The Bangor High School girls softball team will have plenty of new faces in the lineup this season after graduating seven seniors off last year’s club that went 7-9 during the regular season before losing to Messalonskee of Oakland 12-5 in the Class A North quarterfinals.
Sophia Sciarappa, a 2022 graduate of Wesleyan University in Connecticut, is in her second season guiding the Rams after becoming their third head coach in three years last spring.
The Rams have been an up-and-down program the past seven years with three 11-5 seasons, three 7-9 campaigns and a 10-6 season two years ago.
There are only two seniors on the team and four returning starters with three of them adapting to a new position.
Senior Cassidy Richardson was the designated player last spring but will be the second baseman; junior Gabby Goding moves from third base to shortstop and junior Eva Coombs moves over from right field to take her graduated sister Taylor’s spot in center field.
Taylor Clark is the other senior and she will return to the pitching circle.
“We have a young group with a lot of room to grow but they are really enjoying spending time together and they are learning the game which is all I can ask for,” said Sciarappa. “They’re doing their best. They’re working hard.”
“It’s a really young team but we are all finding our place right now,” said Clark.
Clark said she hasn’t outlined any expectations for her or the team.
“I’m excited to play with this new group of girls. It’s kind of a rebuilding year so we’ll just figure it out from here,” Clark said.
“We’re going to be good,” said Coombs. “We’re going to get the energy going and it’s going to be a good season. I’ve got positive thoughts.”
Sophomore Brookelyn Schmersal will be the catcher and sophomore Annabelle Pierce will play first when she’s not pitching. Junior Gabby Raymond will play third alongside shortstop Goding.
Junior Emily Adams will be in left field and freshman Gabby Spreng will play right.
Junior Victoria Jarnich will be the designated player.
Clark could also play first or second base when she’s not in the circle.
Junior Isabella Burnett and sophomore Charlotte Reed can play right field or be the designated player.
Sciarappa said she feels her defense is a strength of her team.
“It is a rock wall. I trust them with my life,” said Sciarappa. “They’ll keep the ball in front of them and make plays.”
Clark and Coombs concurred.
“We’re confident,” said Coombs.
Sciarappa said she also has confidence in her pitching duo of Clark and Pierce.
Clark got a lot of experience a year ago and Sciarappa said Pierce “was the star pitcher for the jayvee team. She has a lot of jayvee innings under her belt.
“(Clark and Pierce) are going to be working together as a team and sharing a lot of the games,” said Sciarappa.
“Both of our pitchers are really good,” said Coombs. “They’re really positive. They throw strikes. That’s always good.”
“I’ve been working on my mindset a lot,” said Clark.
The Rams lost two of their top hitters in All-Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference first team catcher Emmie Streams and All-KVAC second teamer Taylor Coombs.
Coombs said even though Streams and her sister have gone “we have good hitters on this team.”
Sciarappa said Richardson, Coombs, Jarnich and Goding can hit for power and Clark, Raymond and Pierce are good contact hitters.
“As long as they all enjoy the game and like spending time and working together, it’s going to be a good season,” said Sciarappa, whose Rams open the season at Lewiston at 1 p.m. on Wednesday.