Softball 2015: Questions, and answers

Five questions and answers for the 2015 softball season:

Q: What is the state of Metro softball?

A: Probably the healthiest it has been in quite a while, and maybe the deepest ever. You start (as usual) with Jefferson, which welcomes back seven starters, including a dynamite veteran battery in Alyssa Olson and Maddie Hansen, and has a legitmate shot to push for a 5A state championship. The J-Hawks won one MVC division last year, and Xavier captured the other, sweeping the J-Hawks in the process. Prairie, Kennedy and Washington have turned around downtrodden programs, and the Prairie-Jefferson rivalry has quickly become the most heated in town. Linn-Mar is consistently competitive. Everything is cyclical, of course, but presently, the power of the Mississippi Valley Conference resides in Cedar Rapids/Marion.

Q: In the area, what is the most competitive class?

A: It's Class 3A, without a doubt. Solon's drop down from 4A further stacked a class that was already loaded in Eastern Iowa. The Spartans bring back seven starters, including pitcher Emily Ira, from a squad that earned runner-up honors in 4A, and probably will be ranked No. 1 to start the season. But they won't have far to turn to find excellent competition in their back yard. Mid-Prairie and Center Point-Urbana were fifth and sixth at state last year, and combine to bring back 18 starters. Then there's Benton Community, which had its heart broken in the regional final by Mid-Prairie and possesses a star pitcher in Northwestern recruit Amber Fiser.

Q: What's up with Kevin Schuchmann these days?

A: He retired at West Delaware after 11 years, a 390-114 record and five state tournaments (including a championship in 2007). He spent the spring as the pitching coach at Loras College, and will spend the summer evaluating pitchers for the Duhawks. At 56, he said he would be 'very open” to coaching at the high school level again, if the right position became available, and certainly is young enough and more than qualified. Schuchmann owns a career mark of 826-430 in 28 years overall. Meanwhile, Tiffany Rave - a former player for Schuchmann at Edgewood-Colesburg - moves from Monticello to West Delaware.

Q: Could you pick out five good regular-season matchups this summer?

A: Sure. Let's start with the Jefferson-Prairie opening-night twinbill on Tuesday. The tour continues to Larry Niemeyer Field on June 2 for Jefferson and Cedar Rapids Xavier, then to Van Horne for Solon and Benton Community on June 10. We'll go to Franklin Field on June 23 for a matchup between Metro up-and-comers Kennedy at Washington, then return to Van Horne June 25 for Center Point-Urbana and Benton in an encounter that may determine the Wamac West champion. All five are double-headers.

Q: If you had to pick a state champion in each class right now, who would you pick?

A: Johnston pitcher Haylee Towers was 25-0 last year and the top four hitters are back, so the Dragons are the pick to repeat in Class 5A. Let's go with Norwalk in a wide-open 4A, Solon to reign in 3A after dropping a class, Alburnett in 2A and Woodbury Central in 1A after finishing third in 2A last year.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com