On the heels of its third consecutive trip to the NCAA Super Regionals and saying farewell to a trio of senior stars, some might expect Kentucky softball to take a step back in 2020.
Rachel Lawson is not about to concede that.
Entering her 13th season at the helm of the UK program, Lawson says the Wildcats no longer fret who is departing. She's eager to see the new stars emerge.
"The biggest question I keep getting asked is how are you going to replace last year's senior class," Lawson said. "It's something, obviously, we think about, but I never thought about how do we replace players... My question is who is going to be the next successor that's going to take us to a top-eight national seed because that's one of our goals this season."
So while Kentucky moves on without National Player of the Year Abbey Cheek and her school-record 61 career home runs, as well as All-SEC performers Katie Reed and Jenny Schaper, there's is reason for optimism entering the season.
The Cats return six starters from last year's 36-24 squad, including a strong core of hitters and pitchers.
Senior second baseman Alex Martens is back after batting .310 with 13 home runs and a school-record 66 RBI last season, as are junior outfielder Lauren Johnson and sophomore catcher Kayla Kowalik, who hit .357 and .345, respectively, in 2019. Junior first baseman Mallory Peyton also returns after smacking 13 homers a year ago.
The outfield will feature strong defense and speed in the form of senior Bailey Vick, who has 37 stolen bases in her UK career. She batted .357 as a sophomore before struggling at the plate last season with a .205 average. Jaci Baabs and Renee Abernathy, a pair of sophomore outfielders, could also factor into the UK lineup coming off strong performances in the fall.
Rylea Smith, a freshman utility player from St. Louis and part of UK's Top 10 national recruiting class, drew high praise for the energy she brought to the field this fall as the Cats went 5-0 against P5 competition. She could emerge as the top candidate to occupy the ever-important lead-off spot.
Another talented freshman, catcher Gabi Deters, has "Abbey Cheek power," according to Lawson. "That's quite something. She mishits balls over the right-center fence, and that's something you don't see very often. When she gets comfortable with pitch selection, she's going to be one of the best hitters who have played here."
Kentucky returns an experienced pitching staff, led by senior right-hander Autumn Humes (15-11, 4.14 ERA) and junior right-hander Grace Baalman (10-10, 3.49 ERA). The latter led UK with 102 strikeouts last season.
Sophomore right-hander Meghan Schorman (5-2, 4.47), who Lawson noted may have been the Cats' top pitcher this fall, could push for a bigger role. Senior right-hander Larissa Spellman (2-0, 2.71) and sophomore lefty Tatum Spangler (4-1, 3.73) could also challenge for more innings.
"We are very deep in the pitching circle," Lawson said.
The Cats open the season on Friday when they travel to Clearwater, Fla., for the NFCA Lead-Off Classic. They will face Liberty at Noon ET and Texas State at 2:30 ET, while squaring off with N.C. State on Saturday at 10 a.m. ET and with No. 8 Minnesota on Sunday at 11 a.m. ET. UK will also face the US National Team in exhibition play during its trip to the Sunshine State.
Kentucky's home opener is March 7 versus Texas A&M.
