EUGENE, Ore. – As the season gets underway this week, the Bushnell softball team has their sights set on improving over last year, with an eye on the Cascade Conference tournament.
 
The Beacons have long suffered for their first bid to the Cascade Collegiate Conference post-season. Outside of the CoVID-cancelled 2020 campaign, the Beacons had been just one win out of the CCC tournament for four straight years. An injury-addled 2023 campaign, however, saw the Beacons finish six games out of the playoffs. With a veteran team featuring 11 seniors, this may just finally be the year they get over the hump.
 
Third-year head coach Jim Patrick said, "I am really excited about the group we have this year. Everyone we brought in is pushing somebody, the younger players are making an impact, and we have a lot of upside heading into the year. Qualifying for the playoffs is always the goal. We play in the most difficult conference in the country and the conference just got tougher this year top-to-bottom. The way I look at it, we got tougher too and we have a chance to knock some teams off."
 
The 2024 version of the Beacons include 13 returners and one of the largest recruiting classes in history with nine new players. Those nine include four transfers and five freshmen.
 
Patrick said, "This year we will have some speed on the bench that we haven't had in the past and we are a lot more athletic. As long as we stay mentally tough and go out and compete every day, we are going to have the chance to win."
 
Pitchers
 
The Bushnell pitching staff remains robust with arms ready to compete for time in the starting rotation and working out of the bullpen. "We have a good combination with our five pitchers and can throw different looks at our opponents depending on what the situation calls for."
 
Senior Liz Hillier returns for her final campaign with the Beacons after transferring to Bushnell last season. In her first year the former Clackamas Community College standout was second on the team in appearances, starts, complete games, innings pitched, strikeouts and ERA.
 
Junior transfer Emily Cole is also expected to have a large presence in the starting rotation. Coming to the Beacons via Chemeketa CC, Cole was a two-time First-Team All-NWAC selection with the Storm and also provides a slap bat. Coach Patrick believes she is a perfect complement to Hillier, saying, "Emily has a little more spin and throws a little harder, which will give us a different look."
 
Emma Fournier also transfers in from Southwestern Oregon Community College while dual-threat freshman Violet Richardson is also expected to see time in the circle. Richardson was the Far West League Player of the Year as a junior at South Umpqua High.
 
Another x-factor for the pitching staff will be junior returner Breanna Hilton. Playing in 15 games over her first two seasons, Coach Patrick believes she has taken a huge step up. He said, "Bre has improved a lot coming into this year. We eliminated a couple of her pitches to help her focus and she is working really hard."
 
Catchers
 
The platoon behind the dish will be led by senior Faith Wayman, Bushnell's lone returning All-Cascade Collegiate Conference selection from 2023. Wayman led the Beacons last season with a .325 batting average and ranked second on the team with 40 hits. She also set a school record by throwing out 16 runners, breaking the previous record of 14 which had stood for 12 years.
 
Also returning are senior Molly Haley and junior Michelle Sierra.
 
The three returning catchers are joined this season by freshman Montanah Love (South Umpqua HS). Love was a First-Team All-State selection for the Lancers and earned a pair of First-Team All-Far West League honors. "Montana is really pushing the envelope," said Patrick. "She has a strong softball IQ, she is high energy and just competes day in and day out."
 
Infield
 
Returning to first base will be senior Hannah Tennant. The former NFCA First-Team All-American had a strong debut year with the Beacons last season, starting all 48 games and hitting .297. Her 25 RBI led the Beacons as did her 41 hits.
 
Senior Suzi Krstic will be back in action for the Beacons and moving back to Second Base. The four-year starter missed the final 31 games of her junior season after suffering an injury but it once again expected to make a huge contribution. Patrick said, "It's Suzi's senior year and she has come in with new blood and is ready to go. We are excited to have her back."
 
Freshman Taylor Kenworthy (Crater HS) has come in to provide fantastic defense at shortstop, fresh off a prep career that included Midwestern League Player of the Year and Second-Team All-State accolades as a senior. "Taylor won the fall," said Patrick. "She attacks the ball at short, has a quick release and just gives us a steady presence in the infield."
 
A diverse group of players allow the 2024 Beacons some flexibility on the corners. The return of senior Mandy Fetters gives the team an option to back up Tennant at First while also providing some depth at the hot corner.
 
Another strong option at third base will be Richardson, who provides one of the most powerful bats on the team and hit .589 during her senior year of high school. "We are going to have a really hard time keeping Violet out of the lineup," said coach Patrick. "She will find a place to play at third, or as our DP, or pitching, because she hits with homerun power."
 
Perhaps the deepest position on the roster, Haley and Tia Dumlao also will have the opportunity at third. Dumlao will also back up Krstic at second.
 
Outfield
 
In recent years, the Bushnell outfield hasn't seen too much competition with a limited number of players to select from to claim the three starting spots. Much has changed this season. While a few stalwarts remain, there is plenty of depth as well. Coach Patrick said, "There is some pressure going on out there. After about three years without any, we definitely have some competition."
 
The presumed incumbents include a pair of four-year starters in Madison Steelman in left field and Alyssa Ferreira in center.
 
Steelman has started every game over the past two seasons and provides one of the most consistent bats as she continues to move her way up through the record books. Tied for the Bushnell career record with nine triples, she comes into the season ranked in the top-ten in multiple other categories.
 
Ferreira also started every game last season for the Beacons and has won multiple team Gold Glove awards at Bushnell. Her 1.000 career fielding percentage is the best in school history for an outfielder.
 
Another returning senior is Ericka Allen, who also started every game as a junior. She was second on the team among returners for stolen bases, triples, and runs scored, giving her a strong opportunity to remain near the top of the lineup again in 2024.
 
Four new players are joining the mix in the outfield and are all pushing for time giving Coach Patrick what he calls "a great problem to have."
 
Junior Halliday Hubbard transfers in from the College of the Siskiyous, where she was a First-Team All-Golden Valley Conference selection as a junior in 2023. Coach Patrick said, "Halliday has worked hard on her bat, she is the fastest player on the field, and she goes all-out when she's on the field. It is going to be tough to keep her out of the lineup."
 
Another new player this season will be Gracelyn Johnson, who transferred into Bushnell last season from Corban University. As an intra-conference transfer, she was required to sit for one season but will now also have a chance to compete. With the Warriors in 2021 and 2022, she played in 12 games as a freshman but did not compete as a sophomore due to injury.
 
Freshmen Haleigh Wambolt (Roseburg) and Kiley Campos (Springfield) will also be competing for time in the outfield. Wambolt as a three-time First-Team All-League selection at Roseburg High School. Campos, who is also currently embroiled in her first year with the Bushnell women's basketball team, played four years on varsity at Pleasant Hill High School and was a three-time First-Team All-League selection as well. She will also be an option in the middle infield spots.
 
Schedule
 
The Beacons will open up a 14-game non-conference slate this week with their first-ever trip to Arizona. Their six-game trip begins in Chandler against Benedictine University-Mesa on Thursday for their first-ever meeting with the Redhawks. They will also visit Ottawa University and Arizona Christian. ACU is currently receiving votes in the NAIA national coaches poll.  
 
Last season Bushnell finished 11-37 overall and 7-23 in the Cascade Collegiate Conference. Considered the toughest conference in the country, the CCC features four teams currently ranked in the NAIA Top-25, including No. 1 Oregon Tech and No. 2 Southern Oregon. Last season, OIT won the CCC championship by four games while SOU won the NAIA National Championship, defeating the Owls in the title game.
 
Bushnell opens their trip through the circuit in Vancouver, British Columbia on March 1st against UBC and will play their first CCC home games a week later, playing host to No. 13 College of Idaho. Should the Beacons be able to finally climb the ladder, the top-six teams will compete in the CCC tournament beginning May 3rd.