SPECIAL DELIVERY: Hun School softball player Lexi Kobryn gets ready to deliver a pitch in action last season. Sophomore standout Kobryn figures to help Hun this spring with both her arm and her bat. Hun opens its 2022 season by hosting Mercersburg Academy (Pa.) on March 26 for a doubleheader. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Although the Hun School softball team is young, it does boast a number of battle-tested players as it heads into the 2022 campaign.

In going 9-4 last season and advancing to the state Prep A semis, such underclassmen as Lexi Kobryn, Jamie Staub, Kat Xiong, and Sammy Kandel emerged as stars.

Away from school, a number of the Hun players are putting in extra time on the diamond to get better and gain experience.

“Out of our 14 girls, 10 of them play travel ball, that is a very, very high number for me,” said Hun head coach Kathy Quirk. “Two of the four that are not playing used to play. We have a pretty good group of kids that has been playing and practicing every Sunday.

The Raiders had a very good experience on a preseason season trip to Florida earlier this month.

“It went well, I saw a lot of good things,” said Quirk, whose team opens its 2022 season by hosting Mercersburg Academy (Pa.) on March 26 for a doubleheader.

“We went to a new place in Florida this year, the Jackie Robinson training camp, the old Dodger training camp in Vero Beach. It was real nice for team unity and building. All of our meals were provided there, so we all ate together. We didn’t leave the compound too much.”

Quirk is seeing good things from her one-two mound combination of sophomores Lexi Kobryn and Jamie Staub, who formed a strong, positive pitching tandem last year in their Hun debut.

“Lexi’s pitching is really under control, not that it wasn’t last year, she is just really working hard,” said Quick, who also has two freshmen, Brianna Rivello and Anna Murphy, who could be getting some innings this spring.

“She has just been doing a nice job and is looking good. Jamie had a great season last year and I am just hoping that she continues where she left off last year. They are best friends, they are always together and complimenting each other.”

Hun boasts some good fielding to back up its pitchers. “We are doing a nice job defensively, working hard on it,” said Quirk.

Senior Nora Shea will be assuming the catching duties as she is moving from third base with freshman Emma Eisenberg and Kailey Jacobs backing her up. Across the infield, Kobryn and Staub will rotate at first with senior Ashley Jones at second, senior Christina Rivello at shortstop and her younger sister, Brianna, at third. In the outfield, junior Kandel will be in left field and junior Kat Xiong will be patrolling center with junior Nina Amodio, junior Amelia Zucatti, freshman Sophia Troiano, and Murphy seeing time in right.

As for the team’s offense, Quirk is confident that her batting order will have some punch.

“Kat is leading off and then it is Lexi, Nora, Sammy, and Jamie,” said Quirk. “We put the top hitters up first hoping to generate runs right away. We did well in Florida. Lexi had a nice home run over the fence and a couple of triples. Sammy hit one over the fence.”

Looking ahead to the season, Quirk believes her team can generate wins if it stays focused on the process.

“They know what we have to do,” said Quirk. “We have to just keep working hard and practice hard every day.”