Discovery Canyon softball team makes state in first year as varsity program

When Discovery Canyon made it to the 3A softball state tournament this year, many were taken aback … it’s a first-year varsity program with only two juniors and no seniors. But coach Tanya Ramsey wasn’t surprised.

Ramsey had been telling her players since the beginning of the season that they would go to state. The Pioneer League champions defeated Lutheran on Saturday to win the 3A District 5 tournament title, earning a spot at state. There the Thunder, seeded 12th, will play fifth seed Faith Christian at 10 a.m. Friday at Aurora Sports Park.
Lewis-Palmer, the 4A sixth seed, will face 11th seed Conifer at 12:15 p.m. Friday.

The key to the Thunder’s success, she said, is chemistry.

“If you see them on the field, you can tell they like each other,” Ramsey said. “They’ve bought into the team concept.”

One of the leaders  of the Thunder is junior captain Anna Rees, who has a .453 batting average. Rees went 5-for-8 with six runs and three RBIs on Saturday.

Freshman second baseman Taryn McKee leads the squad with a .460 batting average while sophomore catcher Caroline Townsend is hitting .397 and leads the team with 40 RBIs.

On the mound is freshman Kacee Schroeder, who’s only been pitching for approximately seven months.

“I keep telling the kids this is a very unique team. It’s hard to find a team that gets along on and off the field,” Ramsey said. “We may face teams more talented than us, but together we can come out on top.”

Ramsey knows the game. She played shortstop at CSU-Pueblo (then Southern Colorado) and served as the assistant coach at Colorado-Colorado Springs for seven years, recruiting five of her former players for her staff.

“I really love the game and I love building a program,” she said.

Florence also advanced in 3A and will enter as the 14th seed. The Huskies will face third-seed Valley at 12:15 p.m.
Lewis-Palmer advanced to the state tournament with convincing wins over Prairie View and Pueblo South on Saturday.

“We probably played our best ball of the season,” coach Crystal Krebs said of the Prairie View game.

Pitching for the Rangers will be junior Mariah Peterson.

“She’s a dominant pitcher,” Krebs said. “She throws hard and has movement. Plus, she’s got a good mental game.”

Krebs also expects strong performances from junior power-hitter Emily Bryant, senior center fielder Michelle Mickelson, sophomore left fielder Haley Midzor and two-hole hitter Christine Anderson.

“This is the most talented team I’ve ever had,” Krebs said. “One through nine (in the lineup) can hit.”
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Bob Stephens contributed to this story