Cardinals confident in core for further success

The Sun Prairie East softball program is a train that keeps on rolling. The Cardinals have developed a reputation as one of the state of Wisconsin’s best, even through the split of Sun Prairie High School into East and West.

In its first season as East in the spring of 2023, the Cardinals made it all the way to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) state semifinals before losing to eventual state runner-up Superior. Prior to state, East won the Big Eight conference with a 19-1 record. This was the program’s sixth consecutive conference title. With a good portion of that core returning for this season, expectations remain high for this storied program.

“We intend to hold on to what is ours,” Sun Prairie East head coach Jamie Olson said. “These girls work hard in the offseason and know what it takes. The younger girls have been in the stands and seen us have success. It’s awesome to see that these girls are both excited to defend what’s theirs but also have some nerves. I push them hard and expect a lot from them because I know what they’re capable of. If you don’t have nerves, there’s a problem.”

Olson knows what she’s talking about from a coaching perspective. She’s the reigning Big Eight Coach of the Year, having taken the title in both 2023 and 2022. She’s earned the award three times in her coaching career with her first coming in 2018.

The gem of this Sun Prairie East roster has an even more decorated trophy case. Senior Tayler Baker, a South Dakota State commit, has been one of the state’s best softball players since she hit the field as a freshman in 2021. She’s earned back-to-back Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association (WFSCA) all-state honors and was honorable mention as a freshman. She’s also been selected as first team all-conference and all-district all three seasons.

Baker’s specialty is in the pitching circle. Despite pitching a whopping 133.2 innings in 2023, Baker only allowed 17 earned runs. She struck out 213 batters and delivered 10 shutouts. She’s no slouch at the plate, either. She led the team in batting average (.451), RBIs (26), homeruns (eight), and doubles (10) as a junior.

“I personally love the pressure that comes with success,” Baker said. “Some people view pressure negatively. That level expectation pushes me to play harder, it pushes me and gives me some adrenaline. I come into this season expecting to win the conference. There’s nothing to lose now. I just have to play full-out and hope I have the same level of success I did in the past.”

Baker isn’t the only Cardinal that has a home for collegiate softball, either. Fellow senior Grace Kramschuster has also been a longtime varsity contributor and is a UT-Chattanooga commit. She’s earned back-to-back honorable mention all-conference honors as a vital part of the infield. Last season she bashed four homeruns, second-most on the team, and drove in 14 RBIs to finish with a slugging percentage of .750.

East’s returning production doesn’t end there. The Cardinals had a trio of breakouts last season in senior Kaylie Frydenlund, junior Cassie Coffey, and freshman Abby Packard. All three earned honorable mention all-conference status as they made vital contributions to the varsity.

Frydenlund stepped up as a huge bat for the offense. She finished second on the team in RBIs with 20 thanks to her three doubles, one triple, and one homerun. Coffey filled an important hole in right field and proved to be a stingy defender. She was no slouch at the plate, either, with a .364 batting average. Packard, despite only being a freshman last season, stepped into the starting lineup and finished second on the team in total hits with 27. She drove in 19 RBIs and stole nine bases.

There is also depth behind Baker in the pitching circle with established veterans McKenna Gross, a senior, Lillyanna Gross, a junior. McKenna threw 43 innings for the Cardinals last season and allowed 12 earned runs with 50 strikeouts. Lillyanna threw 18 innings and allowed only one run with 13 strikeouts.

Even with all of these known commodities, coach Olson expects the younger players on the roster to push for playing time. Sophomore Brooke Kavanaugh got a taste of varsity ball last season and should push for a bigger role this spring. A handful of promising freshman are also pushing the older players for those nine coveted starting spots.

This infusion of youth is a valuable reminder to the older players on the roster. Nothing will come easy this season. The Big Eight conference is loaded with quality teams looking to take down the defending champ. It’s a lesson coach Olson hopes to impart on the entire team.

“Nothing will be given to us,” coach Olson said. “Every team is going to give us their best shot. I love having that target on our back. It gives us pressure. It puts us in situations where we can prove to ourselves that we can do it. We just need to continue to work hard and keep our focus.”

Sun Prairie East’s new season kicks off with a trip to Florida. The Cardinals depart on Saturday, March 23. Things get rolling in a hurry back home in Wisconsin with four straight Big Eight conference games to start the season. East will travel to Janesville Craig on Monday, April 1, to Madison Memorial on Tuesday, April 2, and to Janesville Parker on Wednesday, April 4. The Cardinals will cap off this busy start with their home opener against Madison East/La Follette on Thursday, April 4.