Outlaws softball doing last-minute recruiting

A last-minute recruiting effort by Coach Jim Milliman and a few of his players might have been successful, and Sisters High School could field a softball team this spring.

"It's still up in the air," said Milliman Monday morning. "It all depends on two girls following through. If they show, we're on. We'll know for sure this week."

Due to the uncertainty, SHS canceled its opening-week games. The Outlaws were scheduled to play Madras Tuesday, Mountain View Thursday and Bend on Saturday. Milliman said it wasn't likely those games would be rescheduled.

"We have 10 committed players as of today (Monday)," said second-year Coach Milliman. "We had 11, but one already changed her mind."

And one of the 10 needs to clear her work schedule to ensure she will have time to play, said Milliman, who lead the Outlaws to a third-place finish in the 2011 Sky-Em.

The coach noted that two said they would play, but he has yet to see them.

"If we do, indeed, get those two, we could be at 11 or 12 and I think we can make that work," said Milliman. "Anything less makes it pretty difficult to field a team."

Also difficult is fundraising. The SHS softball team is required to fundraise for umpires and transportation costs.

"Fundraising has been non-existent. Just a few weeks ago, we only had five players committed," said Milliman, who noted he started recruiting last fall. "It's been difficult, to say the least. It's hard to ask five people to do all the fundraising."

Despite the uncertainty, Milliman has been practicing in hopes of fielding a spring team.

"It's been indoors due to the weather, so with low numbers that's been okay, but once we get outside it will present a problem. There's only so much you can do with limited numbers," he said.

When the Outlaws do get a chance to take the field, there is some experience and three players with Sky-Em all-league backgrounds.

Juniors Taylor Nieri, Harley Rowe and Tiffany Milliman have plenty of varsity experience. Nieri split her freshman year between varsity and junior varsity and was first team all-league last season when the Outlaws finished at 10-9. She batted .444 last season.

Rowe, who will handle most of the pitching duties this season, also batted .444 and was honorable-mention all-league as a freshman. Milliman drove in 18 runs and batted .438 last season.

Other players include Lauren Cantwell, Tianna Nieri, Jodie Reoch, Jamie Simonson, Cheyenne Shawnda and Anja Boston.

"We don't have a lot of experience," said Milliman, noting that Reoch, a senior, is a first-year player as are freshmen Boston and Shawnda. "Simonson and Nieri played two years ago. But we are delighted to be moving in the direction of having a team."

Milliman said he was far from having any type of lineup set, noting that "four scenarios" depend on two players joining the team this week.

Should the numbers not materialize as Milliman hopes, SHS could co-op with another school and still have a chance at a spring softball season.

Elsewhere in the Sky-Em, fortunes look strong for defending champion Sweet Home, runner-up Elmira and fourth-place finisher Junction City. All are stocked with veteran players.

In the last five seasons, the Outlaws have one league title (2010), a league runner-up and three third-place finishes.

SHS is also scheduled to play Summit March 20 and Crook County March 22. The Sky-Em League opener will be April 2 versus Elmira (18-5 in 2011) and Sky-Em League Pitcher of the Year Alyson Bytz.