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They were working on backhand drills at the Eller Media Softball Stadium, and a couple of balls had eaten up first baseman Alyssa Navarro. Justine Federe, a slick-fielding freshman second baseman kept shouting encouragement. On the next ball, Navarro made a nifty pick on a short-hop, and the whole left side of the infield started cheering.

It’s a young group, with six freshman and six sophomores, who are already putting the pieces together to improve on last year’s 24-31 mark. With just three seniors on the squad, the program is the underclassmen's to inherit.

“We have a lot of freshmen who are big game changers for us, some transfers and people who have added a little competition for some of the starters and people who were comfortable in their roles,” head coach Lisa Dodd said. “I think as long as we are diligent in continuing to progress and to develop, there's no reason why we can't contend in our conference and even win it.”

Dodd herself is just in her fifth season with the Rebels and is ready to get the program back to its first NCAA tournament since 2009. The new blood, and the energy that comes with it is a big part of that.

But first, the off-field culture needed a change. When Dodd took over, the team had a GPA below 3. Now it’s over 3.1, and the team was the community service leader in hours across all sports in the athletic department.

“I think at the beginning we didn't really know who we were as a team or what it means to be a Rebel,” senior pitcher and secondary education major Morgan Ettinger said. “But as my years go on, I think we've really established what (being a Rebel) means.”

Jumping out to a 12-7 start, the Rebels’ overall record is as competitive as anyone in the , though conference play won’t start until March 17. That’s when the young squad will get its first taste of the competition they’ll be facing for years.

If they respond anything like they have so far, Dodd expects big things.

“Freshmen tend to play really well because they have that overall heightened sense of ‘I have to be on my toes. I've got to be ready,’” she said. “I've really enjoyed the freshmen this year. They have an intensity beyond the upperclassmen. They're very diligent in their work ethic. They're willing to soak it all in. It's just a matter of how much they can retain at a time. It's a little more developmental on our side, which I enjoy.”