The North Hills softball team has maintained its position as a consistent playoff threat over the years.
The program, which has claimed six WPIAL titles in its history, returns a solid core in 2026 with hopes to get back to the top.
The Indians went 17-6 last season, including a 10-2 mark in Section 1-5A. North Hills lost to Penn-Trafford, 7-0, in the WPIAL semifinals and fell to Red Land in the opening round of the PIAA tournament.
“Last season was a pretty good run,” said coach Libby Gasior, who enters her 17th season. “We were pretty happy with what we were able to accomplish with the talent that it’s in our section. We played really well most of the year. Obviously, only one team can win it all and it wasn’t us. But we were happy with our performance.”
Now, as it turns the page toward a new season, the Indians will do so with some offensive firepower that could carry them on another deep run.
“I think our biggest strength, right now, is hopefully our offense,” said Gasior, whose program has excelled at the plate under her watch. “We’re trying to fill three spots from last year. Right now it’s just about seeing where everybody’s going to fit together. But hitting should carry us early.”
The team will have to replace Alexa Edmunds, who blasted seven home runs to lead North Hills in 2025 and is now playing at Cal (Pa.). The Indians also lost Addy Wrigley and Emma Gruener.
“We kind of have a family approach in that we don’t try to replace them, but just try to build our own identity,” Gasior said. “I don’t think there’s any way to replace someone like (Edmunds), but this team will have a different approach.”
Gasior does feel that this team will have a strengthened sense of unity following the deep playoff run and have worked on building chemistry.
“That’s definitely a challenge,” she said. “We have kind of a strange mix of six seniors and have sprinkled in juniors and sophomores. And we have a pretty decent sized freshman class. So it’s been a lot of bonding in that way.”
Two sets of siblings on the team have helped in Adrianna and Macy Baumgardner, and Abby and Emma Sutton, have helped bridge the gap between upperclassmen and underclassmen, as well.
“It’s just very relatable because they have siblings,” Gasior said. “So they’re just bringing everybody along. So it’s been a lot of fun. We’ve been working out a good bit, lifting weights, conditioning, just spending time together. I think it’s all helped.”
Abby Sutton will lead the pitching efforts and is a talented two-way player, who enters her senior year with plenty of experience on her side.
“She’s a very competitive kid,” said Gasior of the all-section pick from 2025. “In the moment, we were both not really happy with the way last season ended, obviously. But, looking back after the season, we both said, ‘you know, it’s the furthest you’ve gotten as far as the WPIAL semifinals and getting to the states.’ Those were all things that were experiences for her.
“She wants what’s best for the team. She wants to win. And I think that, in the circle, those are her biggest strengths.”
Sutton will be joined by five other starters in Lily Adamski, Brianna Zwick, Emma Culver, Makenzie Roskwitalsky and Natalie Anzaldi.
“I hope they all just have continued from where they were last year, because we have some pretty decent hitting numbers and run production. We scrimmaged Seneca Valley and (Anzaldi) looked really strong.
“That experience as a junior, hitting every day at the varsity level, it’s a big change in terms of the quality of pitching you’re seeing. Hopefully they just pick up where they left off and use that experience as an edge.”
Gasior views Shaler, the defending WPIAL champion, as the team to beat once again in the classification and their section. But she does see a class that has serious depth and will make for a competitive regular season and playoffs.
“Plum and Fox Chapel, they are just kind of reloading,” she said. “Those are going to be tough games in the section. And, in 5A overall, it’s open in a way. There’s a lot of talent. Baldwin is going to be tough. Thomas Jefferson will be tough.”
The North Hills program has consistently contended under Gasior, who won a WPIAL title in 2021 with the program, and will again be a favorite to appear in the postseason — perhaps even in a title game. Gasior understands that the continual high caliber of play is a result of players and a district that cares for the sport. And for winning.
“There’s a lot of community support and community programs where the young kids just want to be a part of it,” she said. “It’s really amazing to see all those efforts go towards the final end result.”