and third-teamer Alivia Shute.
Carrier said Simpson has more velocity this season “and her breaking balls are better.”
Shook is an outstanding catcher and the entire infield returns including sophomore first baseman Allie Hanscom and seniors Chiavelli, Cyr and Jayden Tripp at second, shortstop and third, respectively.
All-PVC first team outfielder Allie Pickering graduated but Shute and Lexi Raymond are returning starters with Raymond in center and Shute moving from left field to right field.
“We should hit really well this year,” said reigning PVC Class C Coach of the Year Carrier who has led his Golden Bucks to six C North titles and four state championships over the past 11 seasons.
Bucksport begins its season by hosting Class B Ellsworth at 1 p.m. on Wednesday.
Hermon (15-4)
Steph Biberstein’s Hawks reached the B North title game a year ago, losing to Nokomis, 6-2.
The Hawks have lost shortstop-pitcher and PVC Class B Player of the Year Lyndsee Reed to graduation but virtually everybody else is back including All-PVC B first team catcher Molly Simcox and second team picks Braelynn Wilcox and Addy Waning.
“We’ve returned versatile, experienced players at every position who have been working real hard and are motivated for the season,” said PVC Coach of the Year Biberstein.
Biberstein has the luxury of having two pitchers with experience, a righty in Wilcox and a lefty in Mikelle Verrill. Verrill was a freshman last season and pitched a three-hit shutout to beat Lawrence of Fairfield 3-0 in the semifinals.
Biberstein also has a promising freshman pitcher in Becca Balmas.
The infield will have Waning at third, Wilcox at shortstop, Olivia Johnston at second and Sophie Peterson at first.
Biberstein said Peterson has had a “phenomenal preseason” and she is expected to be one of the offensive catalysts along with Waning, Johnston and infielder Norra Idano.
Ava Dean, Kenzie Gallant and Taylor Sherrard provide Hermon with a seasoned outfield.
Dean is the only senior on the team and is a “great leader” according to Biberstein.
Hermon will be looking for its regional championship since back-to-back appearances in 2014 and ‘15. Hermon won the state in 2014.
Hermon opens at Lawrence at 10 a.m. on Friday.
Nokomis (19-1)
The Warriors have one of the state’s best pitchers in senior Mia Coots, the two-time Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class B Player of the Year who is closing in on 700 career strikeouts.
Nokomis graduated leading hitter Megan Watson but her spot as the catcher has been taken over by Hallie Coots, Mia’s freshman sister.
“Those two work really well together,” said Nokomis head coach J.D. McLellan. “I graduated (most of) my offense. Ten home runs. But Mia will keep us in every game.”
McLellan will be relying on the Coots sisters and juniors Addie Hawthorne, the first baseman, and third baseman Jenna Sawtelle to provide offense. He will also be looking for experienced outfielders Raegan King and Sydney King to chip in.
“Our goal is to win one more game than we did last year but it’s going to be tough. Our schedule isn’t easy,” said McLellan, who guided his team to its first ever regional title a year ago.
He feels he does have three outstandng leaders in Mia Coots, Sawtelle and Hawthorne and they will help the first-year starters adapt.
Nokomis entertains Oceanside of Rockland at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday in its opener.
Oxford Hills (18-2)
The Vikings won their second regional crown in five years thanks to the Morse sisters, freshman pitcher Kyeria and senior catcher Kaydence.
Both were on the All-KVAC first team and Kaydence was the Player of the Year.
Coach Cindy Goddard has the luxury of depth in the circle because two other sophomores, Cameron Mayhan and Charlotte McGreevey, also have quality arms but both were limited due to injuries last season.
“Our pitching staff will be stronger this year and we have three different kinds of pitchers,” said Goddard.
Morse, Mayhan and McGreevey are also good hitters, according to Goddard, so the two of them who aren’t pitching will be in the lineup. McGreevey is the starting first baseman.
Maddy Miller will be an offensive weapon and is coming off an All-KVAC first team eason. She can play shortstop or third base.
It was Miller’s walk-off base hit that gave the Vikings a 4-3 win over Skowhegan in the A North final.
Second baseman Gigi DeVivo gives them some quickness and Attie Campbell is a veteran who can catch or play short.
Outfielder Tristen Derenburger supplies Goddard with another home run threat.
The Vikings did lose All-KVAC second team outfielder Miah Gallan to graduation in addition to Kaydence Morse.
“The one element we’re missing is we don’t have as much speed as we’ve had in the past,” said Goddard, whose Oxford Hills teams haven’t lost more than three regular season games in a season since 2017.
“I’m a bunt-and-run kind of person but we’re going to have to rely more on power hitting this year.”
Oxford Hills kicks off its season at home against Brunswick at 11 a.m. on Tuesday.
Skowhegan (16-3)
You will be hard-pressed to find a softball team in the state that has been more successful than the River Hawks the past six seasons.
The River Hawks have posted a regular season record of 89-7 over that span.
Last year could have been a challenging one for the River Hawks because ace righthander Sierra Carey decided not to play.
But the River Hawks didn’t miss a beat as Lily Noyes stepped in and earned All-KVAC first-team honors for her performance in the circle.
“She took advantage of her opportunity. She threw very well last year,” said coach Lee Johnson who expects her to be even better this season.
“She is one of the hardest-working kids I’ve ever coached,” said Johnson, the league’s Coach of the Year last season.
He has an All-KVAC first team center fielder in Annabelle Morris and her twin sister Madelyn is a top-notch shortstop.
Johnson also has some productive veterans at third in Natalie Gilman, behind the plate in Carlie Jarvais and in right field in Arabel Linkletter.
They did lose All-KVAC first team first baseman Callaway LePage and second-team left fielder Jackie Dodge.
“There’s no question we have the potential to be even stronger this year. Callaway and Jackie went above and beyond what we expected from them and we need more players to do that this year,” said Johnson who has led his River Hawks to four regional titles in seven years and six in ten.
They captured state titles in 2014 and ‘21.
Skowhegan plays its opener at home against Camden Hills of Rockport at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 20.