The Raiders will play in the 16U bracket, which will consist of 114 teams from across the Country .. a huge selling point for attending according to Raiders’ Coach Kyle Smith.

“The World Series events are the real deal,” says Smith, who also serves as an assistant on Head Coach Jason Chapel’s North Penn-Liberty staff, “and we feel like we can compete and win a lot of games there.”

The Raiders’ players have already won a lot of games since their inception last fall .. all 21 that they’ve played .. and for the corp of NPL Lady Mounties that play for the Raiders, the State quarterfinal loss that they suffered to end their undefeated high school softball season is the lone loss they’ve experienced in a year.

Those NPL players include:

Mackenzi Tice (NTWSR All-Tioga County Pitcher, Offensive Player and Overall Player of the Year; The Sports Reports All-Region Player of the Year), Saige Lehman (NTWSR All-Tioga County Defensive Player of the Year), Payton Chapel (NTWSR All-Tioga County First Team), Addie Smith (NTWSR All-Tioga County Team), Megan Spohn (NTWSR All-Tioga County Team), McKenna Lightner (NTWSR All-Tioga County Athlete of the Year; NTWSR All-Tioga County Team), Haley Litzelman (NTWSR All-Tioga County First Team, Newcomer of the Season); Nikki Kiscadden, Marissa Griess and Kameron Lightner.

For the players from NP-Liberty, and their coaches, a lot of the successes they earned this past season as NTL and District 4 champs is a byproduct of the years of hard work that they’ve put into travel ball, both as PA Raiders and, before that, as NY Lady Rebels.

“Playing travel ball has helped me so much as a player,” says soon-to-be-senior Saige Lehman, “and us all playing with our best friends all summer has really helped build our team chemistry for during the high school season.”

Teammate Payton Chapel agrees with her classmate Lehman, and as a true ‘Coach’s kid”, adds, “I’ve been playing travel since I was 8 years old and I feel that physically a lot of things have become muscle memory for me .. which has helped me gain a lot of confidence.”

Unfortunately, Payton has had to take the rest of this summer off due to ankle surgery to repair an injury from last volleyball season .. a surgery that the then-junior put off having so that she could play and compete with her friends during the Lady Mounties’ historic run this past spring.

“We had three girls on our team who were facing surgeries that would erase their seasons,” says Coach Jason Chapel, “but they chose to wait until the season ended so that they could help their teammates try to win a State Championship.”

“Kyle (Smith) has taken the reins this summer,” Chapel continues, “and he, Dan Doney, Rich Macik and Adam Breon have all stepped up so that I can help Payton rehab and be with my son this summer .. traveling for hockey and lacrosse tournaments that I normally miss because of travel ball. I’m so grateful to have guys like them and parents that step up when needed.”

In addition to Chapel postponing her surgery, Smith’s daughter Addie put off having shoulder surgery until August and freshman phenom Haley Litzelman suffered through the second half of the spring in need of a tonsillectomy that would have ended her season early .. all a result of exceptional team camaraderie, that extends into the summer.

Megan Spohn, who plays third base for the Lady Mounties, points to another huge benefit that she feels her and her NPL teammates have gained from their years of playing travel ball together.

“Starting when we were eight and playing together every summer,” Spohn explains, “it not only built our skills but it has also really helped us with situations and plays."

While the corp of the Raiders is made up of mostly NPL players .. by design .. the nature of travel softball (vacations/scheduling conflicts/age restrictions) requires teams to look outside their home squads for players who not only can help them win, but can also gel with the close-knit group.

The Raiders’ ‘non-Mountie’ roster includes Cowanesque Valley three sport-standout Ashley Woodring (NTWSR All-Tioga County Team), who led her Lady Indians to the NTL-II title and has played with this group of girls for several years, as well as newcomer to the Raiders Lexi Urena from Wellsboro. In just 15 games with the Raiders, Urena leads the team with a .417 batting average, five doubles and five home runs. 

“It’s really helping with my confidence,” says Urena of playing with her new squad, “and I know it’s going to help me in school also.” 

While normally competing as an 18U team .. which allows NTWSR Athlete of the Year McKenna Lightner to play with her slightly-younger teammates .. the Raiders will compete in the 16U division in Ohio, meaning they need replacements for both Lightner and for Cadence Macik, a Raider from Athens who just completed her first year at Mansfield University.

The Raiders will look to a pair of pick-ups to try and replace Lightner’s .405 batting average, four doubles and two home runs at the World Series this weekend.

“We’re really happy with the pick-ups we made,” says Coach Smith. “Bailey Livermore was a sophomore pitcher for Williamsport .. remember her name, she’s going to be something .. and we got a very good all-around player in Lauren Ridall from Troy going with us.”

South Williamsport’s Sage Lorson joined the Raiders last summer after playing many years of travel ball and before winning a Class AA District title with her own Lady Mounties this past spring.

“Travel ball is great ..,” says Lorson, “it’s fun .. a little more relaxed. And it’s given me life-long friendships with girls I normally would only play against.”

The high level of competition that travel ball provides is another invaluable benefit echoed by several of the players and their coaches.

“I think the competition we face in travel ball is some of the best we’ve seen,” says Tice, the All-Tioga County and The Sports Reports All-Region Player of the Year and the Raiders’ ace, “and its definitely pushed me to improve my game.”

Addie Smith, who spent a good portion of her time growing up in the pitcher’s circle before injuring her shoulder, knows how beneficial it is for her to be facing the caliber of players the Raiders regularly see as she continues her transition into a positional player.

“Playing against such high competition has really helped,” says Smith, “it’s made me more comfortable playing in the field and when I’m hitting.”

“Every team we play is serious about softball,” says Coach Smith, “and they all want to get to the next level .. college .. just like our girls. So for our girls to not just be competing, but winning, shows them that all the time and work they’ve put in is paying off.”

Over 60 college coaches attended last season’s World Series event in Colombus, a number that’s sure to be matched or beaten at this year’s event.

There will be a link provided on the Raiders Facebook page, HERE, to allow fans to watch the games this weekend. 

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