1 day Ago By Katie Ringer
JAMESTOWN — Mike Soulis did some scouting in Medina a couple of years ago. That's how he found Brynn Sorenson. ADVERTISEMENT "Since my freshman year, Coach Soulis would always come up to me throughout the year and do his best to convince me to join softball," said Sorenson, a junior out of Medina/Pingree-Buchanan.
"I specifically remember when he came up to me after a gym class one day when we played dodgeball. "He mentioned that he liked the way I could throw the ball," she said. "He said he saw me as a great athlete and that softball would help me in my other sports as well.
After enough convincing, I finally gave it a try. From then on I fell in love with it." Sorenson and Violet Bohl, a sophomore at Medina, are currently playing softball for Soulis and the Jamestown High School team.
"Coach Soulis’ convincing was ultimately the reason why I joined," Bohl said. "He would tell me every day that he would love if I joined and that he think I would play a big role for the team. .
.. at this time I was in basketball, volleyball and track.
So was all around busy. I wasn’t 100% sure on joining track, and Soulis’ convincing made me realize I wanted to give softball another try. "Now I hadn’t played softball for years at this point, so I was a bit intimidated, but after getting some advice from my parents and Soulis telling me he really wanted me to join, I was sold and was really excited to be a Blue Jay," she said.
Bohl is the Jays' starting center fielder. "My role on the team is to pick my teammates up any way I can whether that’s cheering loud, letting people know what the situation is and ultimately catching every ball that I can get to," Bohl said. ".
.. I can always count on my Jamestown girls to cheer and hype me up.
They will always have my back without a doubt on and off the field. ADVERTISEMENT "This is such a fun team, and playing with girls and coaches who accepted me right away even though I was from a completely different school was really cool," she said. "I knew from the start I was going to be making some lifelong friends in this program.
" At the plate, Bohl is .353. She has hit a pair of doubles and batted in four runs.
The sophomore has scored 15 runs. Bohl is holding a .929 fielding percentage.
"Softball has helped me have more confidence in myself, and to never give up even when I really really want to," Bohl said. "It’s helped me realize how roles play into the game of softball, and even if I’m not physically in the game, that doesn’t mean I’m doing nothing to help my team out. It’s my team before me.
" The Blue Jays became Bohl's team in 2023. "Violet and I started to get close my freshman year," Blue Jay junior Sophia Bond said. "Violet played JV and sometimes played varsity.
When she would come up to play with us, even if it was to run, I made sure she had someone to talk to and hang out around because I knew how it felt being a part of a good team with a lot of older girls and being young. "This is why we got so close," she said. "We bonded over the fact that we were both young and a little nervous, but we had each other.
When Brynn would play for varsity last year, I tried to be as welcoming as possible. This past summer was so fun and I'm glad she got to be a part of it." Bond isn't the only Blue Jay who has welcomed in Bohl and Sorenson.
ADVERTISEMENT "It's a blessing and one of the best things Coach Soulis has done for our program," Blue Jay third baseman Jordan Mikkelson said. "He's given me two amazing teammates and best friends. There is so many amazing things to say about these two.
I just love them with my whole heart!" The Blue Jays have had several other athletes travel in from the M/P-B co-op to play with the team. The last athlete was Gracie Gunderson. Gunderson graduated in 2022.
"I've never played with any other girls from M/P-B," Mikkelson said. "(Bohl and Sorenson) are actually the first girls I've played with from a different school ..
. they are such positive and bright people. They create such an electric energy on our team and both of the girls are natural leaders for us.
" Bond said when Soulis let the team know there would be players from the M-P-B co-op joining the team, the Jamestown girls made it a point to get to know Sorenson and Bohl. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed. "The way these girls haven’t made me feel any different than a full Blue Jay has been nothing but accepting," Bohl said.
"We clicked immediately and made me love doing the sport with and ultimately for them. Also the coaches — they’re so supportive and encouraging, always know what to say and tell me what I need to do in order to be successful." The team chemistry really is something to be envied.
ADVERTISEMENT "We never stop laughing, besides when Coach gives us the look," Bohl said. "We know how each other works, in the game and out, and I think that plays a huge role in making our team chemistry as strong as it can be. " .
.. We have created strong friendships and bonds with our teammates which makes us stronger and more connected," she said.
"Me and Brynn are competitive people, and I think we bring as much energy as we can into games. This is my third year playing for the Blue Jays, so I am pretty close with all my teammates, and Brynn had no problem fitting in with the team." Sorenson is in her second year with the Blue Jays.
"It is so fun playing with the Jamestown girls," Sorenson said. "They have such high and positive energy, which I love. They also always make me feel welcome.
" Sorenson is relatively new to the game of softball. The junior did play in Medina's slowpitch program in elementary school but then took some time away from the sport and competed in track and field instead. The junior also participates in club volleyball during the spring season.
"Because softball was so new to me, I think what caught my attention was how much different it was compared to the other sports I played," Sorenson said. "It felt good to try something new as well as meet amazing new people." Sorenson said her time on the field has not only given her a new experience but has also helped strengthen her overall athletic ability.
ADVERTISEMENT "One aspect I have really seen improve in my athletic ability is my reaction time, power and strength," Sorenson said. "The improvement in my reaction time has helped me a lot in my other sports, especially volleyball. The strength and power I developed from softball has benefited me in a stronger arm swing for spiking a volleyball.
...
In all of my sports I strive to be the best I can be and I am lucky to have the support of my coaches and teammates. They encourage me and challenge me to get better everyday." She also challenges herself.
After the 2024 high school season, Sorenson played summer softball which she said has helped with hitting, fielding, and overall experience. She also takes batting lessons to help improve her plate appearances. Outside of softball, Sorenson lifts weights to make herself stronger and healthier for the upcoming season.
Despite her inexperience, Sorenson is currently starting as the Blue Jays' shortstop. The No. 6 spot was largely where Soulis first saw Sorenson playing.
It was also a position the Blue Jays needed filled for upcoming years. "Brynn is a good athlete all around and can adapt to wherever she is put, even if she has never done it before, she does it anyway and finds a way to be good at it," Bond said. Sorenson's fielding percentage is sitting at .
759 while at the plate, she holds a .303 batting average her slugging percentage is sitting at .455.
"Going from a small Class B school to a large Class A school is definitely an adjustment," Sorenson said. "The tournaments are set up a lot different in Class A and travel time can be a lot longer. .
.. I am so grateful for the opportunity to play softball with this team and these coaches.
It is an experience I will never forget." ADVERTISEMENT.
