03/22/2026
With apologizes…the wrong photo was included with the Tussey Mountain Softball in the Springs Sports Edition today. The correct photo has been attached to this story.
Titans under new head coach but same goal
By TERRY L. SNARE Sports Writer
The Tussey Mountain softball team has been making improvements over the past five seasons and put together its best campaign in 11 years last spring with a 12-8 overall record.
The Titans have undergone a change in the coaching ranks this season, but the focus remains the same, which is to compete and improve with every game and practice.
Kevin Reed stepped down as the head coach after last year and guiding the program over the last five seasons with a 50-50 overall record. Reed actually was hired prior to the 2020 season, but the COVID pandemic wiped out the year. The Titans had been in the District Five playoffs each year under Reed, including a District Five Class 2A championship game appearance in 2024 when they fell to Everett
Moving into the head coaching role this spring will be Eric Gabrielson, who has served as Reed’s assistant in past seasons, as well as the junior high head coach, and has worked with this group from the elementary level all the way up.
Gabrielson will inherit a squad loaded with experience in 10 returning letter winners, after losing just three senior players from last year’s playoff squad that came up just short of their second straight district championship game appearance after falling 2-1 at Everett in the semifinal round.
“I’ve been with this group from the elementary level and know the system and the transition from Kevin to myself has been going well,” noted Gabrielson. “We have players who have been playing travel ball and a big junior class. The team is meshing well and we had a good first week of practice. My approach to games and practice may be a little different from Kevin’s. We want to change the mindset with the team. We have aspirations of being District Five champions.”
Topping the list of returning letter winners are three of the team’s top four hitters from last spring. Junior pitcher Joslyn Raley was second on the team with a .328 batting average, while also finishing with 19 hits and driving in 16 runs. Junior infielder/outfielder Lydia Zdrosky followed with a .318 mark at the plate with a team second-best 20 hits. Junior infielder/outfielder Olivia Mills finished fourth on the team a year ago with 17 hits and a .304 batting mark. Mills also had 18 RBIs.
Raley’s efforts inside the pitching circle have been a big part of the Titans’ recent success. Raley finished with 134 strikeouts over 19 complete games and 120 innings of work. The junior Titan opens the season with 21 career wins, 259 strikeouts over 239 innings pitched to go along with 36 complete games and 38 appearances.
Adding to the returning experience is three-year letter winning catcher Brianna Gabrielson, senior infielder Emily Lazor, junior outfielder Alanna Reed, sophomore infielder/outfielder Lila Gabrielson, junior outfielder A.J. Price, junior infielder/outfielder Payton Reed and junior outfielder Maelee Sheeder.
B. Gabrielson finished with 11 hits and a .216 batting mark last season, while Lazor and A. Reed followed with a .209 and a .195, respectively. The other four saw limited time at the plate a year ago.
“Some of our strength this season comes from our pitching,” added Gabrielson. “Joslyn is the real deal and Brianna is a three-year starter behind the plate. We have a lot of good athletes and speed. I think our athleticism will be a big strength for us this year and I believe in our defensive unit.
Rounding out the varsity roster are: senior outfielder Leah C***s, sophomore outfielders Ava Diamond and Jacklyn Taylor, along with freshman infielder/outfielder Reagan Ramper.
The Titans lost three seniors to graduation last June. Shortstop Adyson Weyandt led not only the team but the area with 35 hits and a .515 batting average, along with 30 runs scored and 19 RBIs. Weyandt finished with 10 extra base hits, including a pair of home runs. Outfielders Allison Angelo and Aubree Weaver batted a .264 and a .226, respectively with a combined 26 hits, 22 runs scored and 20 RBIs.
Tussey Mountain has a combined 5-11 mark in the ICC East over the last two seasons, but won a District Five quarterfinal game with McConnellsburg, before falling to Everett, 2-1, in the semifinals.
“I think we will be very much in the middle of competing for the East title,” continued Gabrielson. “We have a solid core of players and very good pitching. We just need to be able to hit the pitching we see. We open with Claysburg and it’s going to be a tough grind all season, but I feel we have people ready and able to fill the positions we lost. We want to be able to compete in each game and improve with each game and practice. We have a goal to be the District Five champion at the end of the season.”
Haley Riley will be Gabrielson’s assistant head coach.
SOFTBALL:
Front: Lydia Zdrosky, Lila Gabrielson, Maelee Sheeder, Payton Reed
Back: Joslynn Raley, Olivia Mills, Brianna Gabrielson, Emily Lazor, A.J. Price, Alanna Reed
