(Lander, WY) – On a perfect late March afternoon, the Lander Lady Tigers made a little history hosting their first WHSAA-sanctioned high school softball game against the visiting Cody Lady Broncs. It was a double-header with a 2 pm game for the Lander reserves and a 4 pm varsity contest.
In an entertaining game, the younger Lady Tigers handled Cody 7-3. There were 17 girls in the opening game.
Veteran officials Mike Showalter of Powell and Frisco Saunders of Riverton worked the game. They’ve been around American Legion baseball for decades and enjoy the opportunity to work high school girls’ softball as well.
Both teams enjoyed the warm, calm conditions at the field north of the Lander Valley High School track and football field.
The sounds of the whistles coming from the Lander girls’ and boys’ soccer teams hosting Worland could be heard during the game. A festive atmosphere in many ways.
From inside the Cody dugout, a coach could be heard saying, “Hey, I brought donuts, have one.”
The response was unexpected, “Coach, we gave up sugar for Lent,” one of the players said.
A bit downtrodden, he came back to life when another player accidentally dumped his huge bag of sunflower seeds onto the floor of the dugout.
All was well until a handful of girls started to put the seeds that hit the floor back into the bag.
“No, you didn’t,” he said as he turned from coaching first base.
It’s an interesting mix of players in Lander this inaugural season. It is reminiscent of Riverton’s 1988 American Legion Championship team, which featured four players from Shoshoni, a couple from Lander, and the core from Riverton.
Lander is that way this season, with nine girls from other schools playing for the Lady Tigers.
Wind River has a pair in Izzy Musalem and Taniya Burnett. Three girls make the short trip from Ethete, with Wyoming Indian athletes Tamiya Kaulity, Lorion Green, and Natasha Friday.
Riverton has Rosa Ramos and Reighann Ortiz on the squad, and the Metzler sisters, Cambree and Brenna, have the longest commute, driving 50 miles one way each day for practice from Shoshoni.
Prevedel is an admitted softball fanatic. She claims Laramie as home after living in the Gem City for a decade, but is originally from Roosevelt, Utah.
She played college softball at Trinidad State and Adams State in Colorado.
“I chased the game and played in Austria and New Zealand,” Prevedel said. “I coached in Laramie for four years.”
She works for the non-profit Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative.
“I was in the right place at the right time to start the program,” Prevedel said.
She lives north of Kinnear along the highway to Pavillion.
“I live in the middle of nowhere,” Prevedel said. “But it’s close to work.”
She had praise for her three assistant coaches, “We have a really good coaching staff,” she said.
Her assistants are Lander School Psychologist Morgan Schubring, Chelsie Wilson, and Keysha Martell.
Since this is the first year for Lander in high school girls’ softball, they are not eligible for the postseason, and their games are considered junior varsity, though their opponents are varsity squads.
Previously, Fremont County players made the long trek to Worland to play softball. The Lady Warriors have only eight players this season so in a sort of role reversal, Lander sends five or six varsity players to Worland for conference games.
“We’re a combined program, we send position players to make their varsity games more competitive,” Prevedel said. “It’s a win-win. They get better players and we get more experience.”
Friday, the entire Lady Tiger team is traveling to Worland. Five or six girls will join with the Lady Warriors for a conference game against Gillette while the remainder of the team will play a double-header against the Campbell County junior varsity.
h/t Carl Cote h/t Carl Cote Coach Prevedel smiles after Lander gets a strikeout. h/t Carl Cote Kimi fields a ground ball for Lander Thursday. h/t Carl Cote Temiah pitches for the Lady Tigers. h/t Carl Cote Miriam Washut gets high fives after scoring a run for the Lady Tigers. h/t Carl Cote Miriam Washut makes her way towrd third for Lander.h/t Carl Cote Coach Prevedel looks on from the dugout during Cody’s at bat. h/t Carl Cote Lorion Green deflects the ball thrown at her as she scores a run for Lander. h/t Carl Cote Kimi swings to make contact for Lander Thursday. h/t Carl Cote
It might look a little odd for Gillette fans with the green and black Lady Tigers playing their purple Lady Camels in the JV games while the orange and black Lady Warriors take the field in the varsity contest.
Lander will be eligible for the playoffs in the 2027 season.