OKLAHOMA CITY (Feb. 4, 2022) – During the past three seasons, Oklahoma Christian has steadily climbed into the ranks of the elite in NCAA Division II softball, as evidenced by a No. 4 national ranking at the end of the 2021 regular season and a No. 1 seed in the subsequent South Central Regional tournament.

A few weeks after the season ended – a couple of steps shy of the regional title – coach Shanon Hays took a job at a Division I program, but within hours, his top assistant, Shalee Rodriguez, was named as his replacement and the Eagles really haven't missed a beat. With an All-America pitcher and seven other starters returning from a squad that finished 38-9, along with a promising group of newcomers, OC appears poised to pick up where it left off.

The Eagles will begin the season on Saturday against No. 2-ranked Augustana (S.D.) in the Arkansas Tech Winter Invitational in Conroe, Texas. OC was No. 15 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association preseason Division II poll and finished fourth in the Lone Star Conference's preseason poll after taking second in the LSC in 2021.

"It's starting to set in that we start (this week)," Rodriguez said. "It's really, actually time now. Our first weekend, we're playing two top-25s and several other tough teams. This first weekend will give us a run for our money. I would rather us go play teams that are going to make us better than go 5-0 and run-rule five teams. I'm too competitive. We will have to be at our best."

Quality pitching is critical for a successful softball team and the Eagles are in outstanding shape in that area. The top pitcher in the South Central Region, All-American Kali Crandall, returns after a stellar season in which she beat every other LSC power's ace while posting a 24-3 record with a 1.91 ERA and 171 strikeouts in 161 innings. Her 24 wins ranked second on OC's single-season list – even with the pandemic-shortened 2021 campaign – and she's moved into second place on the program's career strikeout list, with two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Senior right-hander Lindsey Stoeckel (4-1, 2.07 ERA) pitched only 27 innings last year but figures to have an increased workload this season. Another right-hander, Brooklin Bain, also could see more time in the circle than the 5 1/3 innings she threw last season, but she won't join the team until early March, after her duties as a starting power forward for OC's basketball team conclude.

The staff figures to be bolstered considerably by the addition of freshman Grace Anderson. She led Tishomingo to consecutive Class 3A titles in fall 2019 and 2020. As a senior, she went 27-1 with 376 strikeouts, 21 shutouts and seven no-hitters in the circle while hitting .510 with 50 RBIs. She threw 23 no-hitters in her four prep seasons and had a career .488 batting average.

"To be honest, Grace or Kali could be our one or two on any given day," Rodriguez said. "Grace has really stepped up this fall. She's a bulldog. She wants the ball in her hands, just like Kali does. She is very, very tough. She's used to the big crowds and the competitions. Grace has pushed Kali from day one. She should take some pressure off of Kali.

"We have the same expectations for (Kali) this year and she has the same for herself. She has a little string from postseason from last year, which will motivate her to get back to that spot again. Having Grace behind her will help, so Kali is not throwing every inning. And we'll see Lindsey a lot more this year than we did last year."

The primary catcher for OC will be sophomore Whitney Walde (.348, one homer, 28 RBIs), but there is plenty of depth behind the plate. Junior Jaidyn Ahl has a season of experience in the OC system, sophomore Rian Gamble has two seasons of college experience after transferring from Rose State and freshman Kennedy Fisher is one of the roster's most versatile players.

Filling the infield positions, as has been the case the past few seasons, will involve a lot of mixing and matching, depending on who is pitching, both for OC and the opposition.

First base will be manned by a combination of Stoeckel (.302, four homers, 16 RBIs), senior Brianna Robinson (.366, six homers, 35 RBIs) and sophomore Kylie Janzen (.347, eight homers, 44 RBIs). Robinson and Janzen both were All-South Central Region selections. At third base, Bain (.327, eight homers, 29 RBIs), Stoeckel, Southern Arkansas transfer Rebeca Fajardo and returnee Hampton Hays could all see time. Bain also made the All-Region team last season.

OC lost two starting middle infielders to graduation and transfer, but the Eagles still have plenty of solid options. Kelsey Gammage, who sat out last season due to injury after starting in center field in 2020, will move to the infield. Junior Abi LaValley hit .306 in spot action last season. Sophomore Chloe Woodward starred in junior college last season, Bain could figure into the mix and Anderson is a capable fielder and strong hitter. If she's in the field with Stoeckel and Bain with Crandall pitching, all four pitchers could be in the lineup simultaneously, giving Rodriguez all sorts of options.

OC's starting outfield last season often included speedsters Hannah Pate (.241) and Tristyn Hamilton (.243) along with Janzen. All three will be in the mix this season, along with Gamble and Bain, who often played in center field when she wasn't pitching or playing third base last season. Freshmen Kate Bradley, Kate Paulsen and Fisher all also could see time in the outfield. Bradley, like Bain, also starts (at point guard) for OC's women's basketball team.

Robinson was OC's primary designated player last season and the Eagles have plenty of other strong hitters coming off the bench. Sophomore Aaliyah Brown (.352, two homers, 21 RBIs) was the Eagles' top pinch-hitter last season, producing clutch hit after clutch hit and Fajardo hit .364 as a freshman at McLennan (Texas) College.

Who plays when "will come down to who's hitting," Rodriguez said. "We can do a lot of different things, depending on who's pitching (for us), but it's going to come down to who's swinging the bat."

As in recent years, OC's schedule is, in a word, challenging. The Eagles will open their season against one of Division II's top programs in Augustana and also will face No. 25 Central Missouri in a festival in suburban Houston on opening weekend.

OC also has a scheduled nonconference doubleheader against No. 16 Southern Arkansas as well as the rugged Lone Star Conference slate that will include doubleheaders against No. 1 Texas-Tyler, No. 4 West Texas A&M (the defending Division II champion), No. 18 Angelo State (Texas), No. 22 Texas A&M-Commerce and other powerful programs like Lubbock Christian (Texas), Texas A&M-Kingsville, Texas A&M International and St. Mary's (Texas).

"We're super-excited for this season," Rodriguez said. "I felt like our girls proved they were a top team last season and now we have to go back that up."