St. Anthony Softball Team Headed To Class 2A State Tournament

Effingham St. Anthony players show off their super-sectional plaque and will be heading to the Class 2A State Softball Tournament Friday and Saturday in Peoria.

It's back to State for Effingham St. Anthony High School's softball team. Competing in Class 1A during the 2020-21 season, the Bulldogs reached State, finishing in second place with a tough 3-2 loss to Glasford Illini Bluffs.

Last season in Class 2A, the Bulldogs of Coach Makayla Walsh Taylor made a run again, reaching the Sweet 16 only to fall short against Tolono Unity.

Now the Bulldogs are heading to the Louisville Slugger Complex Friday and Saturday.

"As far as State goes, I truly think we were an underdog from the get-go of the season," said Coach Taylor. "We had such a weird start with having practice for six weeks and having our first game at the tail end of March.

"With having very little games under our belt, a lot of others pushed our team aside with not having as many games. To be honest I think it was nice not being on the radar for some teams. Postseason is a completely different breed than regular season so you can never take any teams lightly. I'm really proud of the hard work, determination, fire and grit these girls have played with so far this postseason."

Coach Taylor went through her lineup and commented on her players.

"Talking about my softball girls is one of my favorite things to do and they truly deserve to get recognized for making it to the Final Four! 

"Leading off for us is Cameran Rios. Cameran has been a huge threat to other teams and a huge impact to our team since day one when she entered high school. Cameran is for sure leaving her mark at St. Anthony with various records she has broken in only three years. Cameran's IQ of softball isn't something that can be taught, its just instinct and that's why I have so much confidence in her. Cameran not only does a terrific job offensively hitting and slapping but playing defense too. She is always willing to go above and beyond to dive after any softballs. I'm excited to watch Cameran's journey with softball continued at the next level, but will for sure miss her next year!

"Batting second for us is Adysen Rios. Adysen has been a huge help to our program with her quickness, ability to create something to happen and willingness to constantly get better daily. Ady has done a terrific job stepping up as a sophomore to become a leader in her own way. I love the way she can really play any position you put her at and her positive energy radiates onto others as well. I did want to note, Adysen hasn't always been a slapper, she actually used to be a righty in junior high and decided to start slapping two years ago. I'm so proud of her hard work to get to where she is at. 

"Batting third for us this year is Addie Wernsing. Addie's drive, amount of knowledge and willing to learn and adapt has been something I love to always see a softball player have. Addie continues to always put in extra work and it truly never goes unnoticed. It's all about the little things, and Addie does a terrific job drop stepping, covering bases and making small adjustments to her at-bats. Addie is a phenomenal softball player, and I'm excited to see her continued growth next year being a senior.  

"Batting clean up for us this year is Hailey Niebrugge. Hailey is such a joy to coach and has really come out of her shell this year. With adapting to a new roll, catching about every game, she has constantly leveled up her game daily. She has learned so much this year, and really has grown into a fabulous leader! I always make sure to take cover at third base because she hits the ball so hard! Hailey is a great weapon for us since she is versatile playing wherever!

"Batting fifth in the lineup is Lucy Fearday. Lucy is having another great year of softball and I'm excited to see all the accomplishments she has made after this state run coming up. Lucy is always so focused and zoned in while playing ball and you can just see the love she has for the game of softball. Her love and desire for all the sports she plays has been so neat to watch, and she is honestly one of the most humble players I've coached. I'm really going to miss her next year. 

"Batting sixth in the lineup for us is Sydney Kibler. Sydney is always willing to learn more about the game. She is never afraid to ask a question or if there is more she can do to become a better player. She is constantly wanting more and more reps at practices and even in games whenever we may not always have time. But she is always wanting to become a better version of herself! Not to mention, she has so much power!! Sydney has been a huge help for our pitching this year coming up strong against Tolono Unity. 

"Batting seventh in the lineup is Anna Faber. Anna has done such a great job moving around over the past couple of years on the field for us. Her defense has been really key for us at third base and I'm proud of how much she has worked constantly. Anna has really stepped up her senior year with helping others gain confidence in their game as well. I'm really excited to watch her succeed in everything she does and really going to miss having her next year!

"Batting eighth for us is Abbi Hatton. Abbi has been a great addition to our team these past two years and I'm happy to have her on our team! If you want to see someone get thrown out from the outfield at first base, you can count on this girl. Her strength is insane in the box and out on the field. Her dedication, hard work and passion for softball has been a blast to watch this year! She plays a huge role in our outfield while also making adjustments to play infield when needed!

"Batting ninth for us is Stacie Vonderheide. She can do it all! From running track this past spring to getting to softball games Stacie never misses a beat with anything she does. I really enjoy having Stacie in the nine hole because she is a player that always seems to make something happen in games. She may be quiet, but Stacie really does impact this team by showing her effort and going all out for plays or making someone's day better by giving them a good laugh. It's nice to have a player like Stacie on our team and I'm excited to have her around 1 more year!

"Kenzie Kabbes is a senior this year and has been a part of the softball team for the past four years. Her tremendous effort, willingness to help others out even if it doesn't deal with softball has been so neat to see. Some even refer to her as the "mom" of the team and I love having her on this special team! To be honest with you, Kenzie is so strong, her arm is insane. She could be flatfooted in the outfield and throw someone out. Kenzie is one of the kindest people you will meet and she is truly impacted our team with her huge heart! I'm really going to miss her next year. 

"Laney Coffin is a junior this year and has been a part of the softball team for the past three years. I'm so proud of the player she has become and I always get so excited whenever she comes up to bat. Although she hasn't gotten nearly enough playing time this season, she has always kept a positive mindset about it and has constantly brought the energy every game! She has created a huge impact by keeping players locked into the game even if they need told a joke. Sometimes it's okay to not take everything so serious, and Laney does a good job reminding others it's okay to have fun! I've really enjoyed Laney these past three years!

"Nora Gannaway is a junior this year and has been a part of the softball team for the past two years. Nora has been a huge impact for our base running this year! Her speed, quickness and ability to read what's going on in the game has been so neat to see. Courtesy runners play a huge role, and that's something a lot of people sleep on, but not Nora. She has done a great job understanding her role and really has done a great job stepping up whenever she comes into the game to slap! I've really enjoyed coaching Nora so far.

"Maddie Kibler is a junior this year and has been a part of the softball team for the past three years. Maddie has had to really adapt to her role this year with sitting out and watching from the sidelines due to her knee surgery she had this year. Her work ethic, positive mindset and adjusting to newness this year has really been something else! I'm really proud of how hard Maddie has worked these past couple of months. She never quit, always came in daily with what she saw on the field and really helped us coaches see things we didn't always see. I'm excited to see Maddie's comeback!!

"Ava Faber is a Sophomore this year and has been part of the softball team for the past 2 years. Ava has really grown as a player and it's so neat to see her grow up even more learning new ways to improve her game! Her extra effort she puts into practicing is what makes her a good player - she is never afraid to ask a question either, which as a coach makes her so coachable and I love when players go the extra mile to learn more and more about softball. 

"Ava Walton is a sophomore and has been part of the softball team for the past two years. Ava can be very quiet at times, but it was really fun to see Ava hit her first varsity homerun this past season! She opened up a lot after that hit and it really made her so confident! Ava does a great job of picking up her teammates whenever games may be stressful -- this can be a difficult task but Ava does it so effortlessly! I can't wait to see what the next two years look like for Ava with all the practicing she does too. 

"Ella Johnson is a sophomore and has been part of the softball team for the past two years. Ella has brought so much momentum to our softball program. She really is the kindest softball player, always checking in on other teammates and even the other team too! She has an incredible amount of power and actually has the highest hitting velocity on our team! She will be a great one to watch for in the years to come! Ella has constantly improved her game and I'm excited to see where she will be in another year!

"Camille Wines is a sophomore and has been part of the softball team for the past two years. She is such a versatile player! You can really put her anywhere and she will give it her all no matter where she may be playing! She has played a big role with helping others improve their game along with hers! I have so much confidence in her and I know she can do anything if she puts her mind to it! It will be a blast to see her continued growth too!

"Kallie Kabbes is a sophomore and has been part of the softball team for the past two years. If you want to turn your day rightside up, go talk to Kallie! Her positive energy radiates and I can't thank her enough for being such a positive light for others. Kallie is always going the extra mile to be such a good teammate -- wanting to catch any of the pitchers even when she may be tired. She makes things so easy, and has tremendous power! Her hitting has improved so much over the past two years and I'm really excited to see where she will be next year! Also, don't challenge her to a squat competition, she will win!

"Lilly Gannaway is a freshman this year. With having only one year so far with Lilly I've learned how competitive she is. She has been a blast to watch grow, hitting left handed or right handed and it is very rewarding seeing all her hard work pay off! Along with her versatility in the box, she can do a lot on the field as well. She is one of those players that will say "coach, put me anywhere". She is so hungry to play, get better and learn from others no matter if they are the coaches or players! 

"Nancy Ruholl is a freshman. With having only one year so far with Nancy, she has been such a joy to be around! Nancy is one of those players that is so athletic, you can really stick her in any spot and she picks it up as soon as possible. I love her attitude and what she brings to our team as just a freshman! Nancy has really done a wonderful job pitching as well this year, I'm really excited to see her growth (height too!) with pitching in the years to come!

"Taylor Quandt has been such a huge help over these past four years. Taylor started off her freshman and sophomore year playing softball but soon turned into becoming a manager for her junior and senior years. She has done a great job of getting the girls zoned into games, keeping everyone on their toes and being a positive light for the team. Not to mention she plays some terrific music being in charge of the speaker at our games. I'm grateful to have a team manager that cares so much about her role! She will truly be missed next year, and I hope we can find a great manager to fill her shoes! "

Coach Taylor commented on her team overall.

"I think our team has so many different strengths, but one thing I really love and enjoy about this team is the accountability they have for one another. As each season begins, you really try to figure out who will really step up and be leaders on this team but honestly everyone has stepped up in their own way. These girls have really turned what I imagined coaching into a reality for this program and I'm so proud of the direction we have gone with it. 

"I think we have done so much in these past three years, we've accomplished a lot as a team and making another state run this time in 2A seems even sweeter! I want these ladies to compete, play every game as hard as they can and just enjoy the process."

Assistant coaches include Jeff Kinkelaar and Makayla's father, Tim Walsh.

"With having two assistant coaches, I know I really lucked out with these two guys in the dugout with us," said Taylor. "Jeff has been a fantastic addition to our coaching staff for the past two years. His ability to notice the little things in games, pick up signs, shifts going on, or telling girls where to be placed on the field. The Bulldogs are really lucky to have Jeff. He has truly taken so much time and energy and put it into this softball program to help it get to the point it is at. We can't thank him enough and his wonderful family! 

"Tim Walsh has been a part of the St. Anthony roster for a number of years. It is such a special dynamic getting to coach with my dad. He is a terrific coach, mentor and an even better person. I knew at a young age I wanted to be a coach of some sort because of him too -- I was very lucky to have him coach me pretty much my whole career. Tim has been a huge part of the Bulldogs success these past couple of years. He has a big role of calling pitches which can be very challenging at times, but he always makes it look so effortless. There aren't enough thank yous to tell them how thankful I am for all they have done for the softball program."

The Bulldogs will square off against Taylor Ridge Rockridge at 5:30 p.m. Friday. In the opener, Beecher faces Johnston City at 3 p.m. The winners will advance to the state championship game Saturday at 3:30 p.m. while the losers will play for third place at 1 p.m.

"We are really looking forward to getting back to State," said Taylor. "We made a terrific run in 2021 with getting second place in 1A. We had a lot of great drive in our 2022 season getting to the Sweet 16 and falling short against Tolono Unity in Class 2A. 

"But with our 2023 season, this will really be the cherry on top of everything getting back to where we once were, just this time being bumped up a class in 2A!"