Lady Leps Amidst Amazing 26-Year Run Of Consecutive Softball Playoff Berths

In massive gold letters in the La Grange softball dugout are the words “TRADITION.”

With every season for more than a quarter century the Lady Leps are building on that powerful word.

For an amazing 26 consecutive seasons the La Grange softball team has made the playoffs, a feat no other team that the school (and few teams in any sport anywhere in the state) can rival.

“It means a ton,” said La Grange head softball coach Amanda Arlund, who is a former Lady Leps player too. “Being a part of it as a player myself and being able to continue that as a coach, it means the world. It’s hard to explain – knowing all the people and all the work that’s gone into that. You want to keep it going for people in the past and the people who will come in the future.”

“The first couple of days of the season, especially for the younger players, I tell them look around, appreciate the facilities you have. Look at the stands and think about when you were that little girl watching these older girls on the field – and what it means to you now. The past and the future and the present all connect.”

Overall La Grange has played softball for 31 seasons. They won state titles in 2005, 2014 and 2016. Those state title signs are reminders at the stadium of the softball legacy here.

Those last two state titles are recent enough that many of the current Lady Leps watched those title teams play.

“I knew a few of the people who played (on those title teams),” La Grange junior outfielder Haylie Cooper said. “Now we’ve gone from being the kids in the stands to the ones out here. Little girls come up to us and say ‘you played a great game, and I can’t wait until I’m on that team.’” La Grange senior third baseman Madi Schroeder didn’t move to La Grange until she was a freshman, but the expectations around the softball program here struck her right away.

“You see how competitive it is,” Schroeder said. “I think we’ve done a good job of carrying on that legacy.”

Salado Rematch

After easily winning their first round playoff game over Houston Wheatley last week 23-0, the Lady Leps (16-17) now turn their attention to area round opponent Salado (25-10), which knocked La Grange out of the postseason two years ago in a thrilling, three-game series.

“We made too many errors,” Schroeder said about that 2021 series against Salado. “Our confidence is really high right now. There are so many players on this team that contribute.”

“Our defense is going to have to be top notch and our bats are going to have to come alive,” Cooper said.

This year’s rematch began Wednesday night as Salado beat La Grange 11-2. The series resumes with Game 2 Friday at 5 p.m. back in Manor.