Arcola has five players back from last season’s sweet 16 team
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By Mike Monahan
ARCOLA – KayLee Hohlbuach, a 2001 Arcola grad, starts her first season as the head coach of the Lady Riders with her sister Keira Hohlbauch an assistant coach.
“It is cool being able to coach with her and for the team that we played for,” said KayLee Hohlbauch. “It is nice to be back coaching here.”
The two are also the junior high softball coaches only Keira Hohlbauch is the head coach and they won a regional title in their inaugural season.
Returning from a Class 1A regional title team and Sweet Sixteen team as well as one that went 15-14 overall and 6-4 (fourth place) in the Lincoln Prairie Conference under Cara Roberts, are seniors Maddie Pilkington and Ema Simpson along with junior Jolena King and sophomores Kaylay Lyons and Brisenda Condarco.
“We are a very young team,” said KayLee Hohlbauch. “We are going to be young for a while as we have nine freshmen coming up next year. The transition has been good. Simpson played with Kiera so she knows her. It helps that they (players) have been through the recreation program and so we have seen them play already and we kind of have an idea on where everyone needs to be and kind of their skill level.”
Arcola has three seniors, a junior, eight sophomores and five freshmen for a total of 17.
Gone from last year is Kacie Sisk, Kaydence Nicols, Ava Simpson, Nohemi Vazquez, Lucia Gonzalez De Pax and Hayden Gauna. Sisk was on the first team last season as was Ava Simpson. Sisk hit .409 and drove in 22 runs and was the main pitcher as well where she had a 3.21 earned run average.
“I have got a few positions that are pretty set,” said KayLee Hohlbuach, who played one year at Lincoln College before it closed and then finished up at Eureka. “It just kind of depends on who is there and who is hitting. That is my main thing. If you are hitting I will find you a place in the lineup. That is how I have always been coached and that is the way I am going to coach because you can’t win if you don’t score. I know I have got girls that can play defense wherever I put them. It is going to be who can hit and who can consistently put the ball in play.”
Ema Simpson is the top returning batter as she hit .398. She hit a team-high eight home runs and was second in stolen bases with 11. She was first in RBI’s last season with 34, third in doubles with seven and led in triples with six. Pilkington is second among the returning players with a .377 batting average.
KayLee Hohlbauch feels the team has good speed.
“Ema Simpson is going to be big on the basepaths and the younger girls have some good speed,” said KayLee Hohlbuach. “I just need to make sure they are comfortable on the bases and know the situation and then we will be good there.”
With only Pilkington returning in the pitcher’s circle, Arcola has added senior Anahi Cooper, who is the No. 1 pitcher. Pilkington will still pitch as well and Condarco also.
“Pitching has been our main focus,” said head coach Hohlbauch. “We have our number one and it is finding out if our No. 2 and No. 3 can eat up a couple of innings here and there when we need to. Anahi Cooper will take a majority of the innings. Pilkington is so much better from the first week and just having her throw has helped. Condarco and Anaila Cooper will pitch some at the junior varsity and some at the varsity level.”
The inclement weather has forced two postponements. Monday’s game against Salt Fork at Arcola has been moved to April 22 and Tuesday’s game at home against Georgetown-Ridge Farm has been postponed to April 2. Both games are to start at 4:30 p.m.
Versatility is the main strength according to KayLee Hohlbauch. “Just being able to have them not set in one position. I have got girls that can throw from wherever and they know what they are doing. That helps me move girls around so I can make sure my hitters are in the lineup.”
Arcola has been able to practice outside on all but three occasions.
When Ema Simpson is not there due to track being her No. 1 sport head coach Hohlbauch said, “ We will be good defensively. I am sitting at 10 girls that I am trying to see where we are going to go, but a lot of it will depend on when Ema Simpson is here. So when she is not here that changes everything. It is a play it by ear sort of thing.”
Offensively expect Ema Simpson and Pilkington to be top hitters.
“We have both Coopers that will be good at-bats for us and freshman Stevee Griffith has looked pretty good for us as well as Lyons, who did not get to play much last year because of her surgery.” said KayLee Hohlbauch.”I am excited to see what Griffith can do live and excited to see Lyons face live pitching and see how she does.”
As for team goals head coach Hohlbauch said,” My main focus is making sure they are having fun because if you are not having fun it is hard to win. I am here to have fun and make sure they are improving every day. I think we will have individual game goals. That is Keira’s big thing. Keep it small and work up to the big goals. When you are not focusing on a big goal I think it is easier to get the small things down once we get to the big games.”
2025-26 Arcola softball schedule
(all games start at 4:30 p.m. unless noted; all caps is home game at Kelly Moore Memorial Park)
Wednesday: at LeRoy; Saturday DIETERICH, 10 a.m.; Monday; SHELBYVILLE; Tuesday at Martinsville; March 25 WSS; March 26 MERIDIAN; March 31 NEOGA
April 6 ARTHUR LOVINGTON ATWOOD HAMMOND*; April 8 TUSCOLA; April 10 at Heritage*; April 13 OKAW VALLEY*; April 16 at Cumberland; April 20 at Warrensburg-Latham; April 22 SALT FORK; April 23 at Cerro Gordo/Bement*; April 27 SULIVAN*; April 28 at Arthur Chrisitan; April 30 at Tri-County (Hume)
May 4 VILLA GROVE*; May 6 BLUE RIDGE*; May 7 at Urbana; May 11 at Argenta-Oreana*; May 15 at Marshall; May 18-20, 23 Class 1A regional, TBA
*-Lincoln Prairie Conference game
2025-26 Arcola softball roster
Head coach: Kaylee Hohlbauch 1st year; Assistant coach: Kiera Hohlbauch
Name Position
Seniors
Anahi Cooper P, Utility
Maddie Pilkington* P, Utility
Ema Simpson* C, SS, CF
Junior
Jolena King* 3B, Of, C
Sophomores
Abigail Alexander 2B, OF
Avery Baker 3B, OF
Briseida Condarco* 2B, P, OF
Analia Cooper CF, OF, 2B
Rory Drake OF, C
Emma Edwards OF
Kayla Lyons*` 1B, OF
Addyson Williams OF, 2B, 3B
Freshmen
Vianney Gomez OF, 2B
Stevee Griffith 1B, OF, P
Averi Kutz OF, 1B
Sophia Mora OF
Tenley Thomas OF, 1B
*-returning letter winner