Girard Indians High School softball preview

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GIRARD, Ohio (WKBN) – Building on a foundation of grit and growth, Girard softball is ready to take the next leap.

After improving by five wins and giving LaBrae a run for their money in the playoffs, the Indians enter the new season with nearly their entire lineup returning. Losing only a single senior, this tight-knit core is focused on one thing: climbing even higher.


Related stories:

• 2025 Girard softball stats/results
• Girard softball evens record; tops LaBrae
• Girard snaps 3-game skid ; Broll strikes out 7

With only 11 players, Coach Jim Keagy is leaning on a high-octane, athletic core to take the next step.

Led by seniors Kyra Bell and Ava Serrano, this ‘small but mighty’ group returns eight letter winners who are already battle-tested.

“Everyone is going to be asked to step up and compete day in and day out,” says Keagy. With a focus on “playing clean softball and building on last year’s success”, the Indians are proving that when you have this much talent, eleven is all you need to make some noise.

Bell (SS/2B/OF) is a three-year letter winner. In 2025, she finished with 22 hits and scored 24 times while stealing 15 bases and batting .301. Serrano (OF) is another three-year letter winner; No. 2 drove in 19 runs and scored 19 times last year.

Brooklyn Broll and Caylee Wilkes, both juniors, are looking to improve upon their impressive numbers, from a year ago. Broll collected 32 hits and drove in 23 runs while amassing a .416 average. She also tossed 66 innings while striking out 32 opponents. Wilkes earned First-Team All-Northeast 8 honors. She closed out her year by hitting .368, with 28 hits, 21 RBIs and 38 runs scored.

The sophomore class features six standouts – Riley Collins (18 Rs, 12 RBIs), Gianna Saxon (.446 BA, 37 Hs, 30 RBIs, 24 Rs), Quinn Wilster (.432 BA, 32 Hs, 42 Rs, 15 SBs), Chloe Plant (.304 BA, 19 Rs, 11 RBIs; 74 IP, 66 Ks), Gabby Doran (20 RBIs, 23 Rs) and Lauryn Greene (4 RBIs, 5 Rs). Saxon and Wilster each earned Second-Team All-League honors as freshman. The team also will have a newcomer in freshman Faith Plant.

“Our expectation is to improve upon our league record in a tough Northeast 8,” Keagy stated. “We need to be locked in for all seven innings of each game to hopefully make a tournament run as well.”

Girard will welcome Ursuline on March 21.

Girard Indians Softball Preview
2025 Record: 12-14
2025 Post-Season Finish: Lost in District Semifinal to LaBrae
Coach: Jim Keagy

Team Statistics
Runs scored: 9.3
Runs allowed: 6.1

Key Returnees
Kyra Bell, Senior
Brooklyn Broll, Junior
Riley Collins, Sophomore
Gabby Doran, Sophomore
Lauryn Greene, Sophomore
Chloe Plant, Sophomore
Gianna Saxon, Sophomore
Ava Serrano, Senior
Caylee Wilkes, Junior
Quinn Wilster, Sophomore

2026 Schedule
Mar. 21 – Ursuline
Mar. 23 – South Range
Mar. 24 – Hubbard
Mar. 25 – United
Mar. 28 – at West Branch
Mar. 30 – at Struthers
Mar. 31 – Poland
Apr. 6 – Niles
Apr. 8 – Maplewood
Apr. 9 – East Palestine
Apr. 13 – at Lakeview
Apr. 14 – at South Range
Apr. 15 – at Salem
Apr. 16 – Champion
Apr. 18 – at Columbiana
Apr. 20 – at Hubbard
Apr. 21 – Struthers
Apr. 22 – Chaney
Apr. 23 – at Harding
Apr. 24 – Howland
Apr. 27 – at Poland
Apr. 28 – at Niles
May 5 – Lakeview
May 12 – at LaBrae

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