Humboldt Lady Cubs coach Brad Piley is eager to see how his team performs while hosting their Thursday jamboree.
After graduating starting pitcher Shelby Shaughnessy and catcher Chanlynn Wrestler last spring and losing senior Taevyn Baylor to a career-ending shoulder injury, the Lady Cubs have a few holes to fill but Coach Piley believes his squad has enough experience to hit the ground running.
“We have a lot of experience returning,” Coach Piley said. “We’re going to have a lot of success. We should be really strong defensively. Offensively, it might take a game or two to get our rhythm down.”
Junior Jo Ellison will likely get the start on the mound Thursday, taking over for Shaughnessy as Humboldt’s No. 1 pitcher. After making several starts last season, Piley is confident Ellison will make a strong first impression.
“Jo pitched a lot of games last year as a starter and was successful. We’re hoping that’s going to carry us to get better,” he said.
With all but three players from 2025 returning, Piley views the jamboree as less of an evaluation process for starters and more of a gauge for where to focus preseason preparation. However, he looks forward to seeing how a few players adjust to varsity competition.
“We have Hadley Galloway doing the catching this year,” Piley said. “Everybody else started. Laney Hull is my shortstop from the last couple of years. She was all-league last year. J.D. Ellis, a freshman, is our other pitcher. She throws the ball well, but she’s young.”
