needle as well? “None of our three seniors (Jones and the Latterell twins) or Katie are rah-rah, so I’ve got to keep encouraging them to step out of their comfort zone because they do have to be that person,” Sniezek said. “But what’s nice about all four of them is they do a lot of the things behind the scenes that show leadership. They’re not going to stand up and give the pep talks, but I’m hoping they step into that. But they do pick their spots.” Gilbert finds itself in the mid- dle of the pack in one category this summer — it has experi- ence, and yet it has to replace a good chunk of last season’s starters as well. Gone are 2024 graduates Delaney Eickert, Tay- lor Puck, Maddy Shannon, and Adalyn Gauck, and then the Tigers must also replace ver- satile player Tovaria Smith, who moved out of the district this spring. Those five players ac- counted for 116 hits, 76 runs scored, and 54 RBIs a season ago. So, yeah, there are definite holes to fill. But Sniezek doesn’t nec- essarily see that has a cup half- empty kind of thing. Sure, she would love to have all of those players back, not only for their talent but for their personality, but she also sees the value of competition and youth. “It definitely changes the at-
the toughest in the lineup, but that will also provide everybody else the opportunity to take ad- vantage. This isn’t a team were we want one or even three people carrying it anyway.” Jones hit at an efficient .376 clip with a team-high 36 knocks in 2024, which led to a second- team all-RRC honor and all- state nod. Emma Latterell came in at just below .300 (.296 to be exact) with three dingers and 27 RBIs. And let’s not forget about jun- ior Clara Newton, who is per- haps the most important player on the team as one of its power hitters and, oh yeah, the No. 1 pitcher. Newton batted .253 with three home runs and 20 RBIs a season ago. In the circle in 2024, Newton put together an 18-13 record with a 3.32 ERA over 177 in- nings of work. Considering a lot of those innings came inside the conference, those are more than respectable numbers, and Sniezek sees 2025 as a chance for her to up her game even more. “Starting with a returning pitcher is everything,” Sniezek said. “Clara showed a lot of growth last season and she’s had a good spring. She’s worked on adding some pitches and refining her spots, and hopefully she’ll use the experi- ence she’s gained to add con- fidence.”
mosphere because there’s a lot of opportunity for everyone when you have six positions open,” she said. “We think we have a good idea of which kids will contribute, now it’s figuring out where? So this is fun for them because this is opportu- nity.” Sophomore Sammy Johnson, a speedster who was a perfect 13 for 13 stealing bases a sea- son ago, will certainly be in the mix for an expanded role. CeCe Hart, another sophomore, showed her skills at the plate primarily in a pinch-hitting role a season ago, and Lauren Snie- zek, a junior, will see more play- ing time as well. Until the inexperienced players gain their footing, Gil- bert will rely on, well, its reli-
ables to steer the ship. Katie Sniezek is the most ob- vious place to start. A unani- mous first-team all-conference and all-state player last summer, she’s coming off a sophomore campaign in which she hit at a .346 clip with 20 RBIs. Throw in her defensive proficiency — seriously, you won’t find many better high school shortstops — and it’s not difficult to see why she’s so re- spected. But she also dealt with that spotlight in 2024 and the frustrations that came with it. Teams pitched around her. Con- stantly. And that’s not likely to change anytime soon. “The strikes she saw last summer were mistakes,” her mom and head coach said. “We know she’s going to be pitched
8 GAME ON | SUMMER 2025
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