PELLA—There are at least five people who are convinced that the 2024 Central College softball season will be one worth watching.
           
Those five were seniors on last year's 33-11 squad that secured a record 31st NCAA Division IIII tourney berth. And they put postgraduate opportunities on hold to be part of the 2024 Dutch team, taking advantage of the extra year of eligibility the NCAA offered following the 2020 global pandemic.
           
The decision to come back by fifth-year left fielder Megan Doty (Grinnell), shortstop Carson Fisk (Searsboro, Lynnville-Sully HS), center fielder Emma Johnson (Davenport, Assumption Catholic HS) and pitchers Sydni Huisman (Treynor) and Morgan Schaben (Portsmouth, Harlan HS) gives the Dutch returning starters at all but one position. Other starters back are second baseman Haley Bach (junior, Council Bluffs, Lewis Central HS), pitcher Emma Beck (sophomore, Holland, Grundy Center HS), third baseman Franie Burnett (senior, Ankeny), right fielder Emma Jensen (junior, Earlham), designated player Emma Lenox (junior, Fremont, Eddyville HS) and first baseman Megan Stuhr (senior, Sigourney).
           
Count ever-optimistic George Wares, the winningest coach in Division III history with a 1232-437-3 (.737) record, among those who shares the returnees' enthusiasm as he enters the 40th season of his NFCA Hall of Fame career. Their return makes a statement, he said.
           
"It says they do believe we can have a really successful season," he said. "It says a lot about what they believe about this program and, hopefully, our coaching staff. I also think it says a lot about their teammates. I think they're coming back for each other, but also for the underclassmen that they've played with."
           
Outsiders agree. The Dutch are rated No. 21 in the preseason NFCA Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll.
           
But Wares knows it's a new year and success can be elusive, not automatic.
           
"It's easy to think, 'OK, we're all back. It's just going to happen because we had such a good year last year,'" he said. "They're smart. They know that's not true."
           
Yet Wares encourages dreaming big. That includes aiming for another NCAA tourney berth and beyond.
          
"Last year we had to convince our players they had what it took to make a run in the regional and had a shot to go to the super regional, because they'd never done it," he said. "They listened, they bought in and our next conversation is going to be, 'OK, we did that, now here's what it takes to go another step to a the super regional and national (tournaments).' That becomes our job, as a coaching staff, to make sure that it's a balance of letting them feel good about the talent we have back and building their confidence, but also giving them occasional reality checks. Just because we have this talent, the game doesn't care. You still have to go out and play."

Pitcher
Wares' optimism starts in the circle, where the Dutch bring back a deep staff. Huisman has gritted her way through a start-and-stop career riddled by injury, while still often performing at ace level, even when at less than 100% physically. Last year was her best thus far, with a 17-4 mark and 1.90 earned run average over 110.2 innings, walking 43 and striking out 72. She's back for another run that she hopes is her healthiest while coming off another injury.

"We're excited about Sydni," Wares said. "She feels good. I just think we're going to get big things from her and she's going to have a really special season."
           
Schaben has dealt with injury issues of her own but last year was utilized primarily in a relief role, giving her a more manageable innings load. She was 5-3 with a 2.42 ERA over 69.1 innings with 24 walks and 54 strikeouts.
           
"I think Morgan coming back helps both Sydni (Huisman) and Emma (Beck), because we saw what she can do," Wares said. "I think she was very comfortable with that role, with kind of a baseball relief pitcher mentality. Yet she can still start a game if needed. We're excited about what she can do."
           
Meanwhile Beck flashed potential all-star promise. She finished with a 10-4 mark and 2.18 ERA, walking 56 with a team-high 111 strikeouts over 109.1 innings.
           
"I think she's improved," Wares said. "The ceiling is really high for her."
           
Adding to the mix is junior Chloe Dougherty (Alleman, North Polk HS), who saw most of her action on the junior varsity last year after a more extensive role two years ago filling in for Huisman. Wares thinks she's ready to contribute.
           
"Chloe has just kept doing what we've asked her to do," he said. "Two years ago she got thrown into it a little more than she was probably ready for but she really had a solid JV season last year. I think she's going to get some innings."

Catcher
The biggest graduation loss was behind the plate, where Madison Farrington was a four-year starter.
           
But Lenox, who served as the team's primary DP, was also groomed as the back-up catcher last year. She hit .221 with 23 RBI last season and was errorless in limited action as the catcher.
           
"She's improved a lot," Wares said. "I think in the fall she kind of showed us, 'I'm going to be a part of this.' So I was really pleased."
           
At least in the early going, the Dutch will likely use multiple catchers. A promising alternative is highly regarded freshman Rylee Dunkin (Hamilton, Twin Cedars HS).
           
"She was a pretty big get for us in terms of her ability to play behind the plate, play a variety of positions and just the athleticism she brings to the position," Wares said.
           
Wares also values the contributions of senior Taylor Wyeth (Aurora, Ill., West Aurora HS).
           
"She's the bullpen catcher and the emergency catcher if needed and she's really good in that role," he said. "She can relay information to the pitchers, like what's working and what isn't, while they're warming up. And then she can relay that message to me."

First base
Stuhr, a two-year team co-captain, will again be counted on in the middle of the batting order. She hit .323 last year with eight doubles, two homers and 34 RBI while posting a .996 fielding percentage. Stuhr was a second-team all-conference pick in 2021 as a freshman.
           
"I like to think we develop players very well but, man, she has really, really worked on developing herself," Wares said. "We ran the mile twice in the fall. I know that running a mile doesn't really correlate with softball, but she took it seriously. And then we did it just two weeks later and her time improved. She competed with it and just made herself a better athlete.
           
"We moved her to first base for her bat, but she's become a really good defensive first baseman. So she's a true two-way player now."
           
Stuhr played every game last year but if back-up help is needed, options include Alexa Anderson (junior, Mount Ayr) and Carlin Smith (sophomore, Orange City, MOC-Floyd Valley HS).

Second base
Central has a history of top-tier second basemen, including two already in the school's Athletics Hall of Honor. Yet Bach appears likely to rank with the best. She's entering her third season as the starter. Last year's team Offensive Player of the Year Award winner, she was a second-team all-region pick and first-team all-conference choice. Bach batted .418 with a team-high 43 runs and 11 doubles while knocking in 25 runs. She drew 32 walks and had a .544 on-base percentage while also leading the team in steals with 17.  Yet she shined in the field as well while posting a .952 fielding percentage.
           
Finding additional ways to improve is her next challenge.
           
"It's not that difficult to get somebody from a three to a five or six, but now you want to get from a seven to an eight or an eight to a nine, you really have to work and you've got to have an awareness of what it takes to improve offensively and defensively," Wares said. "She's a really steady leadoff hitter for us and obviously a really steady second baseman."
           
Sophomore Hannah Higgins (Macomb, Ill.) is a back-up but could find herself on the field elsewhere.
           
"We feel good about Hannah," Wares said. "She would start a lot of years, but she's just got some really good people ahead of her.  And Carley Underwood (freshman, Mitchellville, Colfax-Mingo HS) is going to be a player. She's also an option there."

Shortstop
The Dutch are equally dazzling defensively at shortstop with Fisk. An all-conference basketball player as a sophomore in 2021, Fisk joined the softball team and claimed the team's Most Improved Player Award that season. She was the Defensive Player of the Year Award winner last year. Fisk hit .224 with 22 runs scored and nine stolen bases while posting a .957 fielding percentage.
           
"She just continues to really try to get better," Wares said. "Defensively, I think the people that saw the regional and some of the plays that she made would agree that she's become an elite defensive shortstop. It's our job as coaches to find a way to make her more productive at the plate and utilize her strength, which is her speed, and allow her to put more pressure on the defense. But even if she doesn't hit, she's still really valuable because of what she does defensively."
           
Bach could slide to shortstop if Fisk was injured, Wares said, or he could turn to Underwood.

Third base
Burnett brings sprinter's speed as well as provide surprising power that's more traditionally associated with the team's No. 3 hitter, despite her smaller frame. She's a three-time all-region honoree, receiving third-team honors last year, while also gaining all-conference distinction each year, including second-team recognition last year. She's a team co-captain.
           
Burnett hit .329 last year with seven doubles, 27 runs and a team-high 45 RBI with 15 stolen bases. A former all-state high school shortstop, Burnett plugged a hole in right field for two seasons, then moved to third base where she's now a fixture, recording a .929 fielding percentage.
           
"When you think about her journey, coming in as an all-state shortstop and we put her in right and then we put her at third, that's a pretty tough change," Wares said. "Playing third and playing right field are two different creatures and even playing third and playing shortstop are different. She's a perfectionist and really wants to get better so she's another one that we want to get from an 8.0 to an 8.2 or 8.3."
          
  Last year wasn't quite as productive at the plate as 2022, when she hit a sizzling .425, but even in an off year, she's a major threat.
           
"I don't think anybody wants to face her with runners in scoring position because she can hurt with her speed and hurt you with her power," Wares said.
           
Smith and Anderson can supply back-up help at third as well.

Outfield
Another former high school shortstop, Doty is back in left field, hitting .287 last year with 20 RBI and a .958 fielding percentage in her second year as a full-time starter.
           
"She played JV and didn't start until part way into her sophomore year and has just made herself into an above-average left fielder," Wares said. "She's very self-aware and knows what she can and can't do and is very committed to try to gain another notch or two defensively. And offensively, she's one we hope is going to have a big year."
           
In center, Johnson battled a late-season injury last year but still hit .378 with 27 runs, 17 RBI and 15 steams. That's on the heels of a healthier 2022 campaign when she hit a scorching .462. She brings an elite glove as well, playing errorless ball the last two seasons. A two-time team LeRoy Timmer Most Valuable Player Award winner, she was a first-team all-region choice last year after gaining second-team honors the previous year and is a two-time first-team all-conference selection.
           
"When she got hurt it was a huge factor," Wares said. "We maybe didn't realize how much until she wasn't out there. Whether she's an all-American or not, she's an all-American-type player. You could say the same about a couple others. It's just a question of whether they have an all-American season. She and Haley Bach give us a really solid one-two punch at the top of the order."
           
Jensen earned the full-time starting nod for the first time last year, hitting .252 with 19 RBI and a .944 fielding percentage.
           
"Emma just keeps getting a little better all the time," Wares said. "Whenever you think, ok, maybe somebody is going to replace her, she comes up another notch. She had some really big moments defensively and offensively."
           
While the outfield starters return, Wares would be equally comfortable starting sophomore Mariah Parton (Ankeny). She saw some outfield time filling in for Johnson last year while also serving as a pinch-runner, scoring 16 runs.
           
"We feel really good about Mariah," Wares said. "If she doesn't beat any of those people out, which isn't going to be easy, she really gives us some security."
           
Wares also likes the promise showed by some other younger players, starting with freshman Elise Evans-Murphy (freshman, Seargeant Bluff), another former high school shortstop.
           
"We're going to put her out there, but she's going to have a chance to DP," he said. "Her strength is her bat and I think she's got a shot to help us."
           
Wares was encouraged by what he saw from Higgins last year and could also turn to Underwood.
           
"Clearly, as we move down the road, or if we have a need this year, they can both play the outfield," he said.

Designated player
Lennox is the returning starter at DP but also in the running for the catching position, which would create an opening. If she's at catcher, then Dunkin becomes a DP option as well as Underwood.
           
Schaben has focused on pitching at Central but was a two-way player in high school and could make appearances at DP. She had a homer and 11 RBI in limited at-bats in 2021 but hasn't batted since.
           
"We're going to let her swing the bat a little bit," Wares said. "She wanted to try it. That's part of the reason we recruited her in high school and it just hasn't worked for her to get a lot of at-bats, but we're going to give that a shot."
           
Parton could also emerge.
           
"Probably her biggest improvement we saw in the fall was offensively," Wares said. "She was a really good hitter at Ankeny (High School) and we're hoping some of that confidence at the plate comes back."
           
And Higgins is a candidate.
           
"Hannah has been really solid," Wares said. "So we're going to have some options there. Once we find somebody, I like to give them a lot of reps so it's not like we're necessarily going to change that a lot but we're going to have some very good pinch-hitting options if needed."

Pinch-runners
Central held a lopsided 111-18 advantage over opponents in stolen bases last year, marking the 22nd time the Dutch have topped the 100-steal mark since 1990. Pinch-runners play a big role in that.
           
Perhaps Central's most experienced pinch-runner and first option at the start the year is Anya Kistenmacher (junior, Holstein, Ridge View HS), who was in 28 games last year and scored 14 runs while stealing eight bases in 10 tries. Wares likes her situational understanding of the game and the role. But he also is high on Underwood's potential.
           
"I think being a back-up wherever and then being one of our best pinch-runners could be Carley's role this year," Wares said. "Anya will have opportunities there, and we could use Parton, depending on what we do in the outfield. And Higgins is a solid pinch-runner in terms of knowing what to do on the bases and Smith is a smart runner, even though they might not have the speed of the others.
           
"We feel pretty good about our depth there, but to be honest, as we look over our line-up, pinch-running may not be as necessary because we've got a lot of speed. Our need for a pinch-runner might be if we need to steal a base, so you put them in for somebody who is already pretty fast but not as likely to steal."
           
Speed remains a team trademark, even in an era when other clubs are built around power. Central hit just five home runs last year and Wares said small ball remains the team's happy place.
           
"We know that if you want, you can call it a deficiency, but you set your lineup based on what you think is going to be productive in getting you as far as you can in the postseason," Wares said. "I still think our way, with this particular group, because we have so much speed, is easily the best thing to do. Now, we hit five home runs last year, would we like to get into double-digits? Sure. I mean it's nice to get a little more pop. But we're not going to be a home run-hitting team."

The season
No one can accuse Wares of racking up his record 1,242 victories by padding his schedules with easy games. He savors intense competition and the 2024 slate appears to have the customary share of it. The schedule includes a trip to the NFCA Division III Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Georgia March 1-3, where the Dutch will take on some of the nation's elite, including No. 3-ranked Berry College (Ga.), No. 6 Moravian University (Pa.) and No. 11 Bethel University (Minn.). And there are some major hurdles in a March 11-15 trip to the Tucson (Ariz.) Invitational Games, as well as non-conference contests back in Iowa against likely NCAA tourney berth contenders St. Olaf College (Minn.), the College of Saint Benedict (Minn.) and Fontbonne University (Mo.). And, of course, the American Rivers Conference remains one of Division III's deepest, with No. 4-ranked Coe College the preseason favorite.
           
"Strength of schedule is not going to be a concern," Wares said with a smile.
           
"I like our chances in the league, I like our chances nationally. We're always optimistic that every year, if the dominoes fall right and we stay healthy, we could do something pretty special."
           
That opportunity helps keep Wares fueled, even entering year 40 at the helm. But even more it's the energy he draws from getting to coach the Dutch players, the enthusiasm they bring on and off the field and the eagerness he sees in their eyes.
           
"What's exciting is I think they're really fun," he said. "They're going to be a real fun team to watch. I think we're going to compete, we're going to be aggressive. What we've got to continue to instill in them is to play with no fear and definitely do not play with a fear about losing. Just go out and enjoy every second that you get. And we'll see where that all takes us at the end."