Beatrice softball, led by six seniors, looks to get back to Hastings with their 'eye on the prize'

BEATRICE - Gary Lytle set the bar high in his first year as the head coach for Beatrice softball last year. He took the Lady O to their first state tournament since 2015, and earned the program its sixth runner-up finish overall and its first since 2011.
“They have their eyes on the prize,” Lytle said. “They know the ultimate goal. It was good to get a taste (last year), but I think they want more.”
The Orange want more, and feel capable of winning their first state title in softball since 2003. Beatrice brings back eight players with starting experience in 2018, and a group of six seniors that are led by all-state pitcher and shortstop Addison Barnard.
“She’s a great role model in terms of showing people what to do,” Lytle said. “That’s one of the things all of the seniors are figuring out is how to do that leadership thing fully.”
Barnard led the team last season with a .516 batting average and 10 home runs. In the circle, she went a staggering 14-4 with a 2.46 ERA. Her and Bailey Green tossed the vast majority of Beatrice’s pitches last season.
With Green now a freshman on Nebraska Wesleyan’s softball team, Lytle will turn to junior Rylee Krzycki-Pangborn and some other youngsters to give Barnard some pitching help.
“Rylee threw 27 or 28 innings last year,” Lytle recalled, “with a 2.60 ERA, so she did well, so we’ll put her in some more stressful situations this year, and see how she reacts.”
Lytle also mentioned that freshman Riley Schwisow has “a couple of good pitches,” and could see some time in varsity games to “prepare her for the future.”
Offensively, Beatrice had 13 players who batted north of .300 last year, while hitting a combined 43 homers entering the state tournament.
Even so, Beatrice wants to aim higher, and if at all possible, swing harder.
“We have a lot of strong players coming back,” Barnard said, “and we don’t want to end up anywhere besides being state champs.”I think we’re more athletic this year. We’re just looking to be a strong team, and get to know each other really well.”
The Lady O open their season on Aug. 22 against Southern/Diller-Odell and Norris in Wymore. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.
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