With winter sports wrapping up, The Morgan School softball team is preparing for a new season, hoping to come back from a difficult 2024 run. After finishing 10th out of 12 teams in the Shoreline Conference with a 3-14 record, the Huskies are focused on rebuilding and improving in 2025.
2024 Season – Key Losses
Last season was a struggle for the Morgan softball team, as they failed to qualify for both the state tournament and the Shoreline Conference playoffs.
Despite the struggles, there were still some positives. Gigi Santos, led the team in multiple offensive categories, including batting average (.438), on-base percentage (.518), and hits (21). Samantha Way was also an important player on the team, leading the team in runs (14) and extra-base hits, including four doubles and three triples. But the 2025 team will be without both key players this season, as both graduated following the 2024 season.
Another key loss comes on the pitching mound, where Brianna Sposa was the team’s main pitcher, but has transferred to Hamden Hall, leaving Morgan without a returning pitcher. Sposa was the team’s only pitcher with lots of past pitching experience. This leaves a tough situation for the team, as finding the right pitcher to lead the team can be a difficult task.
A Glimpse into the Shoreline Conference
North Branford, the reigning Shoreline champion since 2015, will still be the biggest competition within the Shoreline conference. However, they lost a few significant seniors, including pitcher/outfielder, Kiley Mullins and shortstop/catcher, Lindsey Onofrio.
Morgan senior captain Laura Orn spoke on the topic stating, “North Branford has been the team to beat for years now, so coming into a season where they lost a lot of talent could be a game changer for us.”
Teams like Old Lyme, Hale Ray, and Haddam-Killingworth, who have consistently been well-rounded teams in the past years, have also suffered through the same issue. Old Lyme lost center fielder Ava Roth and pitcher Emma Bayor. Hale Ray will need to replace first baseman/pitcher Julia Campbell and center fielder Brooke Linares.HK was hit hard, losing 8 seniors, including multiple pitchers and middle infielders.
Returning Players
Morgan will still have some key players returning to the field, one of which is senior captain Nina Fishman. Fishman is a 2nd baseman who has been playing for the team for 4 years now. Last season, she followed right behind Santos in batting average (.395) and on-base percentage (.511). Her ability to read the pitch and push herself onto first-base will be essential for the team.
Not only Fishman, but Laura Orn, who was mentioned before, is another key team component. Orn is a centerfielder who has also been playing for the team for 4 years now. Last season, she led the team in stolen bases (5). With Orn’s agility and speed, Morgan will hopefully be able to put in a good amount of runs this season.
What will Morgan Do?
The Huskies will need to identify a new pitcher and find a stable offense. With spring training coming up, the team will be able to evaluate their new and upcoming players to figure out how the holes from their missing puzzle pieces can be filled.
On 3/12, a preseason meeting was held by the team in the learning commons. At this meeting, the schedule was discussed and forms were handed out. “In our meeting yesterday we all seemed pretty excited and positive about the new season. I’m looking forward to seeing how the dynamic changes his year with all the new members,” said Nina Fishman.
The team will hold conditioning practice for pitchers and catchers from 3/17 to 3/21. This will be key in solving the issue of not having a pitcher or catcher. Tryouts will be held from 3/24 to 3/26 in the gym, with outdoor practice to follow.
Although the competition will still be difficult, the changes around the conference will present Morgan with a great opportunity. The team will work hard and soon be able to put their skills to the test.
