The College of Wooster softball team, under the helm of first-year head coach Victoria Rumph, looks to contend as a top-four team in the North Coast Athletic Conference and build on a formidable 2016 campaign that produced four all-conference honorees – all of whom are returning – and the highest conference win-total since 2012.

Wooster's pitching staff – highlighted by all-conference returnees in junior Maddy Chase and senior Jenna Kendall – will look to take the reins for a Fighting Scots team that finished 17-21 overall and 8-8 in NCAC play last season.

Junior Maddy Chase tallied the fourth-highest win total in program history last season en route to All-NCAC honors.

"I think it is awesome that we return two all-conference pitchers and it is great that they're going to give us a chance to win every time they step on the mound," Rumph said. "As long as we play defense and hit behind them, I think that's one of our strengths this year, is that we are going to have two strong pitchers every time we step on the field."

Chase posted the fourth-highest win total in program history last season (12) as the Scots' ace, with six of them coming against conference competition to go along with a 2.93 ERA. In the batter's box, Chase tallied 37 hits and 22 runs on a .316 average.

"(Maddy) is a phenomenal pitcher," Rumph noted. "She's got an intimidating feel on the mound when she's out there and we look forward to seeing how she performs this season."

Kendall, a veteran senior who split time between first base and pitcher last season, posted a 3.59 ERA in 95 2/3 innings while hitting .350 en route to 42 hits and 22 RBI.

"Like I said before, pitchers are going to give us the best chance to win, and Jenna is one of them," Rumph said. "She has a tremendous array of talent, and her ability to keep hitters off-balance makes her a threat day in and day out in the circle. But in terms of first base, she's got a good glove over there. Offensively, she's got a ton of power, so that's always good to see from a senior."

Rounding out the pitching staff is senior Rylee Bouillion, an outfielder and reliever who made seven appearances in the circle last year, and first-year Marina Roski, who may see time in the circle in addition to the infield.

Senior Stephenie Little returns at third base after a banner year last season, picking up her second career all-conference certificate and the program's inaugural first-team citation by an infielder. In NCAC action, Little led Wooster in hitting (.432) – and .351 overall – to go along with 21 RBI on the season.

"(Steph)'s intimidating at the plate," Rumph commented. "She crushes line drives everywhere, right field, left field. In the fall she was just peppering the fielders with hard ground balls and hard line drives, which was just awesome to see. At third base she's got a strong arm and she's probably one of best communicators on the field."

Sophomore Bridget Serrurier, who stepped right in at shortstop last year after starting all 38 games, rounds out the Scots' all-conference returnees. Serurrier led the team in batting average (.369), hits (45), runs (25), RBI (24), and home runs (4), among other categories en route to a second-team all-NCAC certificate.

"Bridget is just a workhorse," Rumph said. "She puts in extra time, does all the right things. She's got a great mentality, and she has natural athleticism in the infield so she can make great plays."

In the outfield, veteran senior Linea Brouse will get the go-ahead nod, as will sophomore Chelsea Copley, the latter being a key part of the "hardworking" sophomore class, according to Rumph.

"Linea is setting an example for the other outfielders and just busting it out there," Rumph said when highlighting her projected starter in center. "She's pretty solid defensively, she's got a strong arm, makes good throws, keeps balls in front, cuts off balls in the gap and reads the ball well – everything you want in an outfielder."

Meanwhile, incoming first-years Taryn Kohlman and Samantha Tromba continue to compete for a starting role in the outfield.

Competing for the starting catcher role will be sophomore Autumn Brostek and first-year Morgan Bailey. Brostek made 16 appearances last year behind the plate, while junior Anna Blake, who typically came in as a late-inning defensive replacement last season, will look to serve as a role player either in the outfield or at second base.

Other newcomers include first-year Savanna Hitlan, who is expected to serve as a utility player.

The Scots will commence the season against the College of St. Scholastica on March 13 in Kissimmee, Fla., as part of the program's annual spring break trip down south.

Given what she witnessed in the fall, Rumph expects to see Wooster's aggressive hitting and solid pitching to keep them in contention, day in and day out.

"When we were successful, we were being aggressive and that is exactly what I want to see them continue to do," Rumph said. "Even when balls weren't falling our way, we were making hard outs and intimidating outs, and that's exactly what I want to see from the hitters. Defensively, our pitchers give us a chance to win and that's all we can ask from them every time we step on the field."