Few team sports depend on a single player as much as fastpitch softball. One dominant pitcher is generally all it takes to make a team competitive.
Chanhassen lost two pitchers to graduation from a 2014 team that posted 18 victories, the most in school history. The current roster has only one senior, third baseman Alyssa Manno, and is heavy on freshmen and sophomores.
Rebuilding year, right? Perhaps not.
The Storm scored 40 runs and collected 54 hits in victories over Cooper (12-2), Bloomington Kennedy (12-1) and Shakopee (16-6) to open the season. If early returns are accurate, it looks like Chanhassen might be able to slug its way to a successful season.
Sophomore second baseman Kali O'Keeffe led the charge with nine hits in her first 11 at-bats, with two home runs, nine RBI, seven runs scored and an .857 on-base percentage.
Sophomore catcher Jessica Bren was 9-for-13 with a home run, a pair of doubles and four RBI.
Still, how far Chanhassen goes will hinge on how rapidly the Storm develops its trio of young pitchers — sophomores Taylor Manno and Marybeth Olson and freshman Madison Schwartz.
But early returns are looking up for the Storm.