The 2014 softball season was an unusual one for the Alma College Scots as they did not make the MIAA playoffs and were shut out of any postseason competition. But, Alma Head Coach Denny Griffin and his squad are determined to make 2015 much more like years past for the program.

"After last season, I met with the coaching staff and we broke down and reviewed every piece of the program," said Griffin. "We kept many of the same aspects since one down year doesn't mean we totally change. But, we have made some changes in our process of recruiting and practice planning. The frustrating part of last year was all the one-run losses we had during the season.

"The team was really only one win away from making the MIAA Tournament and at the end of the season, I do believe we were playing our best softball of the year. It was a shame we did not qualify for the MIAA tourney, as it would have been interesting to see what we could have done. Even the New York Yankees do not win the pennant every year."

The Scots return 18 players from last year's squad, including the top four hitters. Two First Team All-MIAA selections from last season are in that mix, including MIAA offensive MVP Sr. SS Devan Olah (White Lake/Lakeland).

Olah and first-team selection Sr. 3B Lea Lusk (Columbiaville/Lakeville) will look to power an Alma offense that finished third in the league last season with a .306 batting average. Olah batted a team-best .425 and had 17 RBI's to go with six doubles and a homerun, while Lusk was at .330 with nine doubles, a homer and 10 RBI's.

Other offensive threats that will be back in the maroon and cream include Sr. C/P Cori Witham (North Muskegon/North Muskegon), Jr. C Kayla Merice (Dorr/Wayland), Sr. OF Marie Zill (Chelsea/Chelsea) and Sr. OF Brooke Hein (Grand Rapids/Northview).

Witham finished '14 with an average of .284 with three homeruns, 16 RBI's and six doubles, while Merice came in at .269 with a team-best five round trippers and added 18 RBI's. Zill batted .385 and is a threat on the base paths any time she gets on, as she had 11 stolen bases in 12 attempts. Hein added seven steals in nine attempts and had a .299 average.

"I like the nucleus of hitters that we have coming back and if players like Zill and Hein can get on base regularly, you will see us getting back to our running ways," said Griffin. "There are many players in the mix at several positions and hitting will determine playing time as we move forward."

Overall team pitching, an overall ERA of 3.14 in '14, is an area where the Scots need improvement and Griffin is optimistic about the group that he has entering the season.

Returners in the circle include Sr. Samantha Pierce (Clarklake/Michigan Center), Sr. Breu Olling (Breckenridge/Breckenridge) and Witham. Newcomers that will push for time are Fr. Katie McClure (Manchester/Manchester) and Fr. Morgan Stratton (Grand Blanc/Grand Blanc).

Last season, Pierce pitched in 19 games and had a record of 5-8 with an ERA of 2.83, while Witham was 7-3 in 14 games (ERA of 3.33) and Olling was 4-1 in 12 games (2.81 ERA). The team had 79 strikeouts in 214.0 innings and that is a number that Griffin sees as an area that must improve as well.

Alma is scheduled to play 12 games in Florida during Spring Break 2015 and will then head back to Mid-Michigan to get ready for the remainder of the season. The team hopes to play three non-league doubleheaders in March before opening up the MIAA season against Hope College on March 26.

"Our goal in Florida is to win of course, but we also want to see many different things," said Griffin. "We have worked very hard inside and are now ready to get into the warm weather and play other teams. There is no pressure on us because we know what we are capable of as a team and as a program."