FARGO-The North Dakota State softball team lost so much from last season that you have to wonder if head coach Darren Mueller had trouble recognizing his team on the first day of practice. It will be major test for one of the top mid-major Division I programs in the country to see if it can immediately reload.

Of the few players that are returning, three are its top two pitchers and the other is the starting catcher, who happens to be the team's only senior. Alyssa Reina said she's ready for the leadership challenge.

"Sometimes it feels like I'm 60 years old when I play," Reina said. "But I don't think about it like that. It's another year to play and another year to get better with these new group of girls. It's amazing to see and be a part of."

Reina will be catching top pitchers Jacquelyn Sertic from Sparks, Nev., and KK Leddy from Middleburg, Fla. And if you're going to have one area of the team that has experience, that's a good start.

"It's reassuring to have the pitching depth of those two," Mueller said.

listen live watch live

NDSU went 39-15 last season, went 17-0 in the Summit League and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the seventh time in eight years. The Bison have won at least 30 games in each of the past 10 years.

But they also lost nine players from a year ago including four who started all 54 games. Not only that, all four played key defensive spots with shortstop Logan Moreland, second baseman Cheyenne Garcia, centerfielder Jenna Isbell and first baseman Jackie Stifter.

Title-contending teams generally like experience up the middle and now the Bison will have a new middle infield and center fielder to break in.

Freshmen Montana DeCamp from Indianola, Iowa, and Lauren Reimers from Morris, Monn., are taking over at shortstop and second base respectively. DeCamp was on an Iowa Blitz team that reached the United States Specialty Sports Association World Series. Reimers redshirted as a shortstop last year but is switching to second base this spring.

"You can't be afraid as freshmen, they have the talent to be out there," Mueller said. "That doesn't mean we can't win this year."

The Bison will also be without junior left field Katie Shoultz, who started 51 games a year ago, because of a blood clot issue. It also can't be understated losing two valuable assistant coaches when associate head coach Jamie Trachsel took the head position at Iowa State. Pitching coach Brynne Dordel followed her to ISU.

Mueller and Trachsel were together for 13 years building the program from a Division II transition to a Division I mid-major power.

"In a way, it's like a new program," Mueller said. "Jamie and I had our system and we'll try to maintain those similarities. There are a lot of new things. New buildings (Sanford Health Athletic Complex locker room), new office-it sounds like a different program."

One thing that isn't different for a program that has been to the NCAA tournament in seven of its last eight seasons: A difficult non-conference schedule.

NDSU opens its season this weekend at the Cal State Fullerton Easton Invitational. In one stretch in March, the Bison will play Florida, Auburn, Missouri, Ohio State, Rutgers and Georgia Tech.

"One thing about our program, we develop a lot throughout the year," said Reina, from Auburn, Calif. "It's something we say a lot to our younger players. It's all about getting better and having an amazing work ethic."

Reina missed her sophomore season because of medical procedures to her rotator cuff and labrum. The downside was she didn't get to graduate with her class last season. But she said there was no question she wasn't going to use her last season of eligibility.

"I knew I would regret if I didn't come back," she said. "And I love this group of girls and I love being here. Playing softball in college has never been a question for me. It's been an amazing ride and I wouldn't not want it to continue."