Former North coach takes the Wildcats softball challenge

First-year Springfield softball coach Brett Sadler is enthused about taking over a high school program for the first time in 12 years even though the Wildcats went 1-26 last season.

“I really missed practicing with the team and the day-to-day interaction with the kids — the camaraderie and team building,” he said.

Sadler was the Springfield North coach from 2000-05, and he helped the Panthers become competitive after a 20-loss season the year before he arrived.

“I’ve been through this before. I like the challenge,” he said.

He’s got a major challenge in trying help the Wildcats navigate the mighty Greater Western Ohio Conference. They’ve had only two winning seasons since North and South combined in 2008, going 13-12 in 2013 and 15-11 the season before. They’ve had a losing league record every season except a 5-5 in 2012.

But despite that history, Springfield is in better shape than he expected.

“Overall, there’s amazing talent. They just need to be guided,” said Sadler, who was an assistant at Wittenberg after his stint at North and has been coaching a 16-and-under travel team. “We’re learning techniques — the latest things I learned coaching at the college level about fielding and batting.

“The big goal right now is learning how to compete after going 1-26. You’ve got to reprogram the way they think so they don’t give up. Sometimes, you get a defeatist attitude. But they have responded immensely this year.”

The Wildcats had a surprising turnout for preseason practice. Over the winter, Sadler said he had 40-50 girls for indoor workouts. He kept 13 on the varsity and 14 on JV, cutting nearly 20 players.

The Wildcats have a few players who could suit up for any team in the conference. Outfielder Maddie Kearns, who bats second, is the lone senior in the lineup and the anchor of the team.

“She’s a fighter. When she goes up there to bat, she is a tough, tough out,” Sadler said. “She sets the precedent for everybody with her work ethic.”

The Wildcats will start three juniors, two sophomores and three freshmen. Junior Kayleigh Haddix was the primary pitcher last season, throwing 110.2 innings and posting a 4.05 ERA with 73 strikeouts.

“We call her the team mom,” Sadler said. “She takes care of everyone. Her softball IQ is through the roof.”

But she pitched last year only because the Wildcats didn’t have anyone else. She’ll switch to catcher and third base.

Junior Sierra Williams and freshmen Taryn Freer and Kenna Burkhardt will handle the mound duties. Kenna’s sister, Kenzie, will play shortstop.

“I’ve told the girls, ‘My goal for you is to walk around Springfield with that jersey on and be proud. I want people to say, ‘Oh, wow, you play for Springfield?’ ” Sadler said.

“I want them to feel personal pride. How do you get there? I’m building a culture from scratch and changing their mindset so they don’t feel like a 1-26 team.”

Stronger commitment: To avoid being a GWOC bottom-dweller, more Wildcats will have to embrace summer softball. Only seven in the program play on travel teams.

“It’s not hardly enough anymore to just play in April and May,” Sadler said. “Specialization is not a good thing. You SHOULD play more than one sport. But, at the same time, if you only do this two months out of the year, how do you expect to be great at it?”

Big changes: Sadler has been around softball since he left North and has seen incredible advances in the sport.

“What I’ve noticed in the last 10-15 years, the game is evolving in a good way,” he said. “The hitting is more powerful. The pitching is more powerful. The fielding techniques have changed. And it’s only made the game stronger.”

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