Q. What is the softball team doing right now to prepare for next season?

A. We just finished up fall practice. It went very well. We have a very young team, but they are really hard workers. We finished 6-2 in the fall and are looking forward to the spring.

Q. Who are your new players to keep an eye out for?

A. We have six freshmen this year, which is quite a lot. Kelsie Mattox, from Alpharetta, Ga., plays second base and right field. She had a really good fall and a couple key hits for us against Tennessee. Amanda Thomas, our infielder, also had a really good fall for us.

Q. What did you see from the team over the fall season?

A. We are very competitive. We really did a lot to work together as a team. Even though we have an entirely new infield this year, they are still playing together. We are excited about that.

Q. How has the transition been without last year’s seniors?

A. It is has been different since they have been here for so long. This is my first team that I have recruited all the players or I have been their only coach. It has been a really interesting and exciting time being together.

Q. Who are your players that are stepping up to fill those shoes?

A. All of our upperclassmen really this year have been doing a really good job of taking on a leadership role. A lot of our sophomores, like Katrina Metoyer and Mallorie Sulaski, have really stepped up too. It is not necessarily verbally, but more by their actions, which are showing that they are leaders.

Q. How are you using last season’s disappointment of not making the Sun Belt Conference tournament going into this season?

A. It is definitely serving as a fuel. We started out this fall talking about last season, just as a reminder to not take things for granted. But then we stopped talking about it. This team has its own identity and has its own opportunities. We don’t want to dwell on some of the past when our future looks as bright as this.