HOLDEN — Inscribed on the side of the Wachusett Regional High third base dugout is signage reminding all of the celebrated 2019 softball season when the Mountaineer girls took home a Division 1 state title with an unblemished record of 25-0. Keeping the memory alive has been an inspiration for teams such as this year’s 2023 edition, which follows a stellar 22-3 record just 12 months ago.
Could this season be more of the winning culture that has been commonplace under the tutelage of head coach Jason Lanpher? The Landmark caught up with Lanpher and his four captains at a recent practice. Emma Britt, Gracie Granger, Megan Larson and Sydney Lyne all shared their impressions of this year’s squad, which opened its season with a 2-1 nail-biter victory over Grafton High on April 3.
“We’re young and we’re going to win differently than we have in the past, but we still have the ability to go the distance,” Lanpher said. “When you’re a young team, you want to get things rolling in the right direction as soon as you can work out any bugs that come up.”
“We have people stepping into new roles, but it’s always interesting to see who steps into what role,” said Lanpher of his captains. “We’re in that phase now where we’re going to see who the boisterous one is, who the quiet one will be. They all take on different roles, and I think the four of them will work together really well.”
“It brought our spirits up winning our first game. It’s good to start off strong,” said Lyne of the kickoff to the season. “Nobody likes to start off the season with a loss. We battled back, and it just showed that we can do anything we want to do if we put our mind to it, if we work as a team and execute the plays.”
“We all work well together on and off the field,” echoed Granger, who will anchor third base once more this season. “With more practice, I think we can do it. As captains, we have to show the younger players confidence in their playing ability. We need to lift them up if they’re struggling a little.”
“The four of us as captains all work well together,” added Larson. “We have different personalities that go together and make each other better. We try to be really uplifting and do what’s best for the team. If you start off on the right foot, it sets the scene for the rest of the season. It keeps the winning motivation going.”
“We’ve really come together as a team, especially after winning our first game.,” said Britt. “First games can be rusty, but I really think we were able to push through it and came together in the sixth and seventh innings. Everyone had the same goal, which to was to win it.”
Lanpher preaches versatility, and a glance at this year’s lineup reveals much of the same philosophy. Catcher, for instance, has five candidates in Britt, Tiegan Walsh, Laurel Field, Kendall Grady and McKenzie Caron.
“Catching is very fluid, and it’s probably my strongest position. I have five catchers at the varsity level who’d all be starters somewhere else,” said Lanpher.
Middle infielders will rotate with Walsh, Caitlin Ciccone, Esmee Frohock, Emerson Johnson and Fields all seeing time. Granger holds down the hot corner, while Lillian Chaisson will see the bulk of the playing time at first base.
The outfield features speed and strong arms in Isabella Giaquinto, Avery Laitala, Isabel Moreno Amanda Roche and Ruby Lepore.
Super-standout pitcher Riley Quirk has graduated and will be missed, but Lanpher has a trio who will take the mound with confidence and talent. Shayna Bakun, Taylor Stuart and Larson are capable of eating up innings while the offense puts points on the board.
“I don’t see us having a definitive ace,” said Lanpher. “Both Shayna and Taylor are going to take up the bulk of the innings, and Megan’s going to be their support. They all complement each other very well.
“I like the athleticism and the interchangeability. I have kids who play all summer in different positions. They come here and I need them at a different position, and they just mold into what the team needs. It’s good for them because it takes them out of something they’re used to. It shows how good they are if they can play multiple positions.”
Members of the 2023 WachusettRegionalHighSchool varsity softball team are Emma Britt, Shayna Bakun, McKenzie Caron, Lillian Chaisson, Caitlin Ciccone, Laurel Field, Esmee Frohock, Isabella Giaquinto, Kendall Grady, Gracie Granger, Emerson Johnson, Avery Laitala, Megan Larson, Ruby Lepore, Sydney Lyne, Isabel Moreno, Amanda Roche, Taylor Stuart and Tiegan Walsh.
Photo: Wachusett Regional High 2023 softball captains, from left: Emma Britt, Megan Larson, Gracie Granger, Sydney Lyne. Submitted photo.
