Bison girls start in top 10

Senior Taylor Ford takes her first step to fielding a grounder during McCook High School softball practice last week. Steve Towery/McCook Gazette.

With eight great returning batting averages of .300 or higher, you'd have to be drinking Olympic water in Rio to not include McCook High among Class B's top eight softball teams.

The Omaha World-Herald understands this fact as today's first state ranking features McCook at Class B No. 8.

Though the Bison are thinking higher when they debut at home on Friday against visiting Gothenburg.

"(We are) a team that can be very competitive at the state level," coach Jason Cochran stated during his pre-season report to the Gazette. "We are solid in every aspect."

Varsity first pitch is set for approximately 6 p.m. at McCook's Jaycee Complex after the 5 p.m. junior varsity Bison-Swedes season opener.

The Bison return dangerous pitcher Avery Doucet (8-3-1 record, 2.15 earned-run average) along with lethal hitters like junior Shayne Coleman (.462 batting average), senior Lauren Koetter (.372), juniors Emily Jacobs (.365), Cassiddy Beeby (.364) and senior Mary Kain (.342).

More about McCook softball returners will be featured in the Fall Sports section next week.

Gothenburg (20-12 record last year) actually earned one more win than McCook (19-10), but the Bison blasted out a 15-5 opening win over these district opponents.

McCook unleashed three, four and five-run innings upon the Swedes.

The World-Herald proclaims McCook as district title favorites

since no other rival is ranked to start 2016.

However, No. 6 Norris awaits the Bison at Monday's doubleheader in Hastings. The Bison play Beatrice at 4 p.m. followed by their 6 p.m. contest against Norris.

The Class C No. 2 Cozad Haymakers will try to knock out McCook on Aug. 30.

A Class B top five team -- the No. 5 Hastings Tigers -- invade McCook for Sept. 13 contests. Hastings junior Olivia Douglas has been picked as one of Class B's top 10 players to watch in the Lincoln Journal-Star.

Douglas drove in 36 runs during 36 games last year while posting a 1.93 pitching ERA.

Class A No. 7 Kearney is another Bison opponent scheduled for Sept. 29. Many of McCook's foes will be determined during tournaments at Holdrege, Hastings and Lincoln Southwest as well as the annual McCook Invitational on Sept. 3.

The entire Class B Top 10 to start this season includes No. 1 Gretna (24-12 last year), No.2 Elkhorn South (27- 7), No. 3 York (34-3), No. 4 Elkhorn (18-12), Hastings (26-10), Norris (18-14), No. 7 Crete (19- 13), McCook, No. 9 Blair (24-9) and No. 10 Wayne (29-7).

Norris, Crete and McCook are the only rated teams that did not finish among Class B's Top 10 last season. Gretna won the state championship.

Rivals Millard West and Millard South lead the Class A Top 10 with defending champion Omaha Marian (29-3) listed sixth.

Only reigning champion Conestoga (31-3 last year) holds a higher Class C spot than the Cozad Haymakers (26- 10 a year ago). Almost all the other Class C top-10 teams reside east of Grand Island.

Softball and girls' golf are the two high school varsity sports starting this week. McCook plays at today's 4 p.m. golf invite in Cambridge.