High school softball: 50 players to watch plus storylines for 2024 season

Thomas A. Edison's run to the Class C state final four following a compelling win over rival Elmira Notre Dame in the Section 4 final was among highlights of the 2023 softball season for teams from the Elmira-Corning region.

The return of a strong nucleus sets up the Spartans to make some noise again in 2024 while Corning seeks back-to-back sectional titles.

Neither team is playing in the same class after New York expanded from five to six classes.

Edison, which won the most recent of its three state titles in 2019, is now a Class B team.

The newly added Class AAA, the top class by enrollment, includes only Corning and Elmira, guaranteeing that matchup in the sectional final.

There has been a coaching change at Notre Dame, with John Colunio taking over one of Section 4's premier programs. Mike Maloney coached the Crusaders to three straight IAC Large School titles from 2021 to 2023. With END still a Class C school, there's no chance of a rematch vs. Edison in a sectional final after the Spartans took last year's clash, 2-1.

Waverly, in its first season in the STAC after playing in the IAC since 1988, also has a new coach in Brent Doane.

Horseheads is defending Southern Tier Athletic Conference West Division champ.

Section 4 competition will culminate May 25 with championship games in all classes at the rebuilt Greenlight Networks Grand Slam Park in Binghamton, formerly known as BAGSAI. Last year's sectional finals were played at Horseheads' Holding Point Recreation Park as the four-field Binghamton facility was undergoing its transformation.

State semifinals and finals will be played June 7 and 8 at Martha Avenue Recreation Park in Bellport, on Long Island, after being held at Moriches Athletic Complex the previous two years. Greenlight Networks Grand Slam Park hosts the state final four from 2025 until at least 2027.

Southern Tier Athletic Conference

CORNING

Head coach: Mike Johnston Jr.

Class: AAA

Players to watch: Senior catcher Sophia Polzella, a five-year varsity player and fifth-team Class AA all-state pick last season, has committed to Division I Hofstra University. Senior pitcher/outfielder Peyton Sullivan, a four-year starter and STAC West all-division choice last year, is headed to Division II University of New Haven. Others to watch include junior first baseman Daphne Sherman (STAC West all-division in 2023), sophomore pitcher/center fielder Matti Johnston, junior shortstop and three-year varsity starter Kendall Curreri, and a pair of returning starters in freshman outfielder Lauren DeRosa and junior second baseman Kayleigh Sparks.

Notable: Family ties abound for Corning. DeRosa is sister of former Hawks star Ellie DeRosa, at George Mason playing softball. Matti Johnston is niece of Corning's head coach ... The Hawks were 2019 state champions in Class AA and won three of the last four Section 4 Class AA titles dating back to that season. ... Curreri pitched the Corning-Painted Post Little League baseball team to a District 6 title in the 10-12 division in 2019.

More: Corning's Sophia Polzella headed to Hofstra for softball after overcoming torn ACL

ELMIRA

Head coach: Tammy Woodard

Class: AAA

Players to watch: Junior Addison "Sonny" Taft returns after missing most of last season with a broken wrist. Others of note include juniors Ava Sherman, Addy Chorney and Ryleigh Ogden, along with senior Lily Cornacchio. Woodard likes Taft's "upbeat, team play," praised Chorney's versatility, the consistent bat and on-base ability of Cornacchio, and said Sherman and Ogden are anchors in the outfield. Others who will contribute include sophomores Maddy Cavalier and Madison Smith, and freshman Ava Cornacchio.

Notable: Chorney earned STAC West all-division honors last season for the Express. ... Aleida Agosto and Smith combined on a two-hitter as Elmira opened the season with a 15-0 win over Binghamton. ... Sophomore Juliana Wilbur was lost for the season to a knee injury.

HORSEHEADS

Head coach: Paul Richmond

Class: AA

Players to watch: Senior outfielder Sophia Bonnell, junior pitcher/utility player Megan Wolf (STAC West/Metro all-conference last season), senior utility player Liv French, sophomore catcher Kailey McCormick (STAC West all-division), sophomore third baseman Caitlin Yearick. Varsity newcomers include freshmen Maddie Ribble and Reagan Burge, sophomores Anna Powell and Emelia Clark, and juniors Chloe Perritt and Karleigh Hayes. Ribble was a key component of championship seasons in soccer and basketball this school year.

Notable: Former Elmira Express ace and St. Bonaventure player Bella Reese is the Blue Raiders' new pitching coach. Brooke (Owen) Marsh, a 2012 Horseheads, grad, is another addition to the staff. ... Horseheads has won three state championships: 1991, 1993 and 1996.

WAVERLY

Head coach: Brent Doane

Class: B

Players to watch: Senior pitcher Olivia Robinson, junior pitcher/shortstop Loralye Anthony, junior second baseman Brinn Cooney, junior outfielder Meghan Apgar, sophomore third baseman Maddie Cron and freshman catcher Hannah Carpenter.

Notable: Robinson was a first-team IAC South Large School all-star last season. Carpenter and Apgar were both second-team All-IAC choices.

Interscholastic Athletic Conference

THOMAS A. EDISON

Head coach: Liz Warren

Class: B

Players to watch: Senior pitcher/third baseman Gabby Milazzo was a first-team Class C all-state pick last season and the Elmira Kiwanis Club's Junker Johnston Softball Player of the Year. She has committed to SUNY Oswego and entered this season with 249 career strikeouts. Milazzo batted .475 last year and had a 1.63 ERA. Also for the Spartans, senior outfielder Bri Korsky (.429 batting average, 14 RBIs) was a second-team IAC all-star in 2023, junior first baseman/pitcher Kailey Ripley (.423, 25 RBIs) was a third-team all-state selection, and junior catcher/outfielder Emily Aiello (.388, 20 RBIs) a second-team IAC all-star.

Notable: Warren was a former all-state pitcher at Edison and has been Edison's coach since 2018, guiding the Spartans to one state title, three Section 4 championships and two state final four appearances.

ELMIRA NOTRE DAME

Head coach: John Colunio

Class: C

Players to watch: The Crusaders have three seventh-graders, three-eighth graders and five freshmen after losing a strong senior class led by the all-state battery of Olivia Switzer and Lawson Bigelow. Key players include senior Maddie Fargo, who has moved to shortstop; freshman pitcher Layla Sullivan and fellow ninth-graders Lylie Colunio, Emily Coseo, Sadie Potter and Libby Meisner. Eighth-graders include Kayleigh Ayres and Denasia Darrow, with sophomore Payton Sutryk another impact player.

Notable: The Crusaders posted a 50-15 record over the last three seasons and went unbeaten in IAC games during that stretch. ... Notre Dame won state titles in 2011 and 2016 under legendary coach Steve Weber.

WATKINS GLEN/ODESSA-MONTOUR

Head coach: Ralph Diliberto

Class: B

Players to watch: Senior center fielder Brenna Pierce was a first-team IAC South Small School all-star last season. Also earning first-team all-league honors for the Storm were freshman pitcher/shortstop Lauren Signor and sophomore first baseman Brianna Hatch. Watkins Glen/O-M returns a pair of second-team IAC all-stars in freshman catcher Brooklynn Thompson and sophomore third baseman Olivia King. Eighth-grade pitcher/catcher Paige Ells and eighth-grade outfielder Amy Field are impact players.

Notable: Watkins Glen/O-M opened the season with a pair of impressive wins, 23-5 over Dryden and 17-1 over Trumansburg.

Follow Andrew Legare on Twitter: @SGAndrewLegare. You can also reach him at alegare@gannett.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today

This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Preview of 2024 softball season in Elmira-Corning region