LITCHFIELD — For the first time in two seasons, Litchfield has a varsity softball team again. And for a program that nearly disappeared, the Terriers are already showing signs of life.
Litchfield rallied from a double-digit deficit in a doubleheader against North Adams-Jerome, stringing together a 16-run inning that brought the team into the lead. It was a moment that meant more than just the final score, and the eventual forfeit wins that marked its first as a program this season.
“Just happy to be on this field playing a meaningful game,” coach Al Alvarez said. “It takes a whole team to put this together… we are all, as a whole, the resurrectors of this program.”
Alvarez has been in the role as softball coach before, despite not fielding a team. The journey back to the diamond at Litchfield hasn’t come without its hurdles. The Terriers have to utilize every tool in their arsenal to make the dream of varsity softball a reality for the Litchfield student-athletes.
Every grade level working together
With limited enrollment, Litchfield is operating under a Michigan High School Athletic Association allowance designed for smaller schools. The rule permits middle school students to compete at the varsity level when numbers are too low to field a traditional high school roster. Recently expanded, that allowance now includes seventh graders in addition to eighth graders — a reality the Terriers are leaning on heavily.
That means players like seventh grader Brinlee Adams and eighth grader Mackenzie Davis are not just contributors — they’re central pieces.
“Obviously, traditionally, you wouldn’t want to do that to a seventh grader,” Alvarez said. “But… they’re ready for the challenge, and they are ready to bear the burden of resurrecting the program.”
The roster reflects that reality. Alongside Davis and Adams are players such as Sophia Torres, Aubrey Valore, Avery Hewitt, Brooklyn Buhrle, Brylee Iveson, Haydence Baker, Lidya Shrott and Maci Weller — a group built more on commitment than experience.
For two years, Litchfield went without a softball program entirely. A third year without a team, Alvarez believed, could have been permanent.
“If we went a third year, I would be really worried about this program ever coming back,” Alvarez said. “That’s why it was very important for us to take this leap.”
That leap has required sacrifices.
Some of Litchfield’s softball athletes in the past previously joined the baseball team just to find a spring sport. Now, the first roster of new softball athletes is learning the varsity softball game in real time — often against more experienced, older competition.
The results have been uneven, as expected. But the breakthrough rally against North Adams-Jerome offered a glimpse of what could come.
Trailing 15-3, Litchfield erupted offensively in its most successful stretch of softball so far this season.
“We don’t ever play to the score,” he said. “We should play like it’s 0-0 no matter what.”
Davis, an eighth-grade catcher, highlighted that comeback with a two-run double and steady work behind the plate. Adams, a seventh-grade left-handed pitcher, delivered multiple innings in relief and even asked for the ball again in the second game — a sign of growing confidence.
“I couldn’t ask for more… an eighth grader catching, a seventh grader pitching,” Alvarez said. “That just tells you the maturity level and how the confidence is improving.”
Still, Alvarez is clear about expectations. This season is about development and not the results.
“I told the parents from day one — are we a varsity team? Absolutely not… But this group had to be the one to take that next step.”
The future
The long-term vision is already in place. For Alvarez, this isn’t his first stint helping bring a program back from the brink. This past winter, Alvarez successfully helped coach the Litchfield girls basketball program to a standout year despite having its previous season cancelled just over a year ago.
Alvarez hopes to retain the current softball roster, add numbers, and build toward a competitive program within three years — when today’s middle school players become upperclassmen. Due to the MHSAA rules regarding semester eligibility, the middle school athletes will retain their semesters of eligibility when they become freshman — which could lead to Alvarez having one of the more experienced varsity rosters in the area.
“This year is a learning year. Next year is putting things together,” he said. “Three years is our goal… to compete for district titles and league titles.”
For now, the wins against North Adams-Jerome stand as proof the foundation is forming. But that future will require a strong foundation of committed student-athletes to keep the program alive and sustained for years to come. Litchfield is only in the beginning of their softball rebirth, and the future is not yet set in stone.
For now, Litchfield has gone from no team at all to a roster built on seventh and eighth graders — Litchfield softball is back.
“I know that this group is special,” Alvarez said.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Litchfield softball utilizes every grade level to make team a reality
Reporting by Joseph Flaherty, Hillsdale Daily News / Hillsdale Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
