Carson High catcher Sofia Morrison receives a pitch Tuesday afternoon against Damonte Ranch. The senior was an honorable mention all-league player last season.
Photo by Jeff Mulvihill, Jr. | InstaImage.
Carson High School softball has entered a new regime under first-year head coach Ellise McGowan.
McGowan, who was the Senators’ JV coach last season, takes over for Scott Vickrey, who went 7-21 at the helm in 2024.
The new coach — a 2013 Senator alumna — went on to play collegiate softball at Newman University in Wichita, Kan., after graduating from Carson.
McGowan has a simple, direct message this spring for the squad.
“We've got the talent and the talent just wasn't adding up to the numbers that we had last year,” said McGowan. “ I've been really focusing on just making sure that they have all the confidence that they need in order to pull things off.”
McGowan expects the Senators to have plenty of thump in the middle of the lineup with some budding pieces around them.
LINEUP AND DEFENSE
Riley Kuhlman and Jordan Brubaker have traded off in the first two spots of the lineup so far this season.
Kuhlman had seven hits in her first 21 at-bats while Brubaker has already swiped five bases, showcasing her speed.
Defensively, Brubaker has been stationed at shortstop while Kuhlman will bounce between second base and pitcher.
If the Senators can continue to get pieces on base for the heart of the order, they’ll be in a good spot.
Senior Kiele Franco will hold down the third spot in the order and has nine hits and a double already. Franco, who hit .525 in 2024, has been the Senators’ primary first baseman to start the season.
Fellow senior Sofia Morrison, who will catch for Carson, has opened the spring on a tear with three doubles, three home runs and 11 RBIs in her first six games.
Through Tuesday’s win against Damonte Ranch, Morrison led the team with a .619 batting average.
“There is a peace that comes when Sophia Morrison gets into that box and I don't know how to explain it. She’s so much fun to watch,” said McGowan.
Right behind her in the fifth spot of the lineup has been centerfielder Cali Stagliano, who hit .315 as a sophomore last season. Morrison and Stagliano both earned honorable mention all-league selections.
On either side of Stagliano in the outfield will be a mix of Elizabeth Barker, Kellyn Moyle and Rhys Branham.
As a freshman last season, Barker posted a .368 average in 38 at-bats. Meanwhile Branham, who has also been playing third base, has eight hits in her first 18 at-bats this season for a .444 average.
“It just kind of depends who's going to have the bat for us this season. I've got Kellyn Moyle, who's going to be trying out slapping this year,” McGowan said. “That's going to be a whole new venture for her, but I'm excited for her. I have all the confidence in her to do that for us.”
(Maddie Blanchard-Salazar winds to deliver a pitch against Damonte Ranch on Tuesday. She picked up her first win of the season against the Mustangs. / Jeff Mulvihill, Jr. | InstaImage)
IN THE CIRCLE
Maddie Blanchard-Salazar has thrown the majority of the innings in the circle this spring for the Senators, recording 14 strikeouts in 22.1 innings. She’s also already posted two doubles in the batter’s box.
Kuhlman will share some of the pitching duties, too, and has a 3.11 ERA in nine innings this spring.
“She's a big time (player) for us this season,” said McGowan of Blanchard-Salazar.
Ashley Boylan and Haley Brown will be assistant coaches alongside McGowan.
The first-year coach hopes to push the ceiling for the team in 2025.
“Staying within ourselves. I want to see more production. … We like to talk a lot and I want to see us do more,” said McGowan. “That’s going to be a different philosophy for us coming into this season, but they’ve got it.”