In their second season competing in the Northern Buckeye Conference, the Maumee Panthers are expected to have all the ingredients to win the 2025 title.
Maumee finished second in the NBC last season and reached the Division II regional semifinals last spring, losing 5-0 to Bryan, which reached the state title game.
Defending conference champion Oak Harbor (12-1), which made a run to the Division III state semifinals last spring, is also an NBC contender in its second season in the league.
Maumee earned three first-place votes and 55 points to get the nod as the preseason favorite in a coaches poll.
“It means a lot to us that the other schools picked us first,” Maumee coach Brian Jones said. “This is a tough league with very good pitching and great coaches.”
The Panthers edged out Lake (52 points), which received two first-place votes, Otsego (51), and Oak Harbor (49), which also received two first-place votes. Eastwood, which won the 2023 NBC title and four straight league titles from 2016-19, was picked to finish fifth, followed by Genoa, Rossford, and Fostoria.
The Panthers will be led by a trio of players who earned All-NBC first-team honors: outfielder Autumn Gugger, second baseman Julia Coutcher, and catcher Taylor Smith. Gugger also earned D-II All-Ohio honorable mention.
Otsego will be led by Riley Rowe, the 2024 NBC pitcher of the year. Eastwood senior shortstop Ady Bowe earned All-Ohio honorable mention.
Maumee topped Otsego 5-1 in the D-II district final last spring.
Jones said the Panthers must play with confidence and pay strict attention to details to win the league.
“Teamwork is a key also,” Jones said. “We are still pretty young with only one senior on the team, so the chemistry is very important to build early on and before league play starts.”
Here is a look at the NBC in predicted order of finish:
Maumee (20-9 overall, 10-4 NBC) is young but talented, according to Jones.
“We are looking to continue to grow as a program and build off our first 20-win season last year,” Jones said. “We are still very young with Brynn Maier being our only senior.”
The Panthers’ top players are junior Hannah Ruiz (P; 15-4, 2.94 ERA, 103 strikeouts), junior Autumn Gugger (CF; .514), junior Taylor Smith (C; .437), sophomore Julia Coutcher (2B; .391) and sophomore Reign Hurt (SS; .368).
“We believe with the right chemistry and teamwork we could compete for the league title in the NBC,” Jones said.
Lake (13-14, 6-8) looks to excel at the fundamentals under veteran coach Dave Rymers, who has a record of 218-205 in 17 seasons.
Rymers said his key players include senior Kali Bedford (P-IF; four-year starter, two-time all-league first team, .407, 25 RBIs, 118 K), senior Diem Isbell (SS; four-year starter, Detroit Mercy commit, .363, 14 2B, 21 RBIs), junior Sophia Gruetter (3B-U; first team All-NBC, .357, 20 RBIs), senior Kylee Pietrzak (C-1B; four-year starter, second team All-NBC, .357, 16 RBIs), senior Ellie Rymers (OF, four-year starter, second team All-NBC, .333, 11 RBIs), and senior Sarah Patrick (IF; four-year starter, .333).
Rymers said top newcomers are sophomores Norah Demory, Jada Jerew, and Caity Extine, and freshman Parker Dart.
“To be successful, we need to make the routine plays defensively, throw strikes, and have productive at-bats,” Rymers said. “Our league will be ultra-competitive. There is a lot of talent that will require us to play high-level softball each night in order to be competitive and win games.”
Otsego (19-10, 8-6) returns plenty of varsity experience at the pitching and catching positions under coach Jason Colyer, who has a 127-42 record in seven seasons.
The Knights’ impact players are senior Riley Rowe (P; second team All-Ohio, NBC pitcher of the year, 277 strikeouts), senior Aubrey Hartman (C; 181 innings caught), junior Janelle Brooks (P; 2.80 ERA), sophomore Ryleigh O’Brien (OF; school record holder for stolen bases, second team All-NBC), and sophomore Ava Weaver (OF; .323).
Rowe has committed to Flagler.
“Junior Mackenzie Shirkey offers upperclassman leadership on the infield, and [Brooks] offers similar experience in the outfield,” Colyer said. “Returning sophomores Ryleigh O'Brien, Ava Weaver, Cailyn Lorenz, Gracie Zsigray, and Kaitlyn Balazs return with expanded roles on offense and defense.”
Oak Harbor (27-3, 12-1) has a 49-8 record over the past two years under coach Cami Haas.
The Rockets look to make another deep playoff run led by junior Karder Haas (SS; .367, 32 R, 38 RBIs), senior Ava Geyer (1B; .392, 29 R, 31 RBIs), junior Tatum Baumgartner (CF; .290, 29 R, 28 RBIs), and sophomore Morgan Lalonde (P; .466, 38 R, 16 RBIs).
Other key contributors will be senior Hannah Schimmoeller (RF), who was injured all last season after starting as a freshman and sophomore, and senior Allie Giezie (C; .343, 22 RBIs).
“Coming off a memorable Final Four season, we have incoming players eager for their turn to make their mark in the program,” Haas said. “We have great chemistry with a team-first mentality and look forward to another competitive season in the NBC.”
Eastwood (17-11, 8-6) will be led by veteran skipper Joe Wyant, who enters his 18th season with a 359-97 record.
The Eagles will be led by senior Ady Bowe (SS; first team All-NBC, .495, 34 RBIs, 46 R, 32 SB). Junior pitcher MacKenzie Hady was injured last year and had a 5-0 record as a freshman when she batted .362 with 38 RBIs. Junior Karly Wasserman (2B; first team All-NBC, .355, 20 RBIs), also returns along with sophomore catcher Maddie Hartman.
“We have a young team,” Wyant said. “We're starting two freshmen with just one senior. Our strength is up the middle with Hartman, [Hady], Bowe, and Wasserman. Our weaknesses are hitting and putting the ball in play. We hope to finish in the upper half of a good, balanced league.”
Genoa (14-11, 8-5) will field a younger team with only four returning starting upperclassmen, according to coach Troy Susor.
The Comets will be led by senior Emersen Bickel (SS/P), senior Maddie Bronowski (C), junior Mya Colvin (CF), junior Makayla Magrum (P/3B), sophomore Kylie Pennington (OF/2B), sophomore Izzy West (1B/P), and sophomore Aaliyah Davis (IF). Bickel batted .356 with 17 RBIs last year for Genoa, which reached the D-III sectional final.
“The chemistry of this team has been amazing, which we're hoping helps make up for the youth,” Susor said. “Pitching could be by committee this year with three girls vying for time. We're looking for our hitting to be our strength.”
Rossford (8-18, 3-11) started five freshmen last year in key positions, and three of those players are back for new coach Margo Schaffer.
Senior Scarlett Williams (CF) is a four-year starter. Sophomore Lucy Rodriguez (P) is a second-year starter. Junior Rileigh Cunningham (OF) is a transfer from Bowsher. Sophomores Aubree Knudsen (3B/C) and Layla Nowak (C/1B) started last season.
“We are learning a lot about the game and gaining a ton of experience as we go,” Schaffer said. “With the leadership from our upperclassmen and our ability to score runs at the plate, we're looking to put up a good fight in close games.”
Fostoria (1-19, 0-14) has three key returning starters as the team looks to be more competitive in every game.
First-year Fostoria coach Jose Muñoz said his biggest impact players will be Makenna Clouse (P/3B), Amijah Poole (CF; .400), and Ari Espinosa Snowden (C).
“We look to be a fundamental, strong mindset team,” Muñoz said. “We're looking to build with each game and compete against all opponents this season.”
First Published March 30, 2025, 11:06 p.m.
