Comet seniors have history of success at state tournament

By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — Barry Bonds, Clayton Kershaw, Bryce Harper … we can even set the wayback machine to Ty Cobb.

All great players with postseason experience. It’s just that their postseason experiences weren’t or haven’t been great. Actually, lackluster might be the right adjective.

Going into the 2018 State Softball Championships, the Charles City Comets return for the third-straight year with several state-tourney vets who don’t wilt under postseason pressure and have a history of doing some damage at Fort Dodge.

“This whole week has been stressful,” Charles City senior Tayler Schmidt said after the Class 4A No. 4-ranked Comets defeated Center Point-Urbana, 6-1, Tuesday in the Region 8 championship for the state berth.

“It’s just has been a matter of staying loose and calm,” Schmidt said.

Rather than loose, the elimination game against the Stormin’ Pointers was tight through three and a half innings with Charles City nursing a 2-1 lead. But then the Comets rallied for 3 runs in their half of the fourth with the big blow being Schmidt’s 2-run home run — her team-leading 11th of the season.

It marked the third-straight time that Schmidt has homered in the regional championship leading into the state tournament. And if the ongoing pattern continues, expect Schmidt — who has 24 career prep homers — to continue to “go yard” at the Harlan Rogers Sports Complex.

Last year, Schmidt homered twice at the state tournament including once in the opener when the Comets knocked No. 2-seed Fairfield out of the championship bracket. When she homered again two days later, Schmidt became part of a six-way tie among Class 4A players for most home runs hit in a state tournament.

In 2016, Schmidt hit her first state-tourney homer in the consolation championship game against Perry.

Another Comet senior who has already made her mark at the state tournament is Ciana Sonberg, who also homered in the upset of Fairfield and was later named to the 2017 Class 4A All-Tournament Team.

The versatility of both players was utilized last tournament when second baseman Schmidt was moved to third and third baseman Sonberg was moved to catcher when Comet catcher Kelby Katcher had to be shelved due to a thumb injury.

Schmidt hopes the team can build from a fifth-place showing in 2016 and a fourth-place showing last year.

“We just can’t let ourselves get frustrated when things go bad,” Schmidt said. “We need to enjoy ourselves down there. Take it all in. Laugh … smile more.”

Schmidt, Sonberg and fellow seniors Katcher and Payton Reams all will continue their softball careers at North Iowa Area Community College.

Tuesday’s regional win was the last game the four with senior shortstop Madeline Peters have played at Sportsmen’s Park.

“It’s kind of sad,” said Schmidt, who has played varsity softball since her post eighth-grade summer, “but it’s nice to go out like this.”

Charles City is the No. 2 seed in the Class 4A bracket — ADM is the No. 1. The Comets will face Des Moines Hoover in the opening round, 3 p.m. Tuesday at the complex’s Buena Vista University Diamond.

To note, when the Comets punched their ticket to Fort Dodge it was their 27th state berth which placed them in a three-way tie with Ottumwa and Ankeny for second most appearances by a school.

Clear Creek-Amana leads with 34.