Columbus North’s Kelsey Lovelace slides safely across home plate to tie the game in the first inning against Shelbyville May 26, 2023, in the North Sectional championship at the Southside diamonds.
The Republic file photo
There’s a change in coaching and a change in leadership at Columbus North this softball season, but as new coach T.J. Jarvis says, the expectations have not changed.
“‘New faces, same goals’ is what I say,” Jarvis said. “We have new faces, but the goals don’t change. We know we’re young. We want to get better every single day and hopefully get better down the stretch.”
Jarvis was an assistant last season under Ron McDonald, who had led a turnaround of the Bull Dog program before retiring after last year’s 25-2-1 season. Also gone is Maddi Rutan, who set multiple school hitting and pitching records during her three years at North and now is playing at Eastern Kentucky, along with a few other starters.
The Bull Dogs have only one senior this season, but that is a solid one. Shortstop Kelsey Lovelace batted .430 with nine doubles, one home run, 29 RBIs and 35 runs scored and has committed to Calumet College of St. Joseph.
Columbus North third baseman Payton Morris throws to first against Shelbyville May 26, 2023, in the North Sectional championship at the Southside diamonds.
The Republic file photo
Sophomores Payton Morris and Baylee Scruggs were the Nos. 2 and 3 pitchers last season. Morris went 5-0 with a 2.14 ERA and also batted .310 with eight doubles, six homers and 20 RBIs as the starting third baseman.
Sophomore Miley McClellan returns in center field and could play third when Morris is pitching. Sophomore Morgan Jarvis, the coach’s daughter, returns in left and could play center field or second base.
Scruggs likely could play first base when not pitching. Junior Summer Williams, who saw a little action last season, could play outfield or third.
Junior Lily Retz could play first base or outfield. Sophomore Avery Shehan could play second, outfield and catcher. Shehan is battling for the starting catcher job with sophomore Ally Wooten and junior Destinee Allman, both of which also could play in the outfield.
“We’re really interchangeable this season,” T.J. Jarvis said. “We have four or five girls that can move in multiple positions, which is a huge plus for us this season. We’re really athletic.”
Juniors Blainey Bennett, Paylin Cain and Maria Delgado could see action. North has a total of 22 players and will field a JV team this season.
“We were really lucky on the fact that we only had one basketball player (McClellan), so our offseason workouts, we had most of the girls there through the whole offseason,” T.J. Jarvis said. “When you have 17 or 18 girls in there through the whole offseason, you can really get a lot accomplished.
“A lot of the girls have hitting instructors that they go to throughout the week in the offseaon,” he added. “We were in the weight room quite a bit. Being stuck inside is tough, but I thought we looked really good for the first week (of practice).”
Jarvis has added former Hauser and Indiana State standout Leslie (Sims) Jones and former North and Oakland (Michigan) player Kelsay (Lucas) Moore, along with Caludine McKinney, as assistant coaches.
A loaded schedule has seen the addition of Avon and a doubleheader against Carmel.
“We strengthened the schedule up a little bit this year,” T.J. Jarvis said. “It was already strong.”
The 2024 Columbus North softball schedule:
Thursday vs. Indy HomeSchool (scrimmage), 5:30 p.m.
March 28 at East Central, 7:30 p.m.
March 30 vs. Terre Haute South, noon
April 2 vs. Roncalli, 5:30 p.m.
April 4 vs. Shelbyville, 5:30 p.m.
April 5 at Whiteland, 5:30 p.m.
April 13 at Carmel (DH), 10 a.m.
April 15 vs. Columbus East, 5 p.m.
April 16 at Bloomington North, 5:30 p.m.
April 18 vs. Southport, 6 p.m.
April 20 at Center Grove (with Greenwood), 10 a.m.
April 23 at Bedford North Lawrence, 6 p.m.
April 24 at Floyd Central, 6 p.m.
April 25 vs. Perry Meridian, 5:30 p.m.
April 27 at Franklin Central Invitational, 10 a.m.
May 2 at Greenwood, 5:30 p.m.
May 3 at Terre Haute North, 6 p.m.
May 6 vs. Brownstown Central, 5:30 p.m.
May 7 vs. Bloomington South, 6 p.m.
May 11 vs. North Harrison, 10 a.m.
May 14 at Jennings County, 5:30 p.m.
May 15 vs. Avon, 5:30 p.m.
May 16 at Hauser, 6 p.m.
