Staff file photo / Neel Madhavan. South Range senior Giada Pauline hits a ball in play during a regular season contest at Poland last season.

BEAVER TOWNSHIP — In 2023, South Range made it all the way to the state semifinal. Then last year, the Raiders went one step further, reaching the state championship game before falling short.

After graduating just one senior from that state runner-up team, South Range had every intention of running it back this year and getting one step further to win the program’s first state title.

But instead, a pair of key injuries have left the Raiders trying to regroup as they prepare to head into the upcoming season.

“We’re without our entire middle infield and our first baseman from last year, so we’re regrouping,” head coach Jeff DeRose said. “I just told the girls that if I were to put a starting lineup on the field on paper right now, I don’t know what it would be. We’re moving girls around and trying to figure things out.”

South Range’s leading hitter from last year, junior Keira Brogan, tore her ACL early in basketball season, then Addison Wardle tore her ACL during indoor softball about a month ago.

Even with the personnel losses, DeRose feels the Raiders still have the roster to make another run this season once they figure out a lineup that works for them.

“We definitely have the talent to make a lot of noise again this year,” DeRose said. “All of our lineups for the first three scrimmages have been different, and I’m not saying it’s going to be solidified by the time we get to Lakeview (on) Tuesday. All of us coaches, we have differences of opinion, which is a great thing because everybody doesn’t think the lineup should be set a certain way.”

DeRose saidit’ll be touch and go for the first half of the season, trying different lineups based on what happens in-game to find out what works best.

“It’s really heartbreaking because these girls are my best friends — they mean the world to me,” senior pitcher Jayli Wilt said. “To know that we’re not going to have everybody that we had last year breaks my heart, but we’re figuring it out slowly but surely. It’s definitely going to be a process, but I’m confident that we’ll figure it out.”

As South Range’s primary starting pitcher last season, Wilt is one of the Raiders’ key returners. She pitched 29 of the team’s 34 games, going 27-1 with a 2.04 ERA, while batting .375 and had 30 RBIs.

When South Range lost 5-3 to Liberty Union in the Division III state championship, Wilt took the loss particularly hard and was disappointed by her performance in the state final. But heading into the season, she’s returned with a renewed mindset.

“I really learned a lot last year. I learned a lot about myself mentally and physically,” Wilt said. “This year, I’m definitely going into the season with a different mindset than last year. I just need to focus on not putting so much weight on my shoulders and not worry about expectations.”

Wilt will have additional help in the circle this season, according to DeRose. Juniors Ashley Rupert (3-2, 1.7 ERA) and Solena DeJesus (3.7 ERA) are both back after they each pitched in a handful of games last season. Plus, the Raiders added freshman Sophia Brogan, Keira’s younger sister, who could also get some time in the circle.

“Ashley Rupert…she’s looked strong. (DeJesus) is a lefty and she comes in with a lot of good movement pitches,” DeRose said. “(Sophia) is earmarked to be our starting shortstop this year. The kid throws the ball pretty hard. … You can see why we’re moving players around because when she’s pitching, I need a shortstop. So it’s touch and feel. By the time we get to the middle of the season, we’ll know what our offense and defense is going to look like, and we’ll probably just stick with it and run it the rest of the year.”

Last year, the Raiders were known for their offense. Averaging about 9.8 runs per game, South Range routinely would put up double-digit run totals on opposing teams.

Even with the pair of injuries, DeRose feels that his team has the firepower to duplicate similar offensive success, especially with hitters like Wilt, DeJesus (.445), Rupert (.386), juniors Anna Aey (.400), Kiera Winner (.480) and Heidi Bartels (.372) and senior Giada Pauline (.387) all back.

“We’re putting the bat on the ball — when you’re playing a seven-inning game and only striking out one time, you’ve got kids that can hit,” DeRose said. “It just hasn’t clicked yet. We’re only in our fifth week, and the season is starting (this) week. Once you start playing almost every day, four or five days a week, I think that’s when we get really strong.

“Practices are practices. You can only practice so much and cover everything, but it’s more or less repetition and creating muscle memory, things like that. I think defensively, we’re going to be solid too. If we can get those two things together, we’re going to be hard to beat.”

With the OHSAA expanding the divisions from four to seven, South Range drops from Division III to Division V.

But DeRose said it won’t change much with regards to which of the top teams the Raiders can expect to see in the postseason, including Champion, Wooster Triway and Wheelersburg.

“For us, it’s no change. It’s going to be tough,” DeRose said. “I’m glad we’re in five. I love the challenge. Let the better team win.”

South Range opens the season on Tuesday on the road against Northeast-8 Conference rival Lakeview at 5 p.m.