Staff file photo / Neel Madhavan. Boardman’s Kenzie Cherne makes contact with a pitch during the Spartans’ Division III regional final victory over Louisville last season at Kent State.

BOARDMAN — In 2025, the Boardman softball team surprised many around the area with the program’s best season in more than 20 years.

The Spartans earned a share of the vaunted All-American Conference title, won their first district title since 2011 and earned their first regional championship and state final four appearance since 2002.

Despite graduating five seniors from that team, Boardman has plenty of returning players from that squad this season and that group hopes to duplicate what it accomplished last year.

“I don’t think there’s one girl in this room right now that isn’t confident that we can make that same run,” Boardman head coach Fred Mootz said. “We know now that everybody’s going to circle us on their schedule because they know we’re one of those final four teams. So we know what to expect, and they know that we’re returning quite a bit. … They’ve been put to the test with the run last year. That’s why I’m confident that they got their feet wet in that regard, and we scheduled up again this year, because we know they’re capable of doing that.”

The Spartans return five seniors, two juniors and a sophomore from last year’s team, and that group will look to fill the void left by last year’s departing senior class.

“We feel just as confident with what we return,” Mootz said. “We feel confident we’ve got a good group.”

After making 18 appearances last season, senior Gabi Sferra will lead the way for Boardman in the circle, while senior Addie Kowacich will see her pitching load increase as the Spartans’ No. 2 hurler. Sferra went 8-2 with a 1.24 ERA, while Kowacich had a 3-0 record with a 1.31 ERA.

“Gabi had a phenomenal year in the circle last year,” Mootz said. “Last year, we rode Tori (Strines) down the stretch. She was just at another level last year. … But we felt Gabi is just as capable of making that run. So we know it’s going to be a different look in the circle per se, but we have the horses that can do it. Addie Kowacich right now is pitching better than she’s ever pitched so far in our preseason.”

Mootz also added that sophomore Emily Swantek will make appearances as the team’s third pitcher, but will also likely start in left field.

“She traveled a little bit with us last year, pitched unbelievably great all year in the circle at the JV level,” Mootz said. “She’s probably going to start in left field for us. Swings a pretty good bat, so she’s going to have a big role.”

Sferra (.306 batting average) and Kowacich (.310) were both strong at the plate last year, as well, and the Spartans return their two top hitters in sophomore all-state catcher Addie Rudge (.461) and junior Mikayla Rivera (.407). Rudge broke the school record for RBIs (45) last year as a freshman, while also hitting seven home runs.

Returning seniors Jocelynn Torres (.316) and Ellie Wymer (.317) are also proven hitters, while junior Kenzie Cherne (.310) is also back, and Mootz said senior Lanie Joyce will see her role increase this year after not playing much last season.

“(Joyce) is a great defensive player. She’s going to have a big role as a starter,” Mootz said. “Kenzie Cherne, she swung the bat for us all last year and did well, but now she’s going to be playing first base for us. Jocelynn Torres is also going to make a switch. We had her in the outfield during the run, which she is a very capable outfielder and played great, but she’s really good at third as well, and we feel like we have some depth in the outfield this year that we could put her at third.”

Mootz said juniors Gia Pizzo and Kate Thames will also see playing time, while “versatile” freshman Autumn Miller could get some opportunities in the outfield, as well.

“We all know there’s new girls on the team, new girls that are taking on new roles,” Rudge said. “But we all know that those roles are just as big and just as important, so all the girls need to step up.”

With Boardman’s depth and versatility, Mootz thinks the Spartans have a roster that is capable of winning in multiple ways.

They’ll need all of that and more in the All-American Conference against Fitch and Canfield, and against non-conference foes like Lakeview, Hoban, Poland, Akron Manchester, Walsh Jesuit, North Canton Hoover and Painesville Riverside.

“We know we need to score runs at certain times, but we also have a great defense that can help us out,” Rudge said. “So I think both our defense and offense are going to win us games.”