Hungry Berthoud softball looks for a return to state
By Dan Karpiel
The Surveyor
Hungry are the Lady Spartans.
After last season, where they missed the state playoffs for only the second time in the last decade, the Berthoud High School (BHS) softball team is ravenous for a return to Aurora.

File photo – Berthoud’s Addi Spears at bat in a game last season at BHS. Spears is a key member of a talented and experienced Berthoud team that is aiming to return to the state playoffs after having come up just a hair short last season.
As Berthoud Head Coach Buddy Kouns explained, “I think that they’re hungry this year. I think that they were disappointed last year at the end of the year. We kind of under-achieved last year and it was due to a few things … I have a feeling we’re not going to get in our own way this year.”
Entering his fourth season as the team’s head coach, Kouns said he sees a team that is more unified and pulling in the same direction this year, not to mention one that is returning a boat-load of talented and experienced players.
A change in the scheduling procedures will afford teams an additional four regular season games this year, a change Kouns believes will be beneficial to his club. To fill three of those four extra slots in the schedule, Berthoud signed up for the Erie Tournament of Champions, a prestigious invitational event which will serve the dual purpose of boosting the team’s RPI and giving Berthoud a chance to compete against some of the best teams in the region.
Berthoud lost only three regular starters to graduation and returns 11 players who saw meaningful action last year, two of whom have notched All-State recognition in the last two seasons in junior third baseman Ashlynn Balliet and senior pitcher Sarah Jorissen.
Jorissen will enter her third year as the Lady Spartans workhorse inside the circle, where she has garnered All-Conference honors in each of the previous two seasons and tallied 23 combined wins. Jorissen is also no slouch at the plate – she has hit .388 and .467 the last two seasons and combined for 61 hits, 49 RBI, and 45 runs scored.
Kouns called Balliet an All-Conference and All-State Honorable-Mention player last season, “the best third baseman in the state at any level,” and expects the junior to continue to be a driving force in Berthoud’s potent offense, one which Kouns says will bring more power to the plate than it has in the last several years. “The amount of power potentially that we throw out here … six or seven of us can potentially hit the ball out every time up,” Kouns said.
Senior Spears and junior Natalie Fisher will also pitch for Berthoud. Spears has combined for 44 hits, 15 of which went for extra bases, the previous two seasons and will play the demanding shortstop position, while Carly Rafferty has solidified her spot as the team’s every-day first baseman. Mandi Laib will catch and Fisher, when she’s not pitching or playing second base, will occupy the designated-player spot in the lineup because, in Kouns’ words, “we have to have that bat in the lineup.”
“I think just the drive to essentially make up for last year, they’re ready, they want to go. They are motivated to get back to Aurora and then, you get there, and all bets are off … anything can happen once you get there,” Kouns said, citing No. 11 seed Mountain View winning the 4A state title last year against long-odds.
The Lady Spartans will open the 2018 season at home against Thompson Valley in their annual under-the-lights game at BHS on Monday, Aug. 20. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.
- September, 28 2018
Red-hot bats propel Berthoud softball...
By Dan Karpiel The Surveyor It’s often the little things that make a difference –...
- October, 21 2021
Berthoud softball team falls in regio...
It was not the result they wanted but the effort, heart and determination were there...
- October, 06 2016
Lady Spartans Bounce Back Against Hol...
By Dan Karpiel The Surveyor Everyone gets knocked down, but not everyone gets back up....
- September, 03 2015
Lady Spartans back to winning ways
By Dan Karpiel The Surveyor It was only a matter of time. It didn’t take...
- August, 14 2020
Berthoud softball – a year to grow
It has long been one of the most consistently successful athletic programs at Berthoud High...
- September, 10 2015
Berthoud Softball splits league conte...
By Dan Karpiel The Surveyor Berthoud catcher Hannah Langer gets a...
- Baseball gets mercy-rule win in seaso...
- Berthoud’s Connor Jorissen make...
- Berthoud’s Adrian Short throws ...
- Spartans notch well-deserved win in s...
- Sandstedt brings tremendous experienc...
- Boys basketball rides highs ad lows t...
- Berthoud golfers win R2J Championship
- Berthoud golf team begins season swing
- Berthoud golf team takes home R2J Cha...
- Spartan soccer ends season on a high ...
- Berthoud soccer squad seeing signific...
- Future appears bright for Berthoud so...
- Berthoud football dominates in season...
- Berthoud football to host foundation ...
- Young Spartans win championship
- Berthoud’s girls basketball sea...
- Lady Spartans keep winning
- Lady Spartans keep finding ways to win
- Lady Spartan golfers rounding into form
- Lady Spartan golfers aiming for state
- Berthoud sending two golfers to state...
- Roberts, Major win conference swimmin...
- Freshman phenom Corrine Roberts alrea...
- The making of a champion
- Berthoud sending two lines to state c...
- Lady Spartans earn second place at re...
- Berthoud tennis claims league crown
- Berthoud girls 4×800 relay, Jayd...
- Forty-year-old track record broken
- Windy R2J Invite blows in season-bests
- Berthoud’s Wil Moneypenny earns...
- Berthoud’s Coble, Moneypenny an...
- Moneypenny wins first, Spartans claim...
Interesting facts about Memorial Day
Local NewsNews Bites – May 26, 2022
Local NewsBerthoud Trustee Lonnie Stevens resigns
Local NewsPolice activity resolved in Berthoud
Local News
COMMUNITY CALENDAR:
Community Calendar – add an eventUnited Soccer Club Annual Tryouts
31 May 9:00 AM - 6:30 PMHomestead Fine Art Gallery First Fridays OPEN HOUSE
03 Jun 4:00 PM - 7:00 PMWriting Workshops for Artists – Artist-s Statement ...
04 Jun 1:00 PM - 5:00 PMWriting Workshops for Artists – Artist’s Stat...
04 Jun 1:00 PM - 5:00 PMBasics of Drawing – Adults Ages 14 and up
06 Jun 5:00 PM - 6:30 PMWeekend Warriors Film Competition – Teens to Adults
10 Jun 6:00 PM - 6:00 PM