QND softball team ready to chase another regional title with potent lineup still intact

QUINCY — Eric Orne says the Quincy Notre Dame softball team is more interested in the long haul, rather than immediate dividends.

“We hope to be playing our best ball in May,” said Orne, beginning his 26th campaign as QND’s head coach. “We’ve got a strong schedule designed to help us get ready for the postseason. We want to avoid being worn down late in the season. We want to be peaking at the right time.”

The Raiders, who finished 24-9 a year ago after being ousted for a second straight year in the sectional by Tri-City/Sangamon Valley, should boast their normally potent offense and feature a pitching staff anchored by sophomore left-hander Caitlin Bunte.

“We’ve got a lot of players who can play different positions, and we should also have strong pitching,” Orne said. “We don’t have a lot of speed, so we’ll have to be opportunistic on the bases.”

Orne enters the year with a 581-240 record and nine regional championships. QND will be gunning for a third straight regional title this spring.

Bunte emerged as an ace late in the 2022 season, fashioning an 8-1 record as a freshman. She’ll headline a talented staff that will include another sophomore, Carlee Gilker, plus junior Brooke Boden. Gone from last season is Eryn Cornwell, a first-team all-state selection who led the club with 15 victories.

Bunte (.527), shortstop Abbey Schreacke (.394) and left fielder Laela Hernandez-Jones (.328) are the top returning hitters from an offense that averaged a healthy 8.1 runs per game. Schreacke and Hernandez-Jones are both seniors.

Although QND loses the potent bat of Cornwell, who drove in 42 runs and led the club with a .514 average, the Raiders should still put plenty of runs on the board. Schreacke (26), third baseman Boden (26), junior second baseman Alyssa Ley (21) and Bunte (21) figure to improve on the 94 RBIs they combined for last spring. 

Schreacke and Ley each struck out just eight times in a combined 234 plate appearances.

Senior Addi Zanger looks to open at first base, senior Lily Marth should get ample time at third base, junior Payton Stupavsky is expected to handle the majority of the catching and Mackenzie Flachs is penciled in to play center field. Right field is still up in the air, according to Orne.

Gilker will likely see most of the duty at designated hitter.

“We have a lot of options,” Orne said.

Notre Dame, which has won 22 or more games 17 times since 2000, opens its season at 4:30 p.m. Thursday when it hosts Southeastern at the Backyard. Orne said the Backyard is an ideal setting for softball.

“It’s a great atmosphere for softball,” he said. “We have a great tradition there and (the setting) always draws a lot of fans.”

The Raiders will also be in action Saturday at the Backyard when they host Illini West and Hardin Calhoun, starting at 10:30 a.m. QND’s only other home date through mid-April will be April 4 when it entertains Rushville-Industry.