Crawfordsville softball is under the leadership of second-year coach Mackenzi Landrum as she guides the Athenians in 2024. A season ago Cville went just 3-23 but along the way showed bright spots. One of those three wins came in a stunning 15-5 win over county rival Southmont.
This season CHS will be a very young team, but that doesn’t mean they won’t continue to show progress from a season ago. Sophomore catcher Christina Susdorf highlights one of the notable returners for CHS. Susdorf batted .397 in her freshman season while leading the Athenians in nearly every offensive category. Along with Susdorf will be fellow sophomore Molly Pierce who was thrust into the No. 1 slot in the Athenian rotation a year ago. Fellow sophomore Olivia Hedrick and senior Addison Hodges round out the returning players for the Athenian. Junior Celeste Moore will still be nursing a torn ACL that she suffered during the basketball season.
New to the team this season will be junior Delaney Spencer who comes over from Southmont to help bolster the CHS rotation. Along with Spencer, CHS will feature eight freshman as the new group will quickly get their feet wet.
“Our offensive game plan is to be aggressive at the plate and on the bases,” Landrum said of her squad’s focus offensively. “As a program we are focused on consistent base hits and quality at bats. Our returners are committed to improving their swings everyday and our first years are buying in and eager to learn. This year’s team is ready to step up to the plate, take bags and capitalize on errors.”
With the added depth in the circle with Spencer and the incoming freshman, Pierce and Hedrick will be allowed to not have as much pressure on them as the did their freshman season. Pierce threw 68 innings while Hedrick added 38.1.
“The girls are getting more consistent, building stamina and adding to their arsenal,” Landrum noted of her rotation. “Strategically pitching to each batter and producing ground balls will be key. We are looking at some young talent that will be able to grow with the program and we are very excited.”
With it being year two under Landrum, she is still focuses on building the foundation for her young team. Whether the wins come or not, it’s a group that according to her as brought a great energy and work ethic in the off-season.
“This group of girls is very committed to one another, this team and this program. They come to practice ready to work and buy into the culture we are building in this program.”
Cville opens it’s season on Wednesday at home when they take on West Lafayette.
