Titan Softball ready for Class AA challenge

Coming off a historic season that saw them crowned Class A State Champions, the Tea Area High School girls’ softball team is preparing for a new challenge as they move up to Class AA competition in 2025. With a mix of seasoned returners and a large group of underclassmen, head coach Emmie Uitts is focused on laying the foundation for sustained success in the program’s first season at the highest level of South Dakota high school softball.

“This year, our goal is to lay a foundation for the years to come,” Uitts said. “Of course, we want to compete and win games, but this season is about the long game and the longevity of our program, and that will be established through creating a culture focused on accountability, trust, perseverance, and teamwork.”

The Titans finished the 2024 season with an impressive 16-4 record, culminating in a state championship victory over an undefeated West Central team. Uitts, now in her third year at the helm, has compiled a 28-10 record in her two seasons leading the program.

However, Tea Area will be without several key contributors from last year’s title-winning squad. The team graduated six seniors—Emersyn Erck, Emily Froendt, Sydney Ganschow, Shealy Geelan, Skyler Haines, and Addisyn Hansen—all of whom were starters. Despite these departures, Uitts remains confident in the talent returning to the roster.

“We were very successful our first two years, and we had so much depth in our senior leadership,” she said. “We have always emphasized the importance of ‘leaving your legacy’ on the program, and our six seniors did that last year. I am confident that our returners will continue to hold this team to those high standards.”

Among the returning players is senior Kalli Boom, who has been a starter and team captain since the sport was sanctioned. Her sister, Abby Boom, also returns after earning a starting role as a freshman last season. Juniors Ava Opland, Preslie Benning, and Morgan Sehr are also expected to play pivotal roles.

Uitts identifies versatility as the team’s biggest strength. 

“Every single athlete on this team plays two to three positions,” she noted. 

“Our defensive depth will be so beneficial to us as we get into this fast and furious season,” Uitts continued. “We also have a lot of speedy kids, so I am excited to see them incorporate that into both their offensive and defensive game.”

One of the biggest challenges for the team this season will be its youth. 

“We have an extremely young team this year. Only six of our 25 students are upperclassmen,” Uitts said. “While our roster will be very different from last year, I am very excited about the potential of this young team.”

Moving up to Class AA means Tea Area will be facing many new opponents for the first time. Uitts acknowledges the uncertainty that comes with the transition. 

“Being our first year in AA, our mentality is that the team to beat is all of them—one game at a time,” she said. “We haven’t played most of these teams before, and last year’s seniors (across most schools) were very good, so we don’t really know what to expect.”

The Titans will open their season with four consecutive games against Sioux Falls schools: Lincoln on April 1, Jefferson on April 3, Roosevelt on April 8, and Washington on April 10.

As the Titans embark on their first season in Class AA, Uitts and her team are ready to embrace the challenge. 

“Each year is a brand-new team, filled with unique opportunities and challenges,” she said. “Getting the underclassmen on board with that will be crucial as we navigate through our first year of AA.”

The 2025 Roster includes (*Denotes returning players)

Managers:

• Brynn Kline*

• Kali VanDePol

Players:

• Adrianna Meier*

• Preslie Benning*

• Kalli Boom*

• Abby Boom*

• Ahryana Drake*

• Kaylyn Hall*

• Hannah Hicks*

• Kenadi O’Neill

• Ava Opland*

• Morgan Sehr*

• Caitlyn Smiley*

• Anna Somsen*

• Allie Wallum*

• Abby Breuer

• Cadence Micucci

• Conlee Cerny

• Elena Mehlbrech

• Evelyn Trottier

• Kambrey Chesley

• Kennedy Chesley

• Lillian Turek

• Lily Graham

• Paige Sabers

• Tessa Halbur*

• Piper Benning