Coming off the best season in program history, what will the Mount St. Mary's softball team do for an encore in 2007?

Despite the loss of five starters, the Mount returns four of its top six hitters from last season and more importantly return with a winning attitude, which is something that the team gained from last season's success.

"Last year was fantastic and fun to be around," said third-year head coach Larry Alvis, the 2006 Northeast Conference (NEC) Coach of the Year. "I hope that it raised the bar that future teams will want to try to achieve. This team now has a winning attitude thanks to last year's success."

The numbers that were put up in 2006 were mind-boggling and this season the squad will be affected by the lost in production due to graduation. The Mountaineers lose 71 percent of its power (20 home runs), 49 percent of its run production (120 runs batted in), 44 percent of its scoring (118 runs scored) and 40 percent of its hitting (191 hits) while on the mound the squad will be without Maria Lutz, who recorded 14 victories and 85 strikeouts in 177 innings pitched. Lutz returns to her alma mater to serve as an assistant coach this year.

After those kinds of losses, can this team return to the same heights it had a year ago? Alvis seems to think this team can continue to go forward and he brought in several players to try and compensate for the departures.

"Our goal is not to take a step back from last year, but to continue our winning ways and try to reach the bar that last year's team has set," said Alvis. "We brought in a lot of players and we are hoping to have some of them step up."

The top two returning players for Alvis are sophomores Amanda Burk (Bristow, Va./Stonewall Jackson) and Kelli Seger (Huntingtown, Md./Huntingtown). Burk will return as the starter behind the plate while Seger will start at the hot corner.

Burk batted .350 with 64 hits, 44 runs scored, five triples, 17 doubles, four homers, 34 RBIs and 103 total bases. The freshman's double and triples numbers established new single-season program records while her hits, runs scored, RBIs and total bases were the second-best mark in program history. Burk was named to the NEC All-Tournament team after going 3-for-4 with a two-run home run against Robert Morris. Seger batted .321 with 52 hits, 16 runs scored, nine doubles, a home run and 21 RBIs. Named to the All-NEC second team, she was the squad's best hitter over the final 23 games, posting a .377 batting average, 30 hits, seven runs scored, four doubles, a homer and 12 RBIs.

"Amanda really fits into this league. Last year at the beginning of the season, she was one of the players that really carried us and I look for her to be one of our biggest contributors this year," said Alvis. "Kelly is anchoring third base and doing a great job. We are hoping that she can build on last season and do bigger and better things in 2007."

The other returning starter in the infield is senior Ashley Monsour (Gettysburg, Pa./Gettysburg Area). Monsour batted .294 with 45 hits, 23 runs scored, four doubles, a triple, a home run and 21 RBIs. Monsour started at first base, second base, third base and designated player in her junior campaign, but should be more stable at one position this season starting at second base.

"I think that Ashley is going to get what she has been really looking for awhile and start at second base," said the coach. "It is probably her best infield position, but she is so versatile because she can play any infield position and do well."

At first base and shortstop the starting position is still up for grabs. Senior Reanna Tuczynski (Greenfield, N.Y./Saratoga Springs), sophomore Jamie Fowler (Hagerstown, Md./South Hagerstown) and freshman Allie Vadas (Spring Lake Heights, N.J./Manasavan) are battling for the starting nod at first base.

Tuczynski has had little time in the batting order because she has been the team's No. 2 pitcher behind Lutz the past three seasons. Tuczynski had four hits, three RBIs and one run scored in 25 at-bats last season while Fowler recorded eight hits, six runs scored, a double, triple and seven runs scored in 45 plate appearances. Vadas, a three-year letterwinner at Manasavan High School, was named an All-Star and earned a spot on the All-Conference team in 2006.

"I would expect that all three of them will play. At the moment, I do not think that one is going to beat out the other one for the starting job," said Alvis. Jamie and Reanna both have good power and both could contribute at first base, but they will also be needed on the mound so it's good to have Allie here. Allie is left-handed and handles the bat well with decent power."

At shortstop, sophomore Kim Fowler (Charlotte Hall, Md./St. Mary's Ryken) and newcomer Lisa Currieri (Clinton, N.J./North Hunterdon) are competing for the starting nod while the one that doesn't earn the starting job will serve as a backup in the middle infield. Fowler posted 17 hits, 13 runs scored, two doubles, a triple and nine runs batted in while playing 41 contests, including 27 starts. Currieri, a four-year letterwinner at North Hunterdon, helped her squad win the county and state titles for the first time in school history.

"Kim and Lisa are in a battle at shortstop," said the reigning coach of the year. "Kim brings a little more experience at this point, but Lisa has some raw ability. Coming out of fall ball, Lisa might have had the edge because of her bat, but Kim will still get her opportunity to see what she can do for us."

Junior Jess Burke (Purcellville, Va./Loudoun Valley) is the only returning starting outfielder and she will take her spot in left field in 2007. Burke batted .306 last season with two home runs, 14 RBIs, nine doubles, 45 hits and 19 runs scored. The junior's first collegiate home run came in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the game at 1 against Central Connecticut State on Apr. 1, 2006 and the Mount won the game 2-1 in the next inning.

"Jess is our most solid outfielder," said Alvis. "She has a big bat and she can be one of our top players. I really hope that she steps up this year.

Despite Burke being planted in left field, the rest of the outfield is hazy with four newcomers fighting for the two starting nod. Junior Kristin Fusco (Laurel, Md./St. Vincent Pallotti), freshman Amy Allison (Severn, Md./Old Mill), freshman Katie Donovan (Seabrook, Md./St. Vincent Pallotti) and freshman Ashley Lodato (Brick, N.J./Ranney) each look to gain the nods in center and right field.

Fusco, a junior college transfer, earned All-Met first-team honors in her senior year at St. Vincent Pallotti and helped her 2004 team to the Maryland State Private School championship. Allison was named to All-County second team in her junior and senior seasons at Old Mill. Donovan, the younger sister to Tina Donovan who graduated last season, garnered All-County and All-Conference recognition in her final two campaigns. Lodato, who is coming back from a knee injury, helped her squad to the Prep Conference Championship in 2005.

"Kristin covers a lot of ground and is a natural center fielder," said Alvis. "Amy and Katie both handle the bat well, are good defensively and good contact hitters. Ashley is coming along from her injury over the summer, but has been really coming on fast and could crack the starting lineup."

Freshmen Amanda Buckel (Reisterstown, Md./North Carroll) and Antonette Amato (Baltimore, Md./Notre Dame Prep) will look for playing time behind the plate or will also fill in at other positions this season.

"Amanda can be a DH, a pinch hitter and she can play a number of infield positions, but she will be needed to serve as the backup to Amanda Burk," said the coach. "Antonette is on of the hardest working players on the team and she will get her chances to shine for us."

On the mound, Tuczynski moves into the No. 1 spot in her final campaign after posting a 12-11 record with a 4.00 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 136.2 innings. Jamie Fowler went 5-2 with a 4.38 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 62.1 innings on the mound.

"We have a solid pitching coming back in Reanna and we are really looking for her to step up into the No. 1 spot," said Alvis. "Jamie has a lot of potential and is really working hard and I have been really impressed with her work ethic so far this year."

Sophomore Laura Dillon (Silver Spring, Md./Springbrook) made one appearance last season and freshman Danielle Maglione (San Mateo, Calif./Notre Dame) also looks to gain time on the hill this year. Maglione, the Mount's first California player, posted a 9-3 record in 2006 with a 1.21 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 52 innings.

"Laura is working on developing more pitches and she is ready for the challenge," said Alvis. "Danielle comes from a great softball state and she brings the most variety of pitches on our staff."

With so many starting jobs up for grabs, Alvis will use his non-conference schedule to find the right combinations. The Mount St. Mary's non-conference slate is a lot tougher this season with three games against Florida International (Mar. 2, Mar. 6), three games against Maryland (Mar. 17, Mar. 21) and two against Connecticut (Mar. 16, Mar. 17).

"I think our non-conference schedule is one of the most ambitious that the Mount has ever put together," said Alvis. "We can only get better by playing better competition and that could also hopefully get us ready for league play."

The Mountaineers are headed in the right direction and now have the most important ingredient to be successful with a winning attitude. Last year was a magical season where everything came into place and it will be a difficult feat for the 2007 edition to repeat, but Mount St. Mary's is going to be fighting to continue the legacy of 2006 this season and many years to come.

The Mount opens the season in Florida on Friday against UNC-Wilmington. Game time is 1:30 p.m.