Armed with a nucleus of veterans that includes nine players who were starters at one time or another in 2002, the Carson High School softball team has good cause for optimism as it heads into the spring season.
"I think we're going to be solid," coach John Sullivan said. "We're returning players at every position, so it should be fun to see what happens."
The Senators should know more after their season opener Thursday at 3:30 p.m. against Douglas in Minden. The Sierra League game is sure to attract attention because Brittany Puzey and Kayla Dunn, Carson's pitching and hitting leaders last year, transferred and will be playing out of the Douglas dugout.
Sullivan didn't dwell on any of that when he spoke of the prospects for this season.
"Our goal is to win enough games during the regular season to get to tournament, and once you get there, anything can happen," Sullivan said. "Last year, we were basically one swing away from going to the state tournament."
Though the Senators (19-15-1 overall last year, 9-9 league) were actually two wins short of a state berth, they were eliminated from the postseason with a 7-6 loss to a McQueen team that eventually finished second in the Northern 4A tournament. To further compound the disappointment, the Senators led 5-1 on their home field before McQueen rallied back to win with six runs in the fourth inning.
Senior Lindsey Perondi leads the list of experience as she returns to play her fourth season as a starter. Perondi's role will be different because she has been switched from catcher to third base.
"We're expecting some pretty big things from Lindsey," Sullivan said. "She's good defensively and she's a good hitter."
Senior outfielders Bethany Henry and Natalie Mandoki and junior pitcher Lindsay Farnworth are third-year varsity veterans. The outfield should be one of the team's strengths with Henry in center, flanked by Mandoki in left and Kaitie Vidovich in right.
"I think Bethany is going to be one of the best outfielders in the league," Sullivan said. "She's fast and has a strong arm and she's probably going to hit 4 or 5 for us."
Farnworth was an all-league designated hitter and a front-line pitcher for the Senators as a freshman in 2001. Farnworth didn't pitch last season, but with the departure of Puzey and Dunn, she is expected to return to the rotation now. Sophomore Mandy Carvin and junior Ambir Rackley round out the pitching staff.
"We're not going to be overpowering as a pitching staff, but we have three girls who throw a lot of strikes, they mix their pitches up and try to keep hitters off balance," Sullivan said.
Another returning starter is sophomore Liz Rankl, who has been switched from shortstop to second base. Senior Heather Diamond, who played three JV seasons, is now the starter at shortstop.
"Heather played a lot of summer ball; I think she's going to surprise some people this year," Sullivan said.
Junior Ariadne Gonzalez saw extensive playing time at catcher last season and is expected to step into the lineup to hit in the leadoff spot. Senior Nichole Monge and junior Kelli Cahill are expected to share time at DH. Summer Lovett, a junior transfer who previously played varsity ball for Coleville, and sophomore Katie Davis figure to bring added depth to the infield.
Three-time defending state champion Wooster, led by Oregon State-bound pitcher Brianne McGowan, is expected to be a team to reckon with once again in the Sierra League and Northern 4A.
"It's tough to win four years in a row, and our league is pretty tough. " Sullivan said. "Douglas is going to have a great team. Reno is going to be tough; they have the (Jackie) Rinehart girl. North Valleys should be pretty good. I'm not sure what Hug and (South) Tahoe are going to be like, but you can't overlook them."
The Senators make their home debut on Saturday with a 10 a.m. doubleheader against South Tahoe.