Home Plate: Softball Preview
New softball coach enjoys coaching her former team.
When she hung up her spikes at the end of the 2019 season, Kate Tomallo (WC ’19) felt her time with the Worthington Christian softball team was over.
Six years later, Tomallo is still in the dugout where she started. After serving as an assistant coach for the Warriors for the last two years, Tomallo takes over as head softball coach this season.
“I did not see this in the cards for me after graduating,” said Tomallo, who replaces Dani Murnane as coach. “I’m glad I have the opportunity to coach at WC, to encourage young athletes, and to support the program that shaped me into the person I am today.”
Senior shortstop Haddie Leverette believes Tomallo has had an impact on the team’s culture.
“She has added a different perspective of what it truly means to play for God,” Leverette said. “She brings a lot of comfort and joy to this year, which then brings a good amount of chemistry to the team. She always has a smile on her face and shows she really wants to be at practice.”
As a player, Tomallo helped lead Worthington Christian to two league championships. She earned all-league, all-district, and all-Metro honors throughout her career. As a junior, she led the Mid-State League-Ohio with a .679 batting average and was the league’s player of the year.
Tomallo said there’s a learning curve when jumping from being an assistant coach to being the head coach.
“It’s very different,” she said. “There’s a lot more behind-the-scenes work than I realized, and there is a bigger time commitment than when I was the assistant.”
Tomallo inherits a team that finished 5-19 overall after losing to Johnstown 12-2 in the first round of the Division III tournament. The Warriors placed fourth in the Central Buckeye League last season with a 5-5 record, finishing behind champion Buckeye Valley (10-0), Grandview (7-3), and Bishop Ready (6-4).
One of the team’s strengths last year was the Warriors’ offense. In league play, Worthington Christian averaged 13 runs a game. In CBL competition, only two teams held WC under 10 runs (Whitehall in a 7-5 loss to the Warriors on April 17 and Buckeye Valley in a 14-4 victory over Worthington Christian on April 26).
Leverette said her team tried to take advantage of their offensive opportunities last year.
“I think we developed (offensively) really well,” the senior said. “We knew we had to put the ball in play because if we did that, then we could make stuff happen.
“Obviously, you’re at bat as an individual, but we took it more as a team thing. Players were willing to lay sacrifice bunts down and try to get on base for the team, rather than as an individual.”
Tomallo is hoping that will carry over into this year.
“I haven’t seen many of the players hit this season, but I’m excited to see us offensively,” Tomallo said. “I think we’ll have some strong hitters who will perform in games when we need them to deliver most.”
Leading the way for Worthington Christian is Leverette, who was the CBL player of the year and a first-team all-district selection. In league play last year, Leverette led the team in batting average (.533), on-base percentage (.702), slugging percentage (.967), runs (24), walks (17), and stolen bases (13).
Despite her numbers, Leverette remembers being stunned when she found out she had won the CBL honor last year. Usually, that honor is reserved for players on the championship team.
“My dad was just so ecstatic for me,” she said. “That was such a big moment in my career, and I felt like God really blessed me.
“To be honest, I was struggling towards the end of the season. I was surprised with the fact people took me seriously.”
Tomallo said Leverette brings much more to the team than flashy offensive statistics. She brings a sense of leadership.
“Haddie is a huge asset to the team,” Tomallo said. “Every team we played complimented her. Having her back this year is so important to this team, not only talent-wise but also as a leader.
“Her words carry weight with the girls, and I’m excited to see her lead with enthusiasm and encouragement for her teammates.”
Leverette will be one of 10 players on the Worthington Christian roster. Other seniors returning include Annah Niehoff and Katelyn Szczygiel-Hicks. Other returnees include juniors Rebecca Cable and Lila Von Recum and sophomores Charlotte Ball, Annelise Gifford, and Kyla McAllister. McAllister was first-team all-CBL last year, Szczygiel-Hick was second team, and Ball was honorable mention. Additionally, Tomallo is looking for freshmen Eva Zanjani and Evie Smith to contribute to the team. Smith and Gifford are expected to pitch, while the team will rotate Leverette, Ball, Cable, and Zanjani at catcher. Whitney McGlothlin (WC, ’24), who was an honorable mention all-league last year, will return as an assistant coach.
“I’m hoping to improve our pitching this year,” said Tomallo, whose team gave up over 10 runs a game in league play last season. “One of McGlothin’s main priorities will be working with our young pitchers to help strengthen their arms and develop their skills.
In the infield will be Ball, Szczygiel-Hicks, Von Recum, McAllister, Leverette, and Cable while vying for time in the outfield will be Niehoff, Ball, Smith, and Zanjani.
“Having only 10 players, we will need everyone to be comfortable and confident in multiple positions,” Tomallo said. “It’s challenging to succeed defensively when you don’t have strong pitching talent or multiple pitchers to work with.
“The best part of coaching is getting to know each student individually. I love seeing the gifts and talents God has given every single one of them. I love celebrating with them as they grow and succeed in their softball accomplishments and watching them grow as students, leaders, teammates, and people.”