Fenton, MI — March 6, 2023
The Fenton High School’s Varsity Softball season steps into the batter’s box next month. The lady Tigers begin play with a scrimmage against Oxford High School on April 5th. They open the season on the road at Schwartz Creek and Kearsley High Schools. Before returning home to face Holly HS on April 17th.
Anticipation is high for the 2023 season. Fenton won the district title in 2021. The Tigers followed that with a regional championship in 2022. Coming within two games of the State District One championship contest, losing to Hudsonville (4-2) in the quarterfinals.
An important part of those championship runs can be attributed to the contributions of Lily Turkowski.
Underclasswoman Success
Lily made the Fenton Varsity Softball squad as a freshman and became a starter her first year. She has played first base and pitcher throughout her tenure at Fenton. As a freshman, Lily was named 1st Team All-League first base woman in the Flint Metro League and received All-District recognition. She is also a scholar athlete for the Lady Tigers.
In 2022 Lily pitched 22 innings and recorded 35 strikeouts. She held opposing hitters to a .183 batting average.
At the plate, Lilly put up some impressive numbers. Playing in 51 of 52 games, her batting average was .465, with an On Base Percentage (OBP) of .465 and a slugging average of .906. Lily hit 13 home runs and contributed 31 Runs Batted In (RBIs)
Lily is a two-sport athlete, competing on the Fenton Girls Varsity Volleyball Squad.
Travel Team Softball
Lily plays softball year-round. She is currently a member of Tennessee Mojo Sandusky. Her coach, Rob Sandusky, has been her coach since she was 12. The travel squad has tournaments every weekend in June and July, with 4-5 fall tournaments and 1-2 winter events. Tennessee Mojo Sandusky plays as far away as Tennessee and Pennsylvania. Locally they compete as close as Toledo, South Bend, and Grand Blanc.
In 2022, she did pitch quite a bit for her travel team. Logging 91 innings and recording 83 strikeouts. Her opponent’s bathing avg was .298.
What does she do in her spare time? Lily likes to hunt. Now there is a real Michigan Girl.
Big Plans for 2023
In addition to joining her Fenton teammates for another run at a Michigan High School Athletic Association State Championship, Lily has been invited to participate in an all-star International Softball Tournament.
“The Cup” is an annual fastpitch indoor softball tournament held in Schiedam, a town near Rotterdam in the Netherlands. “It is the most prestigious Indoor Fastpitch Softball Tournament in the World. It features select US High School Fast Pitch Softball Players competing against some of Europe’s Most Talented Players,”
Players represent the USA in the competition and enjoy European cultural experiences with side trips to Paris and Amsterdam.
Naturally, Lily is excited to participate in this opportunity. “This challenge will allow me to explore a new culture while also learning life lessons through personal experiences. It will allow me to improve my skills on the field of play while developing a better understanding of the world around me. It is an opportunity to represent the USA on the world sports scene while gaining the educational experience of a lifetime.”
This is a young lady with a great head on her shoulders.
Help Support Lily
As you can imagine, intercontinental travel, lodging, and related expenses can put a rather large dent in the budget of a family with an amateur softball prodigy. If you or someone you know would like to support Lily in this adventure, the community is responding with contributions.
Lilly has a MAKEACHAMP page to help raise funds for the journey. Here is the link.
MAKEACHAMP is the global leader in crowdfunding for sports. Athletes, teams, and clubs leverage the power of crowdfunding with MAKEACHAMP to raise funds quickly and efficiently, share their stories, and grow their fanbase.
Area residents and businesses can get behind the effort to showcase a Fenton youngster with incredible skills to a worldwide audience. Let’s help her achieve this dream.
The Lasco Press will follow Lily’s progress, check in on the Fenton Tigers Softball campaign, and hopefully highlight her accomplishments. Stay Tuned.
