March 10, 2026 | WALLS 102 - Part 9

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2026 IHSA softball preview: Ottawa returns a solid mix of talent and experience

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2026 IHSA softball preview: Ottawa returns a solid mix of talent and experience

This season’s Ottawa softball team has the overall talent and experience to put together another in what has been a long string of solid seasons, including finishing 20-11 last season.Under ninth-year coach Adam Lewis (181-65), the Pirates have captured Class 3A regional titles in three consecutive seasons and five of the last seven.Ottawa has three seniors on this season’s roster in 3B/OF Aubrey Sullivan (.291, 2 HR, 20 RBI, Times All-Area honorable mention), OF Avery Leigh, and 2B/OF Rylee Harsted (.333, 12 SB, Times All-Area second team).“Aubrey has been a starter since her freshman year, has done a great job and has improved every year. She gives us another hitter with pop. Rylee and Avery both started most of last season, so they have experience. Avery has great speed and is a very good outfielder, Rylee played a solid second base for us and did a good job wherever she was in the lineup.”Juniors on the squad include Times All-Area unanimous first team picks in P Addie Russell, IF Piper Lewis, C/OF Bobbi Snook, as well as OF Reese Purcell.Russell finished with a 16-11 record, 208 strikeouts and a 1.36 earned-run average over 179⅔ innings last season. She was awarded third-team ICA 3A All-State accolades and a first-team spot on the Interstate 8 All-Conference Team.“To be honest I wasn’t surprised of Addie’s season last year,” coach Lewis said. “With her being in the No. 1 role and first extended varsity season I thought she might hit more bumps along the way, but she just didn’t. She was able to really keep most of our opponents with really good offenses off balance. She’s not overpowering speed-wise, but she can really spin it, and does a great job setting up hitters.”Piper Lewis batted an even .400 with five home runs, 28 RBIs, 30 runs scored and a 1.192 OPS. She was a first-team pick to the All-Interstate 8 Conference Team and a second-team honoree on the ICA’s 3A All-State Team.Snook logged a .382 batting average, seven home runs, 22 RBIs and a 1.179 OPS. She also earned a first-team spot on the Interstate 8 All-Conference Team and a third-team selection to the ICA Class 3A All-State Team.“We are expecting Piper and Bobbi to be the anchors in the lineup, and both have made significant jumps up in the offseason,” coach Lewis said. “I feel like Piper has become a more disciplined hitter, and she’s gotten stronger so will show a little more power this year. Bobbi has always had a ton of pop but has worked on shortening her swing to put the ball in play a little more.“Reese is a very good outfielder who more often than not puts together a good at-bat and makes the pitcher really work.” Joslyn Rose, the lone sophomore this season, had a number of big hits for the Pirates last season and is expected to have a bigger role this season.Ottawa will also have a trio of freshmen, P/OF Teagan Darif, P/IF Sophie Taylor and P/IF Kennedy Kane. Coach Lewis says all three are solid in the circle, who will help take some of the workload off Russell.“This group has some lofty goals,” coach Lewis said. “What makes them different from other teams that have those types of goals is they all work extremely hard individually to not only achieve the personal goals they have, but also the goals they want the team to reach.“I’m very excited to see what this team can do.” Ottawa is scheduled to open the season with a home game against Princeton on Friday at 4:30 p.m.

2026 IHSA softball preview: Ottawa returns a solid mix of talent and experience

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2026 IHSA softball preview: Ottawa returns a solid mix of talent and experience

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2026 IHSA softball preview: Ottawa returns a solid mix of talent and experience

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2026 IHSA softball preview: Ottawa returns a solid mix of talent and experience

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2026 IHSA softball preview: Ottawa returns a solid mix of talent and experience

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The Ottawa softball team has a solid mix of talent and experience coming off a 20-10 season in which it captured a third consecutive Class 3A regional championship.

St. Carlos Acutis seventh grade volleyball advances to state

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St. Carlos Acutis seventh grade volleyball advances to state

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St. Carlos Acutis seventh grade volleyball advances to state

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