Chanhassen sophomore shortstop Marybeth Olson said she is going to make every game count this spring after missing last season due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
“Being out all of last year, I learned to not take a (single) game for granted,” Olson said after helping the Storm remain undefeated with a 14-4, five-inning victory over Benilde-St. Margaret’s in a Metro West Conference matchup Tuesday at Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School.
Olson is certainly taking advantage of being healthy, emerging as one of Chanhassen’s top hitters. She hit two home runs and tallied seven RBI in the victory over the Red Knights.
“She started for us as an eighth grader, but then she was out last year,” Chanhassen coach Joe Coenen said, adding that he hoped he could spring Olson on unsuspecting teams this season.
“I kind of wanted to keep her a secret,” Coenen said with a smile. “Well, that secret is out of the bag.”
It certainly is. After five games, Olsen leads the team in singles (eight) and is tied for the lead in RBI (nine) and home runs (two). Her 10 hits are tied for second-best, and she hasn’t struck out in 17 at-bats. Olson also has third best slugging percentage (.941) and the fourth-best batting average (.588) and on-base percentage (.588).
She is not the only member of the Storm to have a big performance against Benilde-St. Margaret’s.
Taylor Manno smacked a grand slam and tallied five RBI. The sophomore also allowed four runs and four hits while striking out five and walking one in pitching a complete game to earn the victory. Manno is now 2-0 with a sparkling 1.56 ERA, a marked improvement from her freshman season when she finished with a 1-1 record and 7.27 ERA.
Manno said she knew defeating the previously unbeaten Red Knights was going to be difficult. However, Chanhassen seemed to have little trouble as it racked up the runs - including eight in the second inning - and stifled the Benilde-St. Margaret’s bats to improve to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in league play.
Coenen said he isn’t surprised by the play of his team, which features 11 sophomores and only one senior.
“They were with us last year when we made our run,” Coenen added.
That run ended in the Class 3A, Section 2 playoffs as the Storm, which won the now-defunct Missota Conference title, bowed out of the double-elimination tournament with a 7-5 loss to Prior Lake in the losers’ bracket final.
Coenen has one answer for why Chanhassen has gotten off to hot start.
“They’re really young, but they work really hard,” Coenen said.
And they’re not taking a single game for granted.
