The Oregon softball team wrapped up its first season of fall ball under new coachlast week, and now enters a month of strength-and-conditioning and skill development before breaking for December. The start of practices for the 2019 season will be upon us in no time, but recently Lombardi and several players offered their thoughts on fall developments to GoDucks.com.Your team went 8-0 during its fall schedule, so it was certainly a success from the standpoint of wins and losses. What did you see that you liked in your first eight games at Jane Sanders Stadium?It was nice to have the eight games this fall, because it did give me an opportunity to see what our team looks like right now. And, what are things we need to work on to be prepared for the spring? Just to really see where we're at as a team.So, what impressions were you left with?: You can see that we can swing the bat. From the beginning of the fall to the end, we swung the bat well (The Ducks hit .478 as a team). Our power increased from the beginning to the end. So a lot of the things we've been working on in practice, you could see pay off.The team did graduate players likeand. Was increasing your power production a priority?We worked really hard on timing. And knowing that, if we were facing a pitcher that mixed her speeds up, or her miles per hour were a little bit lower, that we worked hard to hit the ball up the middle, hit the ball oppo. And you could see that with the team — with each game their plan got more specific to the pitcher we were facing. And with that, we saw the power show up more as well. I think it's important that they know they have a strong plan. And then it's executing that plan. So if I'm looking for a particular pitch and it shows up, it's important to be on time to that pitch; you could have a beautiful swing, but if you're not on time, that doesn't matter. Understand what it is they're hunting at the plate, and to be on time for it. And that's what you started to see show up towards the middle and end of the fall games.The team returned three starting outfielders, inand. Do you consider that to be the veteran foundation offensively and defensively, or do you anticipate competition at those spots?There will be competition to the very end. But what I like is, it is a veteran outfield. They cover a lot of ground out there. They have strong arms. And all of them also do a great job at the plate. So, they're complete athletes, with experience.You've got to trust the process. I've for sure been working on my consistency, as a hitter and fielder. Getting stronger. And just being that veteran presence on the field.It seems to be a different story on the infield, where Sanders,andgraduated from the 2018 team. What did you see on the infield this fall?We're coming in with a very young infield. But when I think about athletes that stuck out, the first one is– the veteran of the group. You could see she's very particular with what she wanted. She was aggressive at the plate. She did a great job being on time. I really like how she spread the field. But I also liked how she could hit a ball off the wall, and then when our opponent adjusted and was playing her deep, she would bunt for a base hit. Our young freshman infielders had a lot to learn this fall. They had so much to learn, whether it was on defense or offense. I thought they handled that well. We put a lot on their plate. Our returners —— it was about just settling into their spots. Shay played a lot at second base, and then obviously Mary got more time behind the plate.What sort of relationship did Mary have with the pitching staff, afterdid the bulk of the catching last season?Mary did a great job handling our pitchers this fall. There was definitely a foundation with our battery to begin with. It's just obviously about Mary getting more time now. With Gwen graduating, it gave her a lot of time behind the plate. I thought she did a great job. You could tell they feel very comfortable throwing to her, which is important. She's got a cannon for an arm. She's very mobile; she moves very well behind the plate. She's a great receiver. So even if we have a runner at third, our pitchers feel comfortable throwing everything they've got, and knowing she'll take great care of them.I didn't get to play my first fall, because I sprained both ankles. So this year I got to play stress free, like it was freshman year all over again. I learned so much from Gwen. I learned the mental part, and now I get to finally apply it. I think that's the best part for me. The coaches were looking for me to step up, and probably help develop – mentally — the freshmen. I know they're capable physically, because why else would they be here? But help them mentally, and with their adjustments, and what to expect during (conference play). I think there was an expectation I could be a power bat, and that's probably why I struggled in the first weekend of fall. But once I started to play free, it came natural again.You return the Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year in, which must be nice for a first-year coach. Where were areas you tried to help her improve even more as a senior?With Kleist being a returner and being a veteran, she knows what she needs to do. To me there's not a whole lot of teaching going on. It's more about game-planning. For her to understand, when a hitter comes to the plate, what are they looking for, what are they trying to be on time for?You also got seven scoreless appearances from. She became such a fan favorite as a freshman in 2017, but then really struggled with a back injury last spring. What were your impressions of her this fall?Maggie was a bright spot this fall for us. And what I loved about Maggie is that, she constantly gave our offense momentum because of what she was doing on the mound. She did a great job of working ahead, had good command over her pitches, her velocity has increased — you could see she's just very comfortable on the mound. The first game of the fall, she goes out and throws a perfect game with 13 strikeouts. And then from there every time she stepped on the mound, she was very consistent with what she did. Obviously stepping back out on the mound and getting a performance like that gives you confidence. But you could tell prior to that game, things she was doing in the bullpen and at practice, she's in a really good place right now.Going back home for three months over the summer was really big for me. I went back and was in the gym every day, and was really focused on myself. That really helped me. Being in the gym got me back mentally how I was, and I'm excited to be back. As much as I might not want to say it, having the injury has helped me for the future. Now I know how it feels to sit on the bench and not be used. I don't want to ever be in that position again. I'm definitely feeling better; my back's feeling better, and I feel healthier. My speed's still a little bit down; I still want to get it back up there. But I've got a couple more months. But coming out of the fall, I thought I threw really well.Your other pitcher during the fall,, opted to transfer, as did. What are your thoughts on their departure?It's tough to lose student-athletes. We don't want to lose anybody. But I want the best for Miranda and Lauren. And if that's for them to continue their careers at another program, then that's what I want. I want the best for them. I appreciate what they've done for Oregon softball, and wish them the best in the upcoming season.So now that the fall schedule is wrapped up, what are the next steps as the season approaches?Last week completed our team practices, and now we're back into eight-hour weeks, split between strength-and-conditioning and skill development. Fall gave myself and our coaching staff a clear idea of where our athletes and where our team is at right now. Now we get to go into our eight-hour weeks and be even more specific with them as individuals, which I like. We're able to do individual work, but then we can come together as a team and execute what we were doing in those individual times. We have four hours a week for skill development, and can split up and be very specific to each athlete; we can be specific to small defensive groups or offensive groups; and then we can come together and implement that in a team practice.When you came here, the idea was to help take the program to the next level. What steps did you take over the fall, and can you take in the next few weeks, to set the stage for that once the season begins?One thing I'm trying to get them to understand is, it's about what's directly in front of us. To not look in the past, or get caught up in the future. Get caught up with what is directly in front of us, and what we're putting forth to that. To be in the moment, to be present with what is in front of us. If today it's practice, to give everything we've got to practice. And if we continue to be strong with what's in front of us, things will take care of themselves.Did going through fall ball give you a clearer sense of what to expect in the spring, and where you stack up both in the Pac-12 and nationally?I think we've got some great veterans coming back this year, and then I think we've got some newcomers that are going to make a difference as well. Watching them together in the fall, and seeing the things they can do, it gets me excited for the spring.