Visitation rallies for beloved coach

Visitation softball is rallying both on and off the field this spring.

With a strong core of returning players, it hopes to string together lots of victories and a state tournament berth -- all while, in their hopeful hearts, the Blazers are cheering on their beloved assistant coach, Bill Maleitzke, who is once again battling cancer.

Maleitzke, 64, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1995. While he was being treated, doctors also found a tumor on his kidney, prompting them to remove the organ. The former St. Bernard's assistant had been cancer-free for about one year before it flared up again on his spine this past December. He finished three weeks of radiation treatment last month and will know more in mid-April.

"I'm hopeful," he said.

The Blazers wanted him to know that even though he's been at the school for less than two years, he already was part of the family. Senior captain Sarah Leach and the girls put up a big poster board in the lunch room for students to sign. The younger girls made him a blanket in case he gets chilly during games.

"It brought a tear to my eye," said Maleitzke, who previously helped lead St. Bernard's to three state titles as an assistant. "They have been very supportive of me."

For Maleitzke, while the prayers, cards and well-wishes have been extremely comforting, so has spending time with the team, working on his favorite game.

And it's good for the kids, too. Maleitzke is no slouch when it comes to coaching softball. Good friend, long-time colleague and Visitation head coach Dan Jameson called him one of his greatest influences.

"I would not be the coach I am without that guy," said Jameson, who brought Maleitzke and his entire staff over from St. Bernard's after the 2010 season, when St. Bernard's closed its doors for good. "Without him, I'm nobody."

Instead of focusing on his condition, Maleitzke wanted to talk about this year's Blazers and the prospects of having a great season.

"Our goal every year is, no matter what, to make it to the state tournament," he said.

The Blazers have yet to accomplish that feat in the program's history, but under the new regime's leadership, they were one victory away last season, ultimately losing to St. Paul Johnson in the Class 2A Section 4 final.

One young star who already has made a huge impact is Sarah Otto, who notched 130 strikeouts last year as a seventh-grader at the varsity level. She returns to the hill as an eighth-grader this season, with more strength and experience.

Junior captain Anne Debertin hit well over .600 with six home runs. She is a Division-I talent and a catcher with an "arm like a cannon," Jameson said.

Leach wants to be part of the first Visitation squad to reach the state tournament. It's particularly special for her and her family, who have had a Leach in the Blazers' varsity lineup for 11 seasons in a row. Opposing pitchers can be fooled by Leach's 5-2 stature before she rips the cover off the ball. The shortstop hit nearly .500 last year and can hit the ball over the fence.