OKLAHOMA CITY (Jan. 30, 2020) – Oklahoma Christian's softball program blazed new trails at the end of the 2019 season. The Eagles won the Heartland Conference title, qualified for the NCAA Division II tournament and then did damage once they arrived, advancing to a regional championship round – the only No. 8 seed nationally to do so.

It was all heady stuff, and while the Eagles did lose 10 players (including six seniors) off that groundbreaking squad, they do return a solid core of talented players who – along with a highly regarded group of newcomers – want to build a legacy of success for the program, not just be one-hit wonders.

Coach Shanon Hays says that's the challenge in a nutshell for the Eagles during the 2020 season, which will begin Friday with a game against Central Washington in the Desert Stinger tournament in Las Vegas.

Entering his second season at the OC helm, Hays already has put his imprint on the program, as only two players (outfielder Daelyn Denny and infielder Bailey Strecker) remain on the roster who played a game for the OC program's founder and first coach, Tom Heath. Joining Denny and Strecker as returning starters are pitcher Kali Crandall, infielder Brie Dunckel and outfielder-pitcher Lindsey Stoeckel.

That means that 12 of OC's 17 players are new to the program, but Hays is intrigued by the potential.

"There is a good core back and a super-talented group that's come in," Hays said. "We've got the pieces; we've just got to mesh them together, like we did last year. Our big issue is going to be staying healthy. We need to mature our young kids and have them grow up quickly and just stay healthy. We've got some more depth in the field, but we've got to stay healthy."

OC should be especially deep in the pitching circle. The Eagles return sophomore right-hander Kali Crandall (18-6, 2.21 ERA, 178 strikeouts), a first-team All-Heartland Conference pick in 2019, as well as Stoeckel (3-1, 2.42 ERA), a junior right-hander who improved steadily as last season progressed.

Joining the staff will be freshman right-hander Karrah Dean, junior right-hander Brianna Robinson and junior left-hander Ally Lewis, the latter two arriving after successful junior-college careers. All the pitchers but Lewis also can play in the field and hit, which figures to give Hays and his staff loads of flexibility in determining lineups.

"This year, we've got a little more depth," Hays said. "We'll be asking more of Lindsey in the circle – I think she's prepared to have a big year all the way around, pitching and hitting. Boo (Robinson) has been throwing well of late. She throws really hard. We've just got to develop them and get them ready."

At catcher, another junior-college transfer, Kaitlyn Dennis – who led Phoenix (Ariz.) to the NJCAA Division II title game in 2018, hitting .418 with 20 home runs and 76 RBIs – and Strecker (.245, 3 HRs, 30 RBIs) will split time, with both also capable of playing third base. Juco transfer Abbey Parks, who also competes for OC's bowling team, also could be in that mix.

Who plays first base mostly will depend on who is pitching. The Dunckel sisters – senior Brie Dunckel (.373, 2 HR, 18 RBIs, 23 stolen bases) at second base and freshman Katelyn Dunckel at shortstop – will handle the middle-infield positions, with speedy, versatile juco transfer Kelsey Gammage and freshman Jillian Bouse providing other options if necessary.

Strecker and Robinson, who hit 42 homers with 132 RBIs in her two seasons at Butler (Kan.), will handle most of the duties at third base.

There also are plenty of options in the outfield. Denny (.279, 3 HRs, 22 RBIs) is the returning starter in right field. Hays said freshman Tristyn Hamilton could be the fastest player in Oklahoma, a handy trait for a center fielder. Redshirt freshman Logan Menzies has the advantage of a year in the OC system and was a highly sought-after recruit in 2018, while freshman Hannah Pate (who hit .577 as a high school senior) can play any position. Freshman Hayden Harjo also could bid for playing time.

That group doesn't include Stoeckel (.316, 5 HRs, 25 RBIs), who spent much of last season as the Eagles' starting left fielder but is versatile enough to play almost anywhere in the infield or outfield and certainly will be somewhere in the OC lineup.

"The bad thing about having a lot of different options is figuring out how to do it from game to game," Hays said. "The key is getting them all at-bats and developing them. The only way you can get in a rhythm is to get in the lineup all the time and hit, and that's going to be the challenge, because I like them all."

With the demise of the Heartland Conference, OC will move this season into what is – without question – Division II's toughest softball league, the Lone Star. The Eagles were picked fourth in the LSC preseason poll and received votes in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division II preseason poll, signs that the program is gaining respect both regionally and nationally. It's likely a top-six finish in the LSC will be enough to earn a spot in this season's Division II tournament.

"Anybody can beat anybody in the top 12 (in the LSC)," Hays said. "Every game is going to be a dogfight. There is so much talent in the league. We're a young ball club that really needs to mature quickly to make any noise in the Lone Star Conference."