
In 2024, one area softball team brought home a state title, while two others finished as state runners-up.
Last year, Trenton had a miracle comeback against Branford in the Class 1A state championship game and a walk-off win in the state semifinals. The Tigers (23-2) scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and two in the eighth to rally past the Bucs, 6-5, to win the school’s third state title since 2019.
Although they have a new coach this season, they have a lot of talent returning from last year’s state championship team.
Trenton has seven returning starters with a significant amount of playing experience and a major portion of the team’s production fielding and hitting from the 2024 state championship team
“This roster has all the pieces with speed, athleticism, experience, power, and leadership to make another run at returning to Clermont for the final four and a potential repeat state championship,” said new Trenton coach Kevin Benson, who was an assistant on the varsity team for six years serving under head coaches Todd Bryant and Clint Anderson. “Replacing the production of graduating seniors is always a challenge but to replace the stability and leadership of a 3-year anchor on the field at catcher is a priority this season.”
One of their top returnees is sophomore right-handed pitcher Addison Allaire, the Florida Dairy Farmers Class 1A Player of the Year who finished 13-2 with a 1.214 ERA and 251 strikeouts. She also batted .370.
Other starters include senior RHP Emma Brideson (11-0, 1.688 ERA, .364 avg), 4-year starter Olivia Weaver (SS) who batted .364, senior Payton Campbell (3B, .943 fielding percentage), senior 3-year starter Charleigh Philmon (OF), junior 2-year starter Presley Akins (OF, .333 avg and 20 stolen bases) and freshman Makenna Young (2B, .300 avg and .958 FPCT).
Branford returns several starters from last year’s state runner-up team, including recent college signees Laila Arnold (Florida Gateway College in Lake City) and Morgan Brennan (Eastern Florida State College in Melbourne).
In the circle, Arnold was 16-3 in 2024 with a 1.60 earned run average. In 152.2 innings pitched she only walked 53 and struck out 172.
Last year as a junior, Brennan, the team’s catcher, batted .370 with 34 hits, 25 runs batted in and four doubles. She also had a 1.000 fielding percentage behind the plate in 249 total chances (222 putouts and 27 assists).
They joined teammates Alex Whitfield and Chloe Criggall (University of West Florida) and Ellie Frierson (Santa Fe College) as college signees.
The Lady Buccaneers, who finished 24-7 last year, have been to three final fours in the past four years, and they’ve played in the last two Class 1A state championship games.
“We will have to work hard, we know what it takes to have a successful season we just must work for it,” said Branford coach Oscar Saavedra, who enters his 11th season with the Bucs. “We have accomplished everything except that elusive state title and this is the last chance for the seven seniors. It is now or never. We know what it takes to get there, we just must work hard and hopefully, this will be our year.”
The two teams are in separate districts.
Trenton will compete in Rural-District 7 with Bronson, Chiefland, Hawthorne, Wildwood, and Williston.
Chiefland, which was 15-10 last year and advanced to the postseason, only returns four players, and Williston, which lost at Trenton in last year’s 1A-Region 4 Final, has a young team, a new Red Devils coach (Kris McDaniel), and must replace Nevaeh Hayes in the circle (7-1, 1.84 ERA) and at the plate (.483).
Jeffrey Blankenship, who was a part of the coaching staff on the 2021 and 2024 Trenton state championship teams, takes over for Bronson. The Eagles will be young with only one senior and two juniors.
Branford is in Rural-District 6, which includes Bell, Dixie County (Cross City), Fort White and Union County (Lake Butler).
Bell (12-13) returns all its starters from last year including leading hitter Alexsandra Faught (.516 BA in 88 PA, .632 OBP).
“My senior pitcher Alaina Thomas (8-6, 3.37 ERA, 85K) has to be on,” said Bell’s Krystal Holley, who enters her 11th season as head coach of the Bulldogs. “She is the heart of the team and has the potential to close out close games. The relationship with her and my catcher Gracelynd Joiner-Solis (.405 BA, 23 RBI) will be very important on the defensive side. We have some strong bats on the offensive side. They slid a little at the end last year and we will need them to stay hot all season. My seniors will need to keep the team upbeat and motivated.”
Gainesville High is also hoping to return to the final four.
Last season the Hurricanes advanced to the Class 5A state championship game for the first time since 2016.
GHS (24-5) defeated Archbishop McCarthy (Southwest Ranches), 5-2, in the state semifinals, but they lost a heartbreaker to defending state champion Parrish Community, 3-2, in eight innings in the title game.
Pitching and Martha Stewart were key ingredients to their success last year.
Leanna Bourdage enters her sophomore campaign following a big freshman season in which she finished 19-4 with a 0.57 earned run average with nine shutouts. Bourdage, who is currently injured, struck out 251 and only walked 49 in 136 innings pitched.
She is one of eight starters returning in 2025, along with seniors Braylin Cook (.432, 12 HR), McKenna O’Sullivan (.404, 10 2B), Rhianna Williams (.309) and Josie Kirwan (.286), and junior Emma Barton (.333).
Last month, Cook signed with Alabama State University while O’Sullivan inked with Santa Fe College in Gainesville.
The Hurricanes, who lost their season opener at Columbia (Lake City), 6-5, on Tuesday, will compete in Class 5A-District 5 with Belleview and Deltona (18-6), which lost at GHS, 12-1, in five innings in the 5A-Region 1 Quarterfinals.
“It will be difficult to match our 2024 performance of making it to the state finals,” said Chris Chronister, who enters his ninth season as head coach of the Hurricanes. “If we stay healthy and the team continues to work hard, the sky is the limit for this team. Leanna will need to continue to dominate in the circle and our offense will be led by Braylin and McKenna. Looking forward to another exciting year of softball.”
Columbia has a new coach as Joe Saucier takes over for Cindy Dansby, who guided the Lady Tigers (13-12) to a playoff appearance before losing at Middleburg, 4-1, in the 5A regional quarterfinals.
Saucier inherits an experienced team as Columbia returns its entire starting lineup from 2024 and all their pitchers, who were sophomores.
They drop down a classification and are in the same district this year (4A-District 3) with Class 4A state runner-up Baker County (Glen St. Mary) and Jacksonville schools Ed White and Riverside.
“As all teams, our goals are to be healthy and peaking going into districts, and to make a run to Clermont,” Saucier said. “We have our work cut out for us with Baker in our district and region. If we stay healthy it should be a battle to the end.”
Newberry, which made the playoffs last year in Class 1A, moved up to 2A and will compete in District 5 with Interlachen, Keystone Heights and P.K. Yonge.
Michele Roundtree enters her first official full year as head coach after taking over part way through the season in 2024.
The Lady Panthers (17-6) have eight returning starters, including two freshmen with promising futures and three transfers from Santa Fe (Alachua), including Sarah Burns, a right-handed pitcher who is one of the top players in the area.
“She is a spin pitcher who adds a lot of experience to our pitching staff,” Roundtree said of Burns.
Sisters Gracie (.494, 36 RS, 37 RBI) and Aubrey Mattson are also key additions from Santa Fe.
“We have an opportunity to build upon last year’s playoff attempt,” Roundtree said. “I feel confident that this group can compete for a district title and more if they work together and improve each game. From our freshmen to our role players to my starting seniors, everyone has a chance to make a positive impact on the season and the team’s success. I am fortunate to have a lot of tools at my disposal as well as a lovely group of awesome young women to spend time on the clay with.”
P.K. Yonge (14-13) should be able to compete for a district title as seven starters return, including Jacksonville University signee Emma Mansfield (.613) and senior captain Alison Sanetz (.600).
Sanetz, a shortstop, led the team in hits last year with 39, while Mansfield, who will play third base, catcher, and center field, led the team in runs (46), doubles, (15), and home runs (4) and was second in hits (38).
“This year our expectations for a winning season are high and with reason,” said third-year P.K. Yonge coach Daryl Mosley. “The combination of returner Mickinzi Anderson (HBCU interest), newcomer Makenzie Radford (University of South Carolina-Sumter commit), and rising sophomore Caramia Jones, we have the potential to be strong in the circle and now have the depth for postseason. With two returning players that batted .600, we have a very strong jumpstart to our offense.”
Jessica Marquart enters her eighth season as head coach of Keystone Heights (12-13), which has an extremely young team with no seniors.
It’s been a long time since the Eastside softball team won a game following winless seasons last year and the year before. However, a 12-9 win at Wildwood in the preseason gives the Lady Rams some confidence.
“The outlook for the 2025 season is to keep progressing in the right direction,” said Eastside coach Reginald Taylor, who enters his third season but the fifth year of building the program. “We want to get better in all facets of the game. We are in the middle of a complete rebuild so any success is a plus. Most importantly, I want the young ladies to learn from this experience that anything is possible if you work at it.”
Eastside is in 3A-District 5 with North Marion (Citra), Palatka, and Santa Fe, which defeated Vanguard (Ocala), 6-4, at home in the season opener on Feb. 18.
Buchholz has high expectations for this year’s team after returning eight starters from last year’s 11-15 team which lost in the 6A-District 3 semifinals.
Five seniors (Leila Ricks, Juliana “Bear” Abraham, Jayda Cooper, Emily Sorah and Kylee Wilson) will help anchor the team, which will again compete in District 3 along with Bartram Trail (St. Johns), 6A regional semifinalist Oakleaf (Orange Park) and Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine).
“Defensively, this team should have much better chemistry together with very few changes in the starting lineup from last year,” said fourth-year head coach Will Hooper. “The biggest addition to our team and coaching staff is adding former Syracuse pitcher Lindsey Hendrix. With years of experience pitching at the D-I level, she will be a great asset to help develop our pitchers. Offensively, there is a great balance between speed and power throughout the lineup. We expect this team to continue to grow and improve as the season progresses.”