During the days leading up to start of the spring sports seasons, Millsaps Athletic Communications will preview softball, baseball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's golf and track & field. The first in this set of previews is softball.
 
The period between the end of the 2018 season and the beginning of the 2019 season was a big transition for the Millsaps softball team. Not only tasked with replacing seniors and non-returners, the Majors also had to transition to a completely new coaching staff. Luckily, they had familiar faces in that respect; former Millsaps standout Caroline DeLoach was hired in August to take the helm while Kayla Davidson-Reel, fresh from playing for the Majors in 2018, was hired shortly thereafter as DeLoach's assistant. 
 
This year's squad will have to replace three all-SAA selections but will rely on a mixture of a few upper classmen and a heavy dose of youth. 
 
The Majors return a trio of sophomores in utility player Jordan Lipari, third baseman Lindsey Osbon and outfielder Leslie Norris, who were all-SAA selections last season as well. DeLoach said junior shortstop Kendall Carder has emerged as a leader for the team and returns after starting all 38 games last season. 
 
Freshman Ty Bergeron will see time at first base while providing power for a Millsaps lineup that only hit two homeruns in 2018. The Majors will depend on freshman catcher Karlie Galloway to help develop a pitching staff that features sophomore Karley Williams and freshman Amber Funderburk. 
 
Millsaps will learn a lot about their young players early as they open the season on Friday at the Abilene Round Robin Tournament in Abilene, Texas. They'll face off with McMurry University and Schreiner University on Friday at 2 and 4pm, respectively, before taking on Austin College and Hardin-Simmons University Saturday.