The Clearfield softball team returns eight letterwinners for the 2008 season. Front row, from left, are Ashley Lias and Alanna Luzier. Back row are Sarah Kovalick, Mandy Rowles, Julie Colesar and Megan Butler. Missing from the photo are Kenzie McGovern and Alyssa Anderson. (Photo by Jim Butler)

Seniors Alyssa Anderson, Ashley Lias, Alanna Luzier and Kenzie McGovern and juniors Megan Butler, Julie Colesar, Sarah Kovalick and Mandy Rowles all started for the Lady Bisons in 2007 and form the nucleus for this season's team.

"We have a good, rock-solid foundation," Clearfield head coach Bob Dixon said. "We have some good leadership with our four seniors this year. Their leadership skills come through hard work and being here (at practice), showing support and trying to build enthusiasm."

Clearfield lost first baseman Brittany Pataky and shortstop Nikki Collins to graduation, so there were a couple holes to fill defensively and in the lineup. Both Collins and Pataky moved on to play collegiate ball.

"All the letterwinners that are back were key players for us last year," Dixon said. "We moved a few of them around this season. We brought Julie Colesar in to first base from the outfield, and Ashley Lias has moved to shortstop from center field."

Because of those moves, the Lady Bison outfield had to be retooled.

"We have to rebuild our outfield a little, but we do have Alyssa Anderson back and she'll move from left to center, and she is a great fielder," Dixon said. "Sarah Kovalick, who started the year at third base last year, will play in the outfield. She's always been good defensively, and she's worked hard on her hitting."

Also looking to get time in the outfield are juniors Amber Mahlon and Carrie Harbold.

Returning behind the plate is McGovern, while Luzier is back at second base and Butler will patrol third base.

And in the circle is Rowles, who looks to improve on a solid sophomore season. Rowles had an ERA of 1.98 to go with a record of 7-9. She struck out 88 batters and walked only 20 in 109 2/3 innings of work.

Rowles also played over the summer and began working with a new pitching coach, and Dixon thinks she will be a force this season.

"Mandy threw all summer with the Frenchville Her-a-canes, and she has started working with Dave Breon," he said. "I'm certain he will have helped her a lot.

"She probably threw 100 games since our season was over last year. She throws with a lot of power, and from what I've seen so far in practice she looks like she's throwing harder this year. We have to make sure the right side of our infield is solid, because I have a feeling they are going to see a lot of action."

Rowles will also be counted on offensively, hitting cleanup in the Lady Bison lineup. She hit .357 last season with four doubles, a home run, 14 runs scored and 15 RBIs.

Lias and Colesar will bat third and fifth with Luzier setting the table as the leadoff hitter. The rest of the batting order is still being worked out.

Lias batted .366 last year with a double and two triples. She scored 12 runs and batted in 12 more. Colesar hit .279 with two triples. Luzier's average was .293. She belted three doubles, legged out three triples and stole six bases while scoring 17 runs.

The rest of the returning starters batted below .250, but Dixon feels they have all shown a lot of improvement at the plate and expects that to translate to more runs for the Lady Bisons this season.

"The girls have another year under their belts," Dixon said. "The experience last year helped them. I think we'll see some better hitting out of all of them. We didn't hit as well as we wanted to last year, so we concentrated a little more on it in practice this season. But I do believe all these girls that went through a season will step into the batter's box and hit better this year."

With most of last season's D-9 championship team back in the fold, the Lady Bisons have their sights set high.

"We'd like to get back to the district finals, and we'd like to win it again," Dixon said. "I'm sure Punxsutawney will have something to say about that and probably St. Marys, too. We've been to the state playoffs three of the last four years, but haven't got past that first game. So we want to get there and move on."

Clearfield opens the season Thursday, playing host to Brookville.

Roster
Seniors
*Alyssa Anderson, *Ashley Lias, *Alanna Luzier, *Kenzie McGovern.

Juniors
Cassidy Aughenbaugh, Katlin Adamson, *Megan Butler, *Julie Colesar, Mariah Dunsmore, Carrie Harbold, Courtney Holtmeyer, *Sarah Kovalick, Amber Mahlon, Courtney Morgan, Monika Parks, Sophie Reed, *Mandy Rowles.

Sophomores
Carrie Belton, Katie Bowman, Samantha Broad, Amber Byerly, Breanna Braylock, Suzie Colesar, Rachel Cordon, Baillie Davis, Kylie Knepp, Jessica Maines, Janell Zalno.

*Denotes returning letterwinners.

Schedule
March
20-Brookville; 27-at St. Marys, 4 p.m.; 31-at Curwensville.

April
2-at DuBois; 4-Bellefonte; 8-Punxsutawney; 14-Brockway; 16-Sheffield; 18-Ridgway; 22-at Johnsonburg; 24-Elk County Catholic; 26-at Philipsburg-Osceola Tournament, 10 a.m.; 28-DuBois Central Catholic.

May
6-St. Marys; 8-at Brookville; 12-DuBois; 14-at Punxsutawney; 16-State College.

Games begin at 4:15 p.m. unless noted.