LA CROSSE — Brandi Alonzo was proud to watch what the Northwoods League grew into as a softball entity last summer, and she’s plenty excited to build on that a year later.
Alonzo, who coaches the Viterbo University softball team, was an assistant coach with the La Crosse Steam last summer, and she gets to put more prominent fingerprints on the team as its head coach this season.
After cramming what is typically weeks of preseason preparation for a college season into seven hours, Alonzo is ready to unveil her roster on Tuesday as the Steam open the campaign at first-year program Wausau.
“We do have a seasoned roster, and it’s nice to have a coaching staff with just one new addition,” said Alonzo, whose team plays its home opener against the Mankato Habaneros at 6:35 p.m. Wednesday. “It’s nice to be familiar with our roles and for me to just have a little more say-so.”
La Crosse won 17 games and lost 25 during the league’s inaugural season and has some impact players returning in the effort to improve on that.
Catcher Avary Makarewicz led the Steam in batting average (.362), home runs (4) and runs scored (28) while ranking second in runs batted in (24). Infielder Grace Frechette batted .286 with 19 RBIs and a team-high three triples.
Both decided pretty quickly that they wanted to return to La Crosse for a second summer, and they were excited about winding down three days of practice Monday at Copeland Park.
“It was a lot of fun, and I was super-excited to come back,” said Makarewicz, who is from Ripon and plays at Tennessee-Martin. “I kept in touch with Grace, Calli (Janik) and Rachel (Mori) throughout the offseason and was pumped to get back.
“It’s a fun atmosphere, family-oriented and a great place to be. I knew I was coming back the day after last season ended.”
Makarewicz batted .244 and started all but one game for Tennessee-Martin this spring. She led the team with eight home runs and ranked second with 20 RBIs. She also drew 18 walks and was successful on 8 of 9 attempts at stolen bases.
Frechette, who is from Lino Lake, Minn., and plays at St. Cloud State, also liked her first impression of La Crosse last summer.
“I love Copeland, and I really love La Crosse because it’s beautiful,” Frechette said. “Being back with some of the returning players, to meet new people and to reunite with people I knew years ago has been great. It’s fun to reconnect.”
Frechette batted .300 and missed just one game all season for the Huskies. Frechette hit three home runs, drove in 38 runs and hit 11 doubles to go with 12 stolen bases in 16 attempts.
Among the reconnections Frechette is already enjoying are NSIC foes and outfielders Ashlee Cantos (Winona State) and Jackie Larson (Bemidji State) and first baseman Skyler Dietz. Frechette and Dietz played one season together at Colorado Christian as freshmen.
The Steam have additional power in the lineup with another season from Janik, who slugged 10 home runs and batted .359 for Mount Mercy (Iowa).
Alonzo would surely accept watching softballs fly out of Copeland Park this summer, but the goal is to provide an exciting brand of the sport.
“I want to put together a very fast team,” she said. “I want to see a lot of passion and, to be honest, a lot of entertainment.
“We have a ton of returning talent and a lot of new athletes who will be fun to watch.”
