John Jay Softball Preview and Photos from Fox Lane game

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Last year, John Jay played to about a .500 regular season, and beat Somers in the first round of the sectionals. “We didn’t start off great, but by the end of the season we were rockin and rollin and played well,” said Head Coach Steve DelMoro. The Wolves lost to Mahopac in the next round, though, and while the 8-1 defeat was disappointing, the coach thinks this year’s biggest concern speaks well to the new season.

People competing all over the field, he assured, “I have hard decisions to make but good decisions.”

The coach begins behind the plate. Carolina Cerna is returning for her senior year and has all-league honorable mention honors in her back pocket. Alongside, the catcher will have 8th grader Carys Cooper to contend with. “Carys looks like she’s going to be an absolute stud,” said DelMoro.

A good competition ahead, according to DelMoro, the returning catcher will also have other options if she’s not behind the plate on any particular day. “Carolina is a versatile player,” said the coach. “She can jump in the infield or the outfield.”

Of course, utility will dictate those appearances. Senior Maya Nelsen is returning at third and Josie Scott and Jamie Siegel held down the infield last year as juniors. At first, Elaina Daly is making her case as a freshman, but the verdict still isn’t in. “We’re still up in the air,” said DelMoro.

Along the same lines, Amanda Kelly will have a chance to plant her feet in the infield. “She’s a very versatile athlete,” he said of the junior.

Going deep, Brenna Doherty and Sam Luper are returning to the outfield, and while welcoming Brooke Buatte and Skye Volpicella to the varsity, all will be in the trenches. “Competition is going to be a big thing for the whole team,” he said. “We have a lot of kids who can play every position.”

In the circle, John Jay will mix and match for the ball too. First up, Emma Klares is back with plenty of mettle. “Her mental toughness is something that you cannot really teach,” said DelMoro.

Of course, Klares also has the physical skills. “She has an array of pitches and being comfortable throwing those in game situations is going to be a big advantage,” he asserted.

Next in line, DelMoro is glad to have a little lineage to fall back on in Julia Neumann. “She is Lindsay’s sister. She comes from a great family and is an overall great kid," said the coach.

She won’t have to draw on family name for success and having a hook won’t hurt either. “A lefty, it gives a different look for hitters,” DelMoro clarified.

And last but far from least, Riley Foote comes in as a prodigy who hopefully has a long John Jay run. An eight grader,” he said, “She came into tryouts really strong. She throws hard, has a great bat and a great attitude.”

DelMoro also has no doubt that Neumann and Klares will show the rookie the ropes. “They are going to be great mentors,” he said.

As for run support, DelMoro feels confident that his hitters will deliver. “We have a lot of different, versatile types of hitters,” he said. “Some hit for power and some really shoot the gaps.

Another good problem to have, he’s in no rush to fill out his batting order. Scrimmaging Panas on Wednesday, the coach said, “I’ll try to hit everyone and see how they do.”

From there, DelMoro intends to compete out of the blocks and the combination of youth and senior leadership means Section One will be forced to take notice. “We can compete for a league championship and hang tough with anyone,” he concluded.