Aidan Thompson
Assistant Sports Editor
Being led by now second-year Head Coach Mary Holt-Kelsch, the Anchorwomen are coming off a 12-14 overall record in the 2022 season. The team finished last season with a 6-10 record in the Little East, which tied them for sixth place.
During the preseason coaches poll, Kelsch’s team was picked to finish fifth overall this year. The Anchorwomen are hoping to qualify for the Little East Championship. If they do, this would be their first time since the 2014 season. Several players are returning for another season at RIC. These players include All-Little East center fielder Avery Katz, who is a junior at RIC, and senior catcher Alexis Boyce. Sophomore Abby Kidd will lead this year’s pitching staff.
The Anchorwomen’s team chemistry shouldn’t take much of a hit this season, as they only graduated one senior. The team, although particularly young, has players and pieces who have played winning softball and has what it takes to lead this team. Boyce, Callie Rathbun, Shannon McDonald and Cassidy Schoen are the four seniors on the team looking to capture the LEC championship before finishing their collegiate careers.
Katz leads this year's team coming off a stellar 2022 season. She was named team MVP and recorded First Team All-Region, and First Team All-Little East. She started all 24 games, batting a .477 average, which is now the new program record for a single season. Along with a new record, Katz compiled 14 runs scored, 42 hits, six doubles, two triples, one home run and 13 RBIs.
Boyce is also a key piece in this team gaining success this season. She started 25 of 26 games last season, batting a .323 along with nine runs scored, 20 hits and two home runs.
Rounding out the trio is Kidd. She is coming off a Little East All-Rookie Team selection the previous season. Kidd started in 13 games out of 20 she appeared in. She was 6-8 overall, posting a 2.38 ERA along with 97 strikeouts in 91.1 innings pitched. She took home two Little East Rookie of the Week honors as well as one Little East Pitcher of the Week. Leading this year’s pitching staff, Kidd looks to improve her stats from the 2022 season.
Having only graduated one senior, the team didn’t lose much but having seven freshmen on the roster doesn’t necessarily spell out success. Although, having a young core come up and play with these great women allows them to see what RIC softball is all about and gives the Anchorwomen a key to success.
Kelsch and her team can build chemistry and even reach championship-level play this season. Katz, Boyce, Kidd and the rest of the seniors are ready to take on the challenge of a young team as well as look forward to seeing how the team meshes and the success they can bring.
They begin their season versus Denison University and Piedmont University at the Grand Slam Triangle Classic in Raleigh, North Carolina on Friday, March 3. The game versus Denison University will take place at 10 a.m., and the game versus Piedmont University will take place two hours later at 12 p.m.