The Lady Lakers have a new head softball coach in Stephanie McGowan and a new top assistant in Jamie Brumley.

McGowan's resume speaks for itself as she was a member of the Morehead St softball team from 1999 through 2002. She set the school's career stolen base mark in April 2002 against Eastern Kentucky University with 56.

Fast forward to the present and she will try to guide the Lady Laker softball program back to the 16th district crown and this season's team, led by seniors Sara McClure, Sky Covarrubias and Ashley Adams will may have the talent and smarts to do it.

"Basically we're really excited," McGowan said. "We've got a lot of new kids and they're coming together and playing together for the first time this year."

She said the team's positive attitude has shown through from the last coaching staff to this one.

"Anything we've thrown at them they've taken it and gone with it," McGowan said. "We've not had any problems introducing things they've never done before. When we give them a challenge, they just step up and do it rather than back down."

She said that type of mentality was due in large part to the leadership of the team's three seniors.

"It is their senior year and they hold everybody responsible for going all out because that's what they've done all these years," she said. "They really hold the team accountable and set an example so they make our job easy."

Both McGowan and Brumley agreed that the way the team has bonded in the early portion of the season was a sign they wanted to succeed at the highest level.

"When they come together our drills look like an all-star team out there," she said. "At first everyone was unsure of each other and the confidence wasn't there but now they're picking each other up and learning how to work together."

To hear the three Lady Laker seniors tell it, the team goal is to capture the 16th district crown and compete well in the 4th region tournament but McGowan preaches first things first, and that means getting through the early portion of the schedule with some respectable victories.

The senior trio of Covarrubias, McClure and Adams agreed that the goal was to win district but each also said it would be a growing process as the moves forward with such a young roster.

Individually, each senior said they had gained some strength and furthered their skill sets from a year ago, something McGowan will definitely need in her lineup. The trio said that team communication was improving and everyone was learning from their mistakes.

Each one said they cherished being a role model to the underclassmen on the team and providing that leadership and teaching younger players parts of the game they've not experienced yet and for McGowan and Brumley that could be key for a successful season.