Shy on seniors last season, Lawrence High has enough upperclassmen this spring to expand their Senior Day festivities in May.

“We return everybody but (first baseman) Rachel Paradies, but Rachel was such a big leader for us,” said LHS coach Reenie Stogsdill, 65-65 entering her seventh season with the Lions.

City softball players Ashley Burnett, a Lawrence High senior, left, and Free State High senior Amy Vormehr are ready to take the field. The Lions will open today at home against Shawnee Mission South. The Firebirds will play host to SM West on Tuesday.

LHS will open today with a home doubleheader against Shawnee Mission South at Holcom Park. The first game is set for 4:15 p.m.

The Lions, 7-14 last season after qualifying for state the previous year, have five seniors. The upperclassmen are Haley Bowlin, Ashley Burnett, Megan Cooper, Micaela Hill and Larissa Johnson.

Burnett, part of the varsity program since her freshman year, again is the Lions’ top pitcher. Burnett posted a 5-10 record last season after tearing her left ACL late in the basketball season. She was 10-5 her sophomore year.

“Her knee seems to be fine,” Stogsdill said of Burnett, who’s receiving recruiting interest from Emporia State. “She doesn’t seem to be favoring it at all. I think she’s ready to go all out, and hopefully continue what she started her sophomore year.”

Johnson and Hill also figure to pitch a few innings.

“If she (Burnett) is as strong as she can be, we’ll be pretty darn tough,” Stogsdill said. “I’m hoping we can jump on Ashley and take a ride. We plan to go with Ashley in the first game (of doubleheaders) and bring her back to finish the second game.”

Lawrence’s projected lineup for the opener is Burnett, pitcher; Jennifer Narcomey, catcher; Johnson, first base; Hill, second base; Jenni Morrell, shortstop; Courtney Taulbert, third base; Cooper, left field; Danielle Huff, center field; and Bowlin, right field.

FSHS to open Tuesday

Travel for Free State High’s softball team this spring will be minimal.

The Firebirds will play seven doubleheaders in Lawrence, including six on their home field and one twinbill against Lawrence High at Holcom Park. FSHS opens at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday against Shawnee Mission West, the first of four consecutive twinbills at home.

“We feel we have a lot of experience under our belt,” said fifth-year FSHS coach Pam Pine, who returns seven starters. “The girls are pretty pumped up. We’ve got pitching finally and we hope to have a better record than before.”

Free State finished 2-17 last season with wins over Leavenworth and Shawnee Mission East. The Firebirds are 12-70 all time.

Sophomore Felicia Freeman, a sophomore transfer from McLouth, enters the spring as Free State’s top pitcher.

Freshman Ashley Wagner, a ninth-grader at West Junior High, is Free State’s No. 2 pitcher.

“Those two will do most of the pitching,” Pine said. “Either one could pitch both games, depending on how the ball is moving and the other team is hitting.”

Free State’s projected defensive lineup for the opener is Freeman, pitcher; Kasey Asher, catcher; Meika Potter, first base; Amy Vormehr, second base; Jamie Stanclift, shortstop; Lauren Abney, third base; Katrina Morris, left field; Lacey Baxter, center field; and Wagner, right field.

FSHS has four freshmen on its roster, including Stanclift, Pine’s daughter.

“I think we’ll have good defense and we’ve been hitting the ball hard in practice,” Pine said.