Montclair High School softball will have a tougher ride this spring against county’s best

The Montclair softball team found out Monday what it would be facing this spring.

The Mounties were playing at home against Mount St. Dominic, the favorite to win the Essex County Tournament and the Super Essex Conference American Division, and one of the top programs in the state.

The result was a 12-2 defeat in the season opener.

The good and the bad of the Mounties’ winning the SEC Liberty Division last season was earning their first division championship since 2011 but as a result moving up into the SEC's toughest division, the American.

Montclair head coach Mike Goldstein put it in perspective for this spring after going 20-7 last season.

"Our goals this year are much different than the ones we set for last year," Goldstein said. "We were moved up to the American Division, which is the top tier of Essex County softball. 

“It is also, arguably, the most competitive league in the state. There are three or four teams that compete for state championships every year."

The Mounties head coach is hoping to be able to compete against the public schools in the American that are very tough, Cedar Grove and Livingston. 

"We are hoping to keep our head above water, be competitive with the elite teams and give ourselves a chance to beat the remaining teams on our schedule," he said. 

This season Goldstein likes the leadership he has in his three co-captains, senior pitcher Alana Flynn, junior third baseman Hannah Martin and junior shortstop Maya Gerdes.

One of the key areas in softball and baseball is up the middle: catcher, pitcher, second base/shortstop and center field.

And the 2023 Mounties have the players in those positions to, at the least, compete against the best in the county. 

Returning are battery mates Savannah Seawell, a sophomore, and Flynn in the circle. There is the double-play combination of Gerdes and senior Marin Furer at short and second, respectively. In center field is one of the top up-and-coming players in the county, sophomore Brooklyn Awad, whom Goldstein called the best center fielder in Essex. Third baseman Martin is one of the top players in New Jersey: She was named to the All Group 4 second team last season as well as All SEC Liberty first team. She was tops in the state in RBI with 56 and led Group 4 in hits (53) and extra-base hits (23) as well as in RBI, and was second in the group in runs scored with 52, behind Awad, who as a freshman had 54.

"Hannah Martin will improve, which is hard to do from the lofty perch from which she sits but will do so because of the time and effort she puts in during the off-season," Goldstein said. "A tireless worker with a tremendous attitude and never settles for mediocrity."

Awad was also named to the All SEC Liberty Division first team and is one of the top defensive center fielders in the county, Goldstein said. 

"We already knew that, but what excites us the most is how much stronger she got from last season and what an explosive offensive player she will become this season," the coach said.

In her third season in the circle for the Mounties, Flynn has played the toughest position in the sport. She was also an All SEC Liberty first team member as a pitcher and played outfield.

"There is no other sport where a team relies so heavily on one position," Goldstein said. 

"She handles the highs and lows with complete class and dignity. A talented athlete who plays first singles on the high school tennis team, she is also a terrific softball player who plays in the outfield when not in the circle."

Also in the infield is junior first baseman C.K. Arias, who will be the designated hitter. In addition, junior utility player Olivia Carr will be put in the middle of the lineup and has one of the more potent bats on the team.

For this spring and the future, Montclair is bolstered by three freshmen who are expected to contribute: Marley Kim, Ella Osowski and Kaylin Guzman.

During the preseason Montclair also saw the emergence of senior Georgia Aishton, who played for the first time on the softball diamond last season and will start in left field. Another utility player returning is senior Lena Turner, who can play in the infield as well as the outfield. Senior infielder Meredith Katz also will be seeing playing time.

Goldstein and the Mounties will get a further inkling where they are at in the beginning of spring when they face American rivals Livingston (April 8, 10 a.m.) and Cedar Grove (April 12, 4 p.m.).

Montclair Softball Schedule
(Games at 4 p.m. unless noted)

April 8 Livingston, 10 a.m.
April 10 Linden
April 12 Cedar Grove
April 14 Columbia
April 17 at Caldwell
April 19 at Mt. St. Dominic
April 21 Nutley
April 22 at Hoboken, 11 a.m.
April 24 at Livingston
April 27 at Payne Tech
April 28 Clifton
May 1 Leonia
May 2 Bloomfield
May 3 at Glen Ridge
May 5 West Milford
May 9 at Paramus Catholic
May 10 at Cedar Grove
May 11 Saddle Brook
May 12 Mount St. Mary Academy
May 15 at Columbia
May 17 Caldwell
May 19 at Teaneck