Tomallo hopes addition, return of players can help the Worthington Christian softball team
With two more players on the Worthington Christian softball team this spring, coach Kate Tomallo no longer has to hold her breath if a player has a cold or a sore ankle. The Warriors had only 10 players on their roster last year, giving them a bench of one.
“I’m excited to say we have 12 players this season, which makes me feel much better in case of injury or illness,” said Tomallo, whose team finished 10-15 overall after losing to Johnstown 16-2 in the first round of the 2025 Division IV District tournament. “But having a small roster surprisingly worked to our advantage.
“There was a heightened sense of responsibility across the team. Every player understood the importance of her role and how her effort directly contributed to our success. That brought the girls closer together.”
Three of the Warriors’ key players – Haddie Leverette, Annah Niehoff, and Katelyn Szczygiel-Hicks – graduated. Leverette was the Central Buckeye League’s player of the Year in 2024 and a first-team all-league and all-district selection last season.
“Losing those three seniors is no small hole to fill,” Tomallo said. “Each of them contributed something unique – whether it was on‑field consistency, strong communication, or the ability to motivate teammates in tough moments.
“What stood out most was the way they invested in other players. They poured into their teammates, set high standards, and modeled what it means to be committed.”
Tomallo is counting on the six returning letterwinners to bring along the five freshmen this season. Senior Rebecca Cable is looking forward to the challenge of being a mentor, on and off the diamond.
“This is my last year here,” said Cable, who batted .471 and was a first-team all-Central Buckeye League selection in 2025. “I want to make an impact on the underclassmen and help guide them through high school, not just softball.”
Seniors Cable and Lila Von Recum are key returnees to the infield this season. Additionally, senior Destiny Cahill returns for a third season after skipping her junior year.
That group was all freshmen when Tomallo started as an assistant coach.
“Seeing Becca, Lila, and Destiny step into their senior year is special,” Tomallo said. “I’m proud not only of the athletes they’ve become, but of the young women they are – their character, the way they treat others, and the leadership and dedication they bring to our program.”
Rounding out the returning players are juniors Charlotte Ball, Kayla McAllister, and Annelise Gifford, and sophomore Evie Smith. Ball was a second-team all-CBL pick, and Smith and McAllister were both honorable mentions.
Tomallo is pleased with the development of the team’s five freshmen – Bre Fourman, Tobie Hall, Ava Korodi, Bella Gehfeld, and Vivi Humphrey.
“Having such a strong and sizable freshman class is encouraging for our long‑term development,” Tomallo said. “They appear to be wonderful young women with a lot of enthusiasm.”
One of the biggest differences between this year and 2025 will be that the Warriors will have two pitchers, Smith and Fourman. As the team’s lone pitcher last year, Smith threw 2,552 pitches with 120 strikeouts while facing 771 batters.
“She absolutely rose to the challenge,” Tomallo said. “ Carrying the full pitching load is incredibly demanding—physically and mentally—and she handled every inning with resilience, competitiveness, and a team‑first attitude. She never backed down, never complained, and quickly became one of our biggest assets.
“This season, having two talented pitchers is a huge step forward for our program, especially given that pitching depth has been a challenge in past years. Their combined skill, work ethic, and potential give me a lot of optimism — not just for this season, but for the foundation we’re building for the next several years.”
Outside of the pitching options, Tomallo’s lineup card early in the season will be written in pencil and not in ink. She anticipates McAllister taking over Niehoff’s position in centerfield and Gifford also playing in the outfield. Tentatively, Fourman joins Von Recum, Cable, Ball, and Smith in the infield.
“I haven’t seen enough of our incoming freshmen yet to project specific roles for them,” Tomallo said. “Every position is open to the players who demonstrate why they deserve a starting spot.”
Worthington Christian would like to get off to a better start than it did in 2025. The Warriors lost their first eight games, with five of those losses coming on a spring break trip to South Carolina.
After the rugged start, the Warriors regrouped to tie Grandview for second in the CBL at 8-4 behind champion Buckeye Valley (12-0).
Although it didn’t do much cosmetically for WC’s record, Cable said the spring break trip brought the squad together.
“Myrtle Beach was the first chance we had to see how we all fit together,” she said. “We were playing teams we didn’t know anything about, so we had to learn how to go with the flow.
“When we were not playing games, we went out to dinner, played card games, and laughed the whole time. We usually played spoons, which could get pretty aggressive at times, but in a good way.”
Having an expanded roster may give her a sense of security when she is filling out a lineup card, but Tomallo believes rebuilding that sense of camaraderie will play a huge role in how far her team can go.
“It’s not often that nearly half the squad is made up of freshmen, so I’m relying heavily on our seniors and juniors to set the tone – teaching, encouraging, and elevating our team culture,” she said.