1 week Ago By Jacob Cheris
HEART RIVER — The Heart River Cougars had a fantastic season last year, that came up one game, and one run, short of going to the state tournament, as the Cougars lost 12-11 in the Region 4 Tournament to Velva-Drake/Anamoose, that saw their season come to a heartbreaking end. But now the Cougars have a set goal as the 2025 season gets underway this week, and are hungry to get over the hump. ADVERTISEMENT Heart River finished the season 12-6 last year.
The two seniors who departed last year will be missed, but the Cougars have a lot of their core pieces returning for the upcoming campaign. “We have some options which is really helpful and not something we've always had,” second-year head coach Emily Henson said. “We have a solid team [and] high softball IQs.
I feel like they know what they need to do out there.” Sophomore Taylin Jahner led the Cougars with a .411 average, 23 hits and 24 RBIs and will be leading the offense once again.
Not only is she a force on offense, but she is a reliable third baseman who has, according to Henson, “a cannon of an arm.” She has been playing for the Cougars since she was in seventh grade. “She goes up [to the plate] and we can count on a hit from her.
She's not afraid to swing the bat, and it's just beautiful when she does,” Henson said. On the mound, sophomore Gretchen Silbernagel is the Cougars’ ace. She went 11-5 last year with a 4.
57 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 90 innings. She also had a strong year in the batters box, batting .255.
While Jovi Henson only appeared in five games last season as an eighth-grader, the coaching staff has been working with her on her technique so she can see the mound more, and take some of the load off Silbernagel. “[Silbernagel has] been pitching for us for a few years now. And she's just consistent, she is a good leader out there, helps pep up the team,” Henson said.
“They're very different in their pitching, so we feel like it's hard for other teams to adjust. So if we put in a new pitcher, those teams typically have a difficult time adjusting to the technique of that pitcher.” ADVERTISEMENT Heart River has a four-member senior class who play big roles both on-and-off the field.
Senior catcher Abby Conery is highly touted for her play on the field, but she is a powerful voice in the locker room who hypes everyone up. She batted .269, which was fourth on the team, and Aspen Jarrett — along with newcomer Carla Sanchez Agulia — are going to be relied upon to hold the team accountable.
“I have liked the hustle, and I've liked the motivation. Our seniors set the tone and if you're not out there hustling, they will kind of call them out on it,” Henson said. “We go with that practice like you play [mentality].
And if you're going to give half of your all in practice, then you're probably not going to get a lot of game time.” Henson added, “We really are trying to focus on [the fact] that we always have somebody else we can put in, which is we've not always had the luxury of." Heart River begins the 2025 season against Velva-Drake/Anamoose on Saturday, April 12 on the road, and will be seeking revenge from last-year’s regional tournament.
Velva has already played five games this season and is 3-0-2..
