Titan softball team gears up for 2024 season

Tea Area High School’s softball team is poised for an exciting 2024 season under the leadership of Head Coach Emmie Uitts, who enters her second year at the helm. With the debut of sanctioned high school softball in South Dakota last year, Coach Uitts and her team are ready to build upon their inaugural season in which they reached the State Championship title game, earning runner-up honors. With several athletes returning this year, the Titans look to once again make an impact on the diamond.

“At the beginning of last season, I would say that our defense was our biggest strength. By the end of the 2023 season, our bats really picked up and we started putting some numbers up on the scoreboard,” said Uitts. “I am confident that we will pick up where we left off, offensively.”

With a roster featuring key returning players such as Skyler Haines, Kalli Boom, Emily Froendt, Addisyn Hansen, Emersyn Erck, and Sydney Ganschow, Tea Area looks to capitalize on their strengths both defensively and offensively. Senior shortstop Haines is highlighted as a stellar defensive player and a powerhouse at the plate, while junior catcher Kalli Boom embodies the team’s culture of doing things the Titan way. Additionally, senior pitchers Emily Froendt and Addisyn Hansen are lauded for their leadership and prowess on the mound and at the plate. Erck, a senior outfielder, is an asset in the outfield and leads the team from centerfield. Ganschow also proves to be a solid leader and hard worker for the Titans. 

Despite losing players Jillian Arp and Nevaeh Berg to graduation, the team remains optimistic about the upcoming season. Coach Uitts identified West Central as the team to beat, the team the Titans fell to in the Championship game last year. Other contenders include Dell Rapids, Dakota Valley, and Madison. Tea Area eagerly anticipates matchups against these formidable opponents, particularly the season opener against West Central next Thursday, March 28th.

Looking ahead, Uitts expressed enthusiasm for the season, stating, “I think it is going to be a great season. We have a year under our belt now, so we know what to expect. We have a large senior class, and I am confident that they are going to leave it all out on the field in each and every game we play.”

With a talented roster and a determined coaching staff that includes assistant coach Brittany Hutt, Tea Area High School Softball is poised to make waves in the 2024 season. As the Titans prepare to take the field, anticipation runs high. 

Returning to this year’s roster are Jaycie Babb, Kalli Boom, Emerysn Erck, Emily Froendt, Sydney Ganschow, Skyler Haines, Addisyn Hansen, and Ava Opland. Others on this year’s roster include Adrianna Baumgartner, Preslie Benning, Abby Boom, Ahryana Drake, Allie Wallum, Kaylyn Hall, Hannah Hicks, Camry Knight, Katelyn Park, Morgan Sehr, Caitlyn Smiley, Anna Samson, Shealey Geelan, and Tessa Halbur.