Park Hill started to show signs of improvement and again return the bulk of a roster that’s been building for two difficult seasons. The Trojans have won four games in each of the past two seasons behind a large bunch of underclassmen.
Improving the win total proved difficult in 2016 with the move up to the Suburban Conference Gold Division. Park Hill finished 4-20 overall and winless in league play.
“All of those schools are well coached and have some really good players, and it was a very big learning curve for our girls last year,” said Park Hill coach Jackie Qualls, entering his second season. “But I think all of them got better by the end of year. Overall, as rough as the season was, a lot of positive things came from it.
Park Hill went into last season with only one viable pitching option, but Peyton Morehouse, now a junior, earned all-district and all-conference honors in another standout season. The Trojans also return junior infielder/catcher Alexa Lashbrook, along with sophomore infielder Miranda LaMunyon and sophomore catcher Kali Day.
Youth will again be a theme with no key seniors lost from a year ago, and Qualls expects freshmen Chloe Strickland and Samantha Bertoncino to provide an impact.
“I feel the talent has definitely improved, and we should be better than what we were last year,” Qualls said. “We play in a really tough conference, but we look forward to the challenge and hope to come away with some victories this year.”