Evart's Ally Theunick works on her catching duties during a practice with the Michigan Expos. (Herald Review photo/John Raffel)
EVART – Ally Theunick has been having a productive season with her bat for the Big Rapids-based Michigan Expos softball team, and been showing the potential she has in the sport for high school.
She will be a freshman at Evart for the 2020-21 sports season. Expos coach Kevin Brigham has been enjoying the softball performances Theunick has been delivering during the summer.
She’s played for the Expos four seasons, ever since the softball club originated.
“A lot of the people I played with are really nice and really good,” she said. “I think it gets you ready for high school.”
Theunick has played for Evart summer softball teams for many years, including 10U and 12U teams which have been state contenders.
“Both years we got third in the state,” she said.
Theunick is a catcher for the Expos. She has been catcher five years.
“I tried out for the team and I was asked about being able to try out for catcher,” Theunick said.
She responded at the time that she was not a catcher. But as she tried the position, she determined she had some pretty good skills. Her arm is very strong and she’s extremely confident in throwing runners out. Keeping the ball in front has been a strength.
Theunick has usually been a .400 hitter and said timing is a key.
There are about four Evart players on the team, along with Theunick.
“We played in some indoor tournaments and played some fall ball,” she said.
Theunick also plans on playing volleyball and basketball at Evart, and has been doing some conditioning work related to those sports.
Softball remains No. 1.
“I’ve been doing it for so long,” she said. “It’s a normal thing to do it. It’s always fun.”
