Carterville senior class 'most successful' in softball

PEORIA - Carterville Lions softball coach Will Capie calls the 2026 graduated senior class - Savannah Gibbs, Taryn Ford, Audrina Sloan, Colbie Bennett, Sofia Badiu and Caidence Phillips - the "most successful class" in school history.

And who could argue?

The class posted a four-year record of 134-12-1. That includes four River-to-River Conference Ohio Division titles; four regional titles; three sectional titles; three super-sectional titles; one second-place overall state finals finish (2025); and two first-place state finals finishes (2024 and 2026).

"The importance of being close off the field and how that has translated to success on the field makes for a good story," Capie said. "These girls put in the work every day at practice and were all very coachable."

Gibbs, the team's center fielder who will play softball on scholarship at the University of Tennessee Martin, said she couldn't have asked for a better experience with the game that she loves and teammates that she also loves.

"That means a lot to me," she said. "We have been together from a very young age - from our Carterville Crush days through high school. And we all had the same goal, which was to win a state championship as seniors."

Gibbs said she plans to apply all she has learned about the game from the Lions coaches when competing at the Division 1 level next school year.

"I'm really going to miss all the time I spent here with my teammates playing for Cartervlle High School, but am also looking forward to the future."

Sloan, the team's second baseman, does not plan to play softball in college. Her path instead will be pursing a nursing degree at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.

"It's been a great four years here," she said. "I remember being in the sixth grade and how much we learned from the eighth graders and how that carried over to high school when those girls were seniors and we were sophomores. This year, we were the ones the younger girls were looking up to for help when any was needed. I'd like to think we've done everything we set out to do."

Sloan added that she and her senior teammates "never expected" to be a part of three state tournament teams.

"We thought we were talented enough, but you never know what might happen when you get into the postseason," she said. "We feel very fortunate to have accomplished what we did."

Ford, one of the team's ace pitchers and starting third baseman when not pitching, said she was "cherishing" the last days and hours that she and her senior friends were spending together four hours away from home at the state meet in Peoria.

"Our coaches told us that they are grateful to have coached us - one of the best senior classes they ever had," Ford continued. "I think what made us special was our passion for the game and drive to improve as players. I'd like to think we also made an impact with our younger players."

Ford will take her pitching talents to Wichita State University, where she will either immediately or eventually be a part of that team's rotation.

"I'm going to miss my girls," she said. "So many of us are going different directions. I will also miss the best coaches I have ever had and playing for my hometown. At Carterville, we had the best support system in the world."

Bennett played outfield on the Lions state championship team of 2024, but went back to her more familiar position of catcher the last two seasons.

"Competing here at the state tournament with my friends will always hold a special place in my heart," Bennett said. "I've been wearing a Carterville uniform practically my entire life. Not only will I miss my senior teammates but also the underclassmen. They have been fun to hang with."

Bennett will play on scholarship at John A. Logan College this fall, where she hopes to make an immediate impact.

"I am hoping to establish a bond with a new set of teammates at Logan," she said. "I'm excited to get started."

Sofia Badiu did not get to spend much time swinging the bat or playing the field in games, but she was quite the cheerleader from the bench and did contribute to the team's success as an experienced pinchrunner.

"It is my hope that our class's legacy will live on through the younger girls on the team," Badiu said. "For me personally, I will miss so many things that we did together. Not just practices and games but even sitting down at the lunch table and telling stories to one another and looking at pictures."

Badiu will attend Murray State University this fall where she plans to study political science and eventually earn a law degree.

"I'm so glad things worked out the way they did," she said. "Losing at state last year really motivated us a lot. Making it back to the finals is where we wanted to be and where we felt we deserved to be."

Phillips, the team's top pitcher this spring, said she has made enough wondrous memories from her softball experiences as a Lion to last a lifetime.

"It's really amazing how strong our (senior class) bond has been both on and off the field," she said. "Colbie has been with me practically every step of the way. All the tournaments we have played in since were really young... all the practices and one-on-one sessions. And how we competed in such a healthy way... all mean a lot to me."

Phillips, who accepted a scholarship offer to pitch for the University of Illinois, said she knew this senior group would find a way to lead the Lions to a second state title in three years.

"It's just that special chemistry that developed between us over the years. We all wanted the same thing - to win a championship - and we worked as hard as we could to accomplish just that."

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This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 10:35 AM.