For third-year Bothell High fastpitch coach Rob Luckey, he was looking forward to the challenge presented by the 2011 season well before the first day of practice in February.

Last year, the Cougars graduated a fine crop of seniors including a pair of talented, all-league leaders in Britta McOmber (Dartmouth) and Lacey McGladrey (St. Martin’s) who would go on to play college ball.

With only three rostered upperclassmen this season, Luckey will be looking for girls to step up and become leaders on the field, in an effort to form a cohesive unit.

“We’re going to have a different identity this year, and for the next couple of years,” he said. “In fact, identity is something we don’t really have right now. We’re young… and you don’t replace those (seniors) with freshmen and sophomores. But, this group has been coached really well, with good select coaches.”

UNLIMITED POTENTIAL

Headlining the solid core of varsity returners this year will be co-captains Kendra Heyer, who will patrol center field, and senior Tracy Rider, another outfielder and an “excellent athlete,” according to Luckey. Rider played varsity basketball with Heyer during the winter.

“She’s one of our most improved players,” said Luckey of Heyer. “We’ll look for her to add some pop to our lineup as well as some speed.”

Arista Honey, a sophomore catcher for the Cougars, looks poised to have a big year after batting a phenomenal .500 since being called up to varsity last season, and speedy Sammi Morris will always be an on-base threat offensively, as well as a solid defender with her range in the middle infield.

Pitching-wise, the Cougars have returning junior Savannah Rose, who looks to return as the team’s ace this year after a solid 2010 campaign, in addition to a couple of freshmen future stars in Cassie Lynch and Julia Warner.

“(Warner) is a jack of all trades, a very good pitcher, infielder and outfielder,” Luckey noted. “Cassie Lynch, she has unlimited potential.”

Junior Katie Rees, sophomore Camille Weisenbach and freshman Kelsey Morgan will also look to bolster the Cougars’ roster this season, one that the returners feel has promise if the team develops to its potential.

“We’re feeling pretty good,” said Rider. “We have a lot of returning players, and a lot of young girls that we can teach some stuff to. I think it’s going to be a good season.”

Heyer also noted that having new players is a feather in their cap, since predetermined knowledge of other teams is non-existent.

“There’s no assumptions of other teams,” she explained. “It’s an advantage in a way, because nobody thinks we’re out before we play a team. It’s a new perspective on things.”

CATCH AND THROW

Luckey said that his team’s keys to success this year in the ultra-tough 4A Kingco league will be to keep things basic, execute solid defense and develop his girls in the circle.

“We gotta catch and throw,” he said. “And pitching. If we can do those two things, I think we will come up with the timely hits we need.”

Most importantly with a young team, Luckey, who has been coaching ball teams for more than two decades, knows that his players will have to learn to rise above the ebb and flow of a long fastpitch season.

“Teaching them how to play together, and teach them how to get through adversity, through the good times and the bad times,” said Luckey on his primary focus early in the season. “Staying positive when things don’t go well with a young team.”

As for long-term goals, Luckey and his players hope to make the Kingco playoffs. Once they’re in, as many teams know, anything can happen.

“We need the confidence to go compete with those teams,” Heyer said. “We know we can, it’s just a matter of playing like we know we can.”

The Cougars next play on Monday at home against Lake Washington in their final nonleague preseason game; first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.