Lane, Cloud lead list of 10 area players to watch

Ready or not, spring sports are here. There is a wealth of talent returning across all three softball divisions of the Sandusky Bay Conference, as well as the Firelands Conference. More and more local teams are seeing success in the seven-division era of the OHSAA. Monroeville was state runner-up each of the last two seasons in Division VII. District champions abound around northwest Ohio. There's no shortage of experience returning in the Register area. Here is a look at the top 10 players in the area this season: 1. Cassidy Lane, senior, Margaretta Lane missed most of last season with a wrist injury. A Division I Gardner-Webb basketball commit, Lane will give it a go for her final season of softball. Lane saw action in just five games in the circle last year, striking out 32 batters in 22 1/3 innings. At the plate, she had eight hits in 17 at-bats, tallying four doubles and a triple. In 2024, she was 6-4 in 16 appearances, tallying 86 strikeouts in 63 1/3 innings. She hit .372 with 35 hits, 20 RBI, eight doubles and four home runs. "Cassidy and her presence will lift our team up," Margaretta coach Mike Williamson said. "She will lead our team in the circle, at the plate and defensively where ever we put her." 2. Abby Cloud, junior, Edison Cloud was the co-Most Outstanding Performer in the SBC Bay Division. She went 18-6 in the circle with 175 strikeouts, leading the Chargers to the league title and district semifinal appearance. Cloud has a big stride when she throws and is only getting better with time and experience. Cloud hit better than .400 at the plate last year and has the ability to put a charge into the ball. Edison has huge expectations this season and it starts with Cloud in the circle. "Abby has been working very hard this off-season and we expect her to continue where she left off last year," Edison coach Jason Caponi said. "Abby is growing into her role and becoming more and more confident each year." 3. Ariah Farrar, sophomore, Clyde Farrar burst on the scene last year as a freshman and is looking for an even bigger sophomore season. Hitting leadoff for the Fliers, Farrar has exceptional speed. If she puts the ball in either gap, there's an above average chance she ends up at third base with a triple. Farrar helped Clyde to 22 wins last year and the Fliers will be defending their SBC Lake title this year. "We need for Ariah to continue to improve at the plate and in centerfield," Clyde coach Marc Marshall said. "She needs to focus on the process each day, which is what we want for all of our players." 4. Lucy Hinners, junior, Huron When Hinners gets going, she can put up big numbers for the Tigers. She's stepping into her junior year, looked upon more as a leader than in the past. The Tigers (17-9 last year) have just one senior, so count on Hinners to be a leading example for younger talent. "I'm confident Lucy will continue to lead by example for us," Huron coach Jude Schmidt said. "She does a great job of supporting our younger players and is always willing to help them improve, which is especially important with such a young team. Offensively, she's very patient at the plate and consistently puts together quality at-bats. Defensively, she's steady and reliable, and she has a way of making difficult plays look routine." 5. Aubrey Ransom, junior, Perkins Ransom is poised for an even bigger year this season for the Pirates. She registered over 30 hits and 30 runs batted in last year for Perkins, which averaged eight runs a game. Ransom is a gem defensively at shortstop. She can range left and can she range right. The Pirates have a chance to make a run at the SBC Lake title and if it does, it will likely be led by Ransom's charge. "Aubrey had a great sophomore year offensively," Perkins coach Scott Dickman said. "And this year, she will improve more on offense, but she is our starting shortstop and has really improved her range. She plays a ton of travel ball and works very hard on her game all year around." 6. Natalie Desautels, junior, Edison If you want to talk about speed, you have to talk about Desautels. She had 34 of the Chargers' 164 steals last season, finishing with 54 hits and a .545 batting average. Desautels spent a lot of time at the top of Edison's lineup, helping the Chargers win the SBC Bay title with an unblemished 10-0 record. Edison came up short of winning a district title and you can guarantee that's on the mind of Desautels and the Chargers. "Natalie is a force at the plate," Caponi said. "She is so hard to defend. She can soft slap and beat it out with her speed or hard slap and go for extra bases. Natalie will be patrolling out in center field this year, her third position in three years. Natalie came into high school as a catcher. We decided to utilize her speed in the outfield last year in left and this year she will be in center." 7. Mya Stiefel, senior, Clyde Stiefel will likely take on a bigger presence this year for the Fliers after a pair of big hitters graduated for Clyde. Stiefel has the ability to hit the ball to all corners of the field. The Fliers lost a heartbreaker in a district final to Lake last season. Stiefel can be a big piece of Clyde's lineup in an attempt to get back to that spot or further. Marshall enters the season with 593 wins and Stiefel could be a big reason why he gets to 600 sooner than later. "Mya's role will definitely increase," Marshall said. "She is a four-year starter at third base. She will be counted on more offensively and continue to improve on defense." 8. Mallory Hay, sophomore, Bellevue Hay took her lumps in the circle last season for the Lady Red. She split time with Ariana Holzhauer, but will be option No. 1 this season for Bellevue. She got plenty of experience last year for the Lady Red and got better as the season went on. Hay was tied for second offensively with 24 hits last year while taking second on the team with 18 RBI. As mentioned before, the SBC Lake is wide open. Don't be surprise if Hay helps Bellevue make a statement. "She is an absolute warrior in the circle and leads our defense with her stoic presence and grit," Bellevue coach Logan Hurst said. "Mal is the kind of kid you want to hand the ball to in pressure situations. After adding a few pitches to her arsenal in the offseason, she is ready to go to battle for us alongside her battery mate, Ryleigh Knutti." 9. Saige Viock, sophomore, Norwalk Viock was another freshman pitcher last year that saw significant time in the circle. Viock split time with Kenadee Lesch, but she's playing for Margaretta this season. Viock was impressive for the Truckers last season, helping lead Norwalk to a district title game appearance. Viock was a honorable mention selection in the SBC Lake, but looks to take a big step up this season as a sophomore. "Saige has the potential to be a dominant force in the league," Norwalk coach Julie Schmidt said. "She has the speed and drive to help our team be competitive and successful this year both in the circle and at the plate. Knowing she has relief and help from Sophia Ames will hopefully let her relax into the main pitcher role and throw at her best." 10. Kaylee Summers, junior, Sandusky The Blue Streaks saw improved success from 2024 to last season and Summers hopes to be a force in continuing that trend this year. The powerful righty saw most of Sandusky's time in the circle, but she's an explosive bat as well. At the plate, she hit .485 with 33 hits and 18 runs batted in. The Blue Streaks have big hopes this season. Expect Summers to be a big reason why they get there. "Kaylee can continue to improve by locating her pitches more consistently and grow into a leadership role as she prepares this junior season," Sandusky coach Phil Jones said. 10 more to watch (alphabetical order): Stella Brown, senior, Edison; Abby Gawry, senior, Vermilion; Macari Harris, junior, Edison; Brooke Hastings, junior, Margaretta; Akiyla Jones, junior, Sandusky; Ella Kalizewski, junior, St. Paul; Madi Reiber, senior, Monroeville; Ellaynah Schaefer, sophomore, Margaretta; Peyton Taylor, senior, Edison; Adelyn VanSickle, sophomore, Huron