Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com

By Ray Hamill — The McKinleyville Panthers feature a very young team in softball this season, with just four upperclassmen on their roster.

The Panthers lost a tough game to a good Eureka team on Wednesday afternoon, but are expected to see substantial improvement as the season goes on, with several talented young players on hand.

“I feel they really get along very well,” head coach Shanna McCracken said. “They’re good at encouraging each other and helping each other get better.

“I’m excited. My assistant coach (Drew Riddle) and I have been working with the girls a lot.”

A young roster showed its inexperience in a 15-3 season-opening loss to Eureka, and some of the underclassmen “let their nerves get to them,” according to their coach.

The four upperclassmen, however, are expected to lead the way and got off to a good start in spite of the loss.

Senior catcher Ashley Ballew, who will play next year at College of the Siskiyous, played well behind the plate, while junior Allie Egbert led the way on offense, finishing 3-for-3 with a triple and two RBIs.

A second senior, Cameron Heenan, has not really played softball since her freshman season but made her presence felt on Wednesday with one of her team’s seven hits.

The good news for the Panthers is that they have plenty of options in the pitcher’s circle and a versatile roster.

“We have hardly any girls who play just one position,” McCracken said. 

Junior Raina Ausburn, who transferred from Arcata, will see time pitching, as will Egbert and impressive freshmen Mashell Stumpf and Natalyia Turner.

“I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the freshmen for sure,” McCracken said.

The Panthers also feature seven sophomores, including Camryn Pinard, who got her varsity career off to a flying start in Wednesday’s loss, finishing 2-for-3 with a triple, a double and two runs scored.

Fellow sophomore Trinity Preston is also expected to have an immediate impact this season and also had a hit in the season opener.

“She’s very strong for us at the plate, and she’s a girl who’s going out and bust her butt,” McCracken said of Preston.

Rounding out a talented sophomore class are Morgan Stubbs, Chloe Alves, Rebecca Barnett, Taya Gomes and Kennedy Minton, each of whom is also expected to contribute on a small roster this season and play a big role for the team moving forward.