Previews: Wausau West, Wausau East, D.C. Everest set to start softball seasons at DCE Invite Friday and Saturday.

Photo by Chad Holmes

There is still snow on the ground but the 2026 High School softball season will be starting indoors at D.C. Everest's Greenheck/Turner Community Center's turf fields on Friday and Saturday with the D.C. Everest Invitational. Along with the hosts, Wausau West, Wausau East, Merrill, Marshfield, Antigo, Neenah, Pulaski, Eau Claire North, DePere, Lakeland and Baraboo will each get two games.

Friday's action begins at 3 pm with Wausau East vs. Antigo and Wausau West facing Neenah. The West-Neenah game will be broadcast live on the Wausau Area Sports YouTube channel starting with the pregame at 2:45 pm. Neenah is ranked 10th in Division 1 in the preseason rankings from the Wisconsin Fastpitch Coaches Association and MaxPreps.com. At 5 pm West meets Pulaski, which will also air on the Wausau Area Sports YouTube channel, and Everest will open with Antigo. Then the Friday action will conclude with 7 pm games that feature Wausau East facing Pulaski and Eau Claire North vs. DePere.

Saturday there will also be three windows of action starting at 10 am with D.C. Everest vs. Neenah and Merrill taking on Eau Claire North. At noon it's Marshfield meeting DePere and Lakeland vs. Baraboo. The Invite concludes at 2 pm with Marshfield vs. Lakeland and Merrill against Baraboo.

D.C. Everest will look to continue the success of the 2025 season where the Evergreens won the Wisconsin Valley Conference title at 11-1, went 26-3 overall and made it to the WIAA Division 1 state tournament for the first time where they lost 1-0 to Kenosha Bradford. Everest had seven seniors as part of the state tournament team including pitcher Addison Kluck, who has a 7-7 record as a freshman pitcher this season at Queens University in Charlotte, NC, and outfielder Sydney Spear, who is now playing softball at the University of Wisconsin. The Evergreens do have experience back including 1st Team all-WVC 3rd baseman Mara Meverden, who hit just under .400 last season, and all-WVC 2nd team selection catcher Aubrey Klatt. Moving into the circle to replace Kluck with be senior Piper Schulz, who impressed in her opportunities last season with a 4-1 record and 2.07 ERA.

Meantime both Wausau West and Wausau East will look to take steps forward this season after finishing in the bottom half of the WVC last year. The Warriors were fifth in the conference at 5-7 but struggled in non-conference play, winning just once in 12 games against non-WVC opponents en route to a 6-18 record. West will have to replace a pair of big bats in their lineup with the graduations of 1st Team all-WVC Claire Calmes (now at Wisconsin) and 2nd Team all-WVC Taylor Liebelt (now at Illinois State). 2nd Team all-conference outfielder Baylen Hulstrom also has graduated. West does bring back experience in the circle with pitchers Kaitlyn Butler, Nora Hintz and Claire Schultz all back after getting opportunities last season. Finding offense to replace the power and speed of the graduated players will be an early question for the Warriors. West returns Honorable Mention all-WVC Jaidyn Calmes, who hit .308 in conference play last season, infielder Taylor Deffner and infielder Jaidyn Oelke, who all had significant playing time last season.

Wausau East had a tough 2025 with a 2-19 overall record and 0-12 in the WVC but had an outstanding season from graduated senior Baley Berndt. Berndt was 1st Team all-WVC after hitting .407 with a HR and 7 RBI in conference play last season. Berndt was the only senior on last season's Lumberjack roster. Returning junior Kaylen Majewski was all-WVC 2nd Team last season after hitting .296 with a very good on-base percentage of .472. Senior Carlie Kluz was the second leading hitter on the team a season ago with a .333 average and .548 on base percentage in the WVC. Both of last year's pitchers, Majewski and Adriana Bodner, are back and hoping their experience will help the 'Jacks move up this season.