Experienced Raiders trounce Warriors in 2026 opener
Coming off a season where they finished just one game shy of winning a conference championship, the Arcadia softball team brings back a core of key players who will lead the charge as the Raiders gun for the Coulee crown in 2026.
Reigning Coulee Conference Player of the Year Tatum Drazkowski, who is still just a junior, headlines the returnees following a 2025 campaign where she successfully made the move to catcher and posted a .558 batting average, an OPS of 1.393, 33 RBIs and 52 stolen bases.
Joining her among the key returning starters are fellow junior and all-conference first-team selection Layna Wozney and junior Amaya Schlesser, who was a second-team pick a year ago.
The Raiders have two senior starters in first baseman Tessah Ely and center fielder Kiley Fitzpatrick, who were both All-Coulee honorable mentions in 2025. Other expected starters for this spring include Schlesser at shortstop, junior Madison Grotjahn at third base, junior Sacia Boland in left field, junior Riley Walters at second base and sophomore Megan Breska in right field.
Arcadia only lost one senior who received major playing time to graduation from last season, but it was a significant departure: two-time All-Coulee first-team pitcher Kaitlyn Bremer. Wozney will be tasked with stepping into the circle and being the Raiders’ regular starting pitcher.
“We have a good group of returning players that have some real good experience coming into 2026 — we have two senior starters, six junior starters and one sophomore,” said Arcadia head coach Dave “Boots” Bjorge. “The loss of senior pitcher Kaitlyn Bremer will be the biggest void to fill. Junior Layna Wozney will be relied upon for majority of the innings and freshman Teagan Pientok will also receive time in the circle.”
Bjorge believes that Drazkowski, Wozney and Schlesser are all poised to take the next steps in already successful careers to help boost what should be a formidable offense. Though he acknowledges that pitching and defense are question marks that will need to be answered this spring, he says “the sky’s the limit with this group” as they look to build on their success from last season.
“Greatest strengths would be experience and overall team speed. Unknowns will be pitching and defense,” Bjorge said. “Have some players in different positions that are still learning and pitching — Layna has some varsity experience and will be asked to eat up more innings and Teagan getting some varsity experience will be big for us as well.”
Arcadia 12 N/G 1
There was little drama for the Raiders (1-0) in their 2026 season opener, as they battered Neillsville/Granton (0-1) for a mercy-rule victory in five innings last Thursday in Arcadia.
The Raiders got on the board with three runs in the first inning that included an Amaya Schlesser RBI single and a Sacia Boland RBI groundout. Schlesser added an RBI double as part of two runs in the bottom of the second, followed by a four-run rally in the third that included an RBI knock by Tatum Drazkowski.
Arcadia tacked on four final runs in the fourth inning to put them in position for a 10-run rule victory, which they secured after Layna Wozney left two runners stranded in the top of the fifth. The Warriors scored their lone run in the second inning.
Wozney was sharp in her debut as the team’s regular starting pitcher, allowing one unearned run in five innings and striking out six along the way.
Schlesser led the Raider offense by going 2 for 3 with a walk, two RBIs and three runs scored. Schlesser, Boland and Tessah Ely all notched a double in the win.
After first playing the Panthers on the road on Monday, Arcadia hosts West Salem Thursday at 5 p.m. to complete a two-game series that could have massive implications in the battle for Coulee supremacy this spring.
Following Easter weekend, the Raiders hit the road to play Westby on Tuesday at 5 p.m.
