By Kevin Maloney

Eighth-year head coach Mike Rowan and the Northwest Rangers will hit the field for their 2011 softball opener on Sunday, Feb. 20 against Arkansas Baptist, looking to build off the third, 30-win season in school history last year and a third place finish in the MACJC North Division.

The biggest obstacle the Rangers will have to endure in the early going is the lack of practice time on the field due to constant cold temperatures and several school cancellations due to snow.

Northwest has spent countless hours in the indoor hitting facility and weight room to stay on top of their game, only stepping on the field a total of three times this spring. And with the doing away of the fall schedule league-wide, the Rangers have not played a competitive game since April 29 of last year.

“For the first time since 2002, we didn’t play a fall schedule,” Rowan said. “We only have five returning sophomores and the rest are all incoming freshmen. Going into our season, I really don’t know what we have. We just need to play.”

Northwest will be tested like they never have before through the first 15 games of the season, playing five NJCAA Division I schools at Northeast’s Tigerfest Feb. 25-26, sandwiched between a pair of doubleheaders against Hinds on Feb. 23/28 and a twinbill at East Mississippi on March 2 to open division play.

“This is probably the toughest schedule we’ve had in my eight years,” Rowan said. “In the early going, I didn’t want to play teams we’ll play during the year. We’ll play nine games in a four-day stretch and that should give us a good idea where we are as a team.”

In all, Northwest will square off with three teams who won 30 or more games last season.

Northwest hit .325 as a team a year ago, scoring close to 10 runs-per-game and driving in 213 more, while six of the Rangers’ seven everyday starters hit over .300.

Returning sophomores Candice Brasher (.391) and Lauren Kendall (.322) provided a bulk of the offensive production, as Brasher led the team in doubles (10), home runs (5), RBIs (40) and slugging percentage (.602) and Kendall had nine doubles, a triple and 22 RBIs in an injury-shortened season.

Northwest will be very young up the middle and in the outfield, but will have some familiar faces on the corners in sophomores Kayla Wilson at first and Kendall or Brasher at third. Wilson played in four different positions last season, seeing time in left and right field as well as short and third. Wilson hit .268 from the plate with a pair of doubles, 21 RBIs and was also 6 for 6 on stolen bases.

Magen Fullwood had a stellar freshman campaign, going 10-4 with a 2.14 ERA and team-high eight complete games. Brasher finished with a 7-7 record, 2.77 ERA and team-high 50 strikeouts and Kendall (3-2, 4.68 ERA, 3 CG) also appeared in 13 games (11 starts).

“Magen had a great year last year winning 10 games,” Rowan said. “We’ve got some solid returners in addition to two freshmen who I think are going to surprise a few people.”

Freshmen Stormy Robison and Casey Gibson are the two freshmen expected in the pitching rotation, with Robison coming off MVP, All-Area and Oxford-Eagle Player of the Year honors at Lafayette. She also played at South Panola.

“It’s pretty wide open with the remaining positions,” Rowan said.

Competing for spots in the outfield will be Cheryl Holcomb (Hernando HS), Courtney Clay (Horn Lake HS), Amanda Bies (Senatobia HS) and Linsey Hebert (North Delta HS) as well as Lindsey Brewer (Senatobia HS) and Kaitlyn Howell (Hernando HS) behind the plate and Chelsea Murphy (Tarpon Springs, Fla., HS), Min Kandies (Cleveland HS) and Hillari Plummer (North Delta HS) around the diamond.

Defense will be a key area Northwest looks to improve in after committing almost five errors a game last year to start the season. The Rangers gradually got better as the season progressed, committing a total of 78 errors (1.9/game) against a .939 fielding percentage.

Team speed is also something that will get a boost this year, literally. The Rangers bring in some speedy freshmen who look to improve on 26 of 29 stolen bases a year ago, along with the most slap-hitters Rowan has had in his career with four.

Rowan is 200-89 (.692) overall at Northwest in seven seasons, including a stellar 94-34 (.734) ledger against division opponents. The Rangers will also look to compete for a third north title in five years.

Northwest opens division play on March 2 at East Mississippi, followed by home games against Delta and Northeast on March 4 and 8. The home and away conference schedule is split completely down the middle with 12 home games and 12 away games against division foes.

The regular season finale is on April 19 against the always talented Itawamba.