Terry Eng returns to Bulldog softball helm

After one year of being away from the action, Terry Eng will return as coach of the Colfax softball team. Eng replaces Coach James Bledsoe who commuted from Pullman to lead the Bulldogs to the semi-final round of the 2B finals in Yakima last year.

Eng served as Colfax coach for one year and as an assistant under Keith Becker for seven years.

The Bulldogs graduated five seniors off the team that last year made the trip to Yakima after a sweep of the district rounds the previous weekend at Franklin Park in Spokane. They started the state finals with two wins and then bowed to Pe Ell, the eventual champions, and DeSales. The loss to the Irish stopped the Bulldogs’ bid for a state softball trophy.

Grads off the lineup from last year included Carmen Hall, catcher; Brittney Burke, shortstop; Danielle Herne, outfield; Brooke Waldo, second base, and Kayleigh Maltone, first base. Besides their experience on defense, the grads accounted for a large portion of the Bulldog offense last year.

One of the plus marks for the team at the start of this year will be the return of varsity pitchers Amy Hickman and Lauren Moore. Both are juniors.

Rachel Robinson, a sophomore, will take over the catcher’s slot vacated by Hall.

Samantha Pearson and Kaysha Lyman, both juniors, are candidates for the first base slot vacated by Maltone. Taylor Larsen, a freshman, could also see action at first.

Brooke Webber, a senior, will probably move over to the shortstop position where Burke played last year.

Jordan Sharpe, Abby Muir, both juniors, and Ciara Becker, a sophomore, are candidates for the job at third base.

Moore will return to second base when she’s not pitching. Muir could also be a second, Coach Eng said.

Christa Nyholm will be back in the outfield as a senior. Lauri Gay, Kaci Kopczynski, Becker and Muir will also see stints in the outfield. The Bulldogs have a total of 22 players out for action this year with CHS grad Shana Largent, now a WSU senior, back as jayvee coach.

The Bulldogs were rained out of their season opener with Freeman. Their next action has been slated for next Tuesday with a league game at Reardan.