Riverside Brookfield High School sophomore Mia Melendez had a varsity softball season to remember in 2025.
“A little bit [surprising] because I was a little nervous going into the first game,” Melendez said. “After the first game, my first home run, I kind of carried the momentum into other games and I had confidence. I’ve just been building off of it and still am.”
The returning first-team All-Upstate Eight Conference East Division player and the Bulldogs (13-2, 4-1 in UEC East) continue to progress. The Bulldogs are in the thick of the conference race and had won eight straight before losing 5-4 at Sandburg, Monday. Last season, the Bulldogs won their first regional title since 2022 and finished 24-10 behind a 16-4 finish.
“I feel like we’re all coming together and have a great bond and that really helps us on the field,” she said. “Especially considering last year I walked into this year with the same confidence the same mentality. Right now it’s paying off and working for me.”
Melendez has a .463 batting average with eight home runs, five doubles, 17 runs batted in and a 1.785 OPS. Last season, she was the lone first-team All-UEC East freshman after hitting .458 with team highs of eight homers, 60 RBIs and a 1.443 OPS.
In UEC play, RBHS beat Fenton 12-0, April 9, Glenbard East 5-0, April 13, Elmwood Park 8-2, April 14, and Glenbard South 9-1, Thursday, after losing their opener with West Chicago 7-4, April 7. Glenbard East beat West Chicago 12-10 Thursday.
“We played well both of the Glenbard games. It was really cold [against West Chicago] and we weren’t playing our best and bounced back so that was nice,” RBHS coach Emma Jarrell said.
“We were super-young last year and we’re still young, but they’ve rolled all of the success into this year. They’re more confident, loud, having fun. That’s been really good to see.”
In her fourth varsity season, senior Trinity Stevenson (.440, 17 RBIs, 1.212 OPS), another all-UEC returnee, is enjoying another prolific offensive season after hitting .455 with 32 RBIs in 2025.
Other offensive standouts include sophomores Kate Hamilton (.389, 10 RBIs) and Brailyn Naylor (.368), junior Alexis Busse (.357, 8 RBIs), seniors Reese Milchhoefer and Abby Weinert and junior Sophia Runquist (7 RBIs each) and freshman Ella Ryzewski (.364).
Sophomore pitcher Amelia Pytel is 7-2 with two saves, a 1.71 earned-run average and 79 strikeouts in 57.1 innings. Milchhoefer is 4-0 with a 1.42 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 24.2 innings.
“We’ve started with the same amount of energy and drive that we had at the end of last season,” Stevenson said. “I feel like I’ve gained so much confidence [hitting]. I fixed my swing in the offseason to get it more powerful. More power is coming out of my swing than just contact. I feel happy about it.”
Against Glenbard South, Melendez collected two home runs and six RBIs.
“She smoked the ball,” Jarrell said. “One of them was clear into the baseball field so it definitely it was like 250 [feet]. It was crazy.”
LTHS softball
Seven years ago, Lyons Township freshman Sofia Kettaneh enrolled in coaching lessons at the Willowbrook Sports Performance Center.
“[My father] signed me up, not knowing he was a pitching coach,” said Kettaneh, who has been pitching ever since and is already a key varsity contributor for the Lions (6-6, 1-2 in West Suburban Conference Silver Division) as part of a five-pitcher staff.
“At first I was kind of nervous [on varsity] but now I’m kind of getting used to it and excited to see how the season goes,” Kettaneh said. “I’ve been pleased with working with all of the upper classmates, working with all of my teammates.”
The Lions began last week with success against two rivals, beating Hinsdale Central 6-4 April 13 and Nazareth 8-5 Thursday. They lost to Oak Park and River Forest 6-5 Friday and York 9-4 Monday.
Top hitters have been junior Mary Sandman (.441, 10 RBIs) and seniors Maddy Pieroni (.375, 7 RBIs), Ava Jacklin (.282, 2 HRs, 9 RBIs) and Lyla Replin (.280, 6 RBIs). Starting ssophomore catcher Alice Bruckner was lost to a broken ankle during practice March 23.
Kettaneh (17 strikeouts in 25.1 innings) and senior Lucy Lee (13 strikeouts in 20.1 innings) lead the pitching staff along with juniors Caylee Wagner (11.2 innings), Alyssa Mosqueda from Brookfield (12 innings) and Mia Olszowka.
Lee was promoted to varsity a couple of weeks into freshman year because of her accuracy. Improved velocity and confidence have increased over the years.
“I’ve been to like 10 different coaches so I have to thank all of them for that,” Lee said. “But especially being on varsity freshman year, I got the experience and I know Sofia’s going to get the same experience. She’s in my shoes (as a freshman).”
The Lions nearly rallied against OPRF with a three-run seventh. The game ended with the tying run on third. After leading Hinsdale Central 4-0, the Lions broke a 4-4 tie in the fifth inning with RBI singles by Danica Bezanis and Replin.
“With them being our rivals, for sure [a great win]. The girls were excited about [beating Nazareth], too,” LTHS coach Kelsey Warren said. “The pitching has been good. I feel like from last year’s bats, it’s becoming more contagious. They often get hits after rather than just one hit an inning.”