Softball team has new coach

There’s a change in leadership but plenty of experience on the field as Ely begins a new season in high school softball.

The Timberwolves return all but one starter from a team that reached the Section 7A Final Four for the first time in program history, while Jeff MacKenzie steps in as the new team’s head coach.

An assistant with the program last year, MacKenzie brings extensive softball experience - including many years as a pitcher in his native Canada - and succeeds Cory Lassi in the job.

“I’ve been playing since I was 10 years old,” said MacKenzie, who pitched teams to provincial championships and even was part of a team that played in New Zealand. “It was a big sport in high school there. We never had baseball. We had softball.”

MacKenzie has been working with the Timberwolves’ pitchers as an assistant

and one of his top students is his daughter Zoe,

Ely Timberwolves

Softball - 2025 Schedule

Apr. 10: at Greenway Apr. 11: at Mes. East Apr. 14: Cook County Apr. 15: at Mt. Iron-Buhl Apr. 17: Cherry

Apr. 22: at Deer River Apr. 24: Chisholm Apr. 25: at Two Harbors Apr. 28: South Ridge May 1: North Woods May 5: at Int. Falls May 6 at Chisholm May 7: Silver Bay

May 9 at North Woods May 12: Mt. Iron-Buhl May 14: Littlefork-Big Falls May 16: Two Harbors, 12:30 p.m. May 16: Hill City, 4:30 p.m.

May 17: at Floodwood, 11 a.m.

Home games in bold Games at 4 p.m. unless noted who earned all-conference recognition in 2024.

Zoe MacKenzie pitched 117 innings and notched 111 strikeouts while leading her team in the circle.

“Zoe is pretty much the horse of the team,” said Jeff MacKenzie. “Everything goes as Zoe goes. She’s really improved and she’s throwing harder and getting better.”

The Wolves do have a big hole to fill in the lineup with the graduation of all-conference and all-section shortstop Hannah Penke, who MacKenzie called “one of the best softball players I’ve seen in the 22 years I’ve been in Ely,” and “hard to replace.”

But her younger sister, sophomore Amelia Penke, will step in to fill the void at shortstop after starting at second base in 2024.

She’ll be part of a potent Ely infield that includes Maija Mattson (first base) and Ella Perish (third base) at the corners and sophomore Julia Zgonc stepping in at second base.

Behind the plate, the Wolves are sure to get a spark from returning catcher Peyton Huntington, who got all-conference honorable mention as a ninth grader.

The outfield is anchored by all-conference and threesport standout Clare Thomas, who returns after hitting .479 with 24 runs batted in last season.

Makenzi Huntington and Rylee Larson fill the other outfield spots, while Naomi Archer is backing up Zoe MacKenzie at pitcher. Two eighth-graders - Lindi Zemke and Annika Eastham provide further depth. Zemke started a game in the playoffs a year ago and collected a hit.

The Wolves have 29 players in grades 7-12. They’ve been practicing inside waiting for fields to dry, although both a Friday game at Mesabi East and an April 15 clash with Mt. Iron-Buhl are likely to be played, as both teams have artificial turf fields.

The Wolves have 10 home dates and figure to be among the contenders in 7A again after a historic 2024 campaign.

“We should be able to match what we did last year,” said Jeff MacKenzie, who is assisted by Kelsey Ivancich. “I truly believe we can do that, barring injury obviously. We should be right where we finished last year and probably improve on it.”