This week kicks off the 2023 softball season for Orange Lutheran, and the Lancers are ready to make some noise again in the Southern Section.

 

Coming off of a share of the Trinity League title last year, and advancing to the CIF-SS quarterfinals, OLu softball head coach Steve Miklos feels this squad is even stronger than last season.

 

“I think we're probably even better,” says Miklos of the varsity roster. “There are 10 returners, seven returning starters. It’s a solid core group.”

 

That returning core will be led by senior Tessa Jerue, junior pitcher Brianne Weiss and sophomore phenom Kai Minor. The speedy Minor was CalHiSports State Freshman of the Year in 2022 and will again bring her base running skills to the lineup.

 

“Our biggest difference for us this year is speed,” says Miklos. “We have a better blend. This year we have some pop, but we have more line drive, put the ball in the play. And we can run.”

 

On the pitching mound, Weiss will be joined by senior Ciara Loken and freshman Peyton May. Also added to the roster is freshman infielder Madelyn Armendariz who was just named to the USA Softball U15 National Team.

 

Outside of Trinity League contests, which will feature three games against each school, the Lancers will play a challenging schedule in the SoCal’s Best Showcase in Norco, the Dave Kops Tournament in Bullhead City, AZ, and the Michelle Carew Classic.

 

OLu’s varsity squad gets going on Monday, February 13, against Los Alamitos. With a strong returning core, depth in the pitching rotation and an influx of talented freshmen, Miklos is looking forward to seeing this team shine on the diamond.

 

“This is a really fun group,” says Miklos. “They all get along really well. We’ve got more depth this year than we've had in the past and we are definitely a lot faster than we've been.”