LORETTO, PA- With the start of the season just four days away, it is time to take a closer look at the 2019 squad.
 
Today's preview focuses in on the returners from last year's Northeast Conference championship squad.
 
The Red Flash return four of their top five run producers from last season and 71% of their runs from a team that averaged over five runs a game, good for tops in the Northeast Conference and 35^th in the NCAA. Saint Francis also returns 71% of their hits, the Red Flash led the Northeast Conference with 401 hits last season.
 
Headlining the returners on offense is reigning Northeast Conference Player of the Year Cheyenne McKee (DuBois, Pa./DuBois). McKee will begin the year sixth in the NCAA in career runs scored with 159. She led the team with a .344 batting average a season ago including a ridiculous .511 in conference play. McKee also starts the year second on the NCAA career active list with 56 hit-by-pitches, that helped her record a remarkable .613 on-base percentage in NEC play last year.
 
Joining Cheyenne is her twin sister Sierra, who led the team in hits last season with 58. The senior has a knack for the big moment, crushing a go-ahead grand slam last season against Sacred Heart in the NEC tournament. Amazingly, both Sierra and Cheyenne have 177 career hits in their career heading into their senior seasons.
 
"I have been super impressed by the McKees," head coach Jessica O'Donnell said. "You're talking about nursing majors who have class and clinicals on top of getting ready for the season. And they are two of my best leaders, at lift, at practice, they come in with the mindset of not only getting themselves better every day but teaching the team and everyone else how to get better as well."
 
Hayley Norton (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) brings back her power bat, fresh off a 15-homer season, Norton has 41 career long balls, good for fourth on the NCAA career active list. Norton has been a mark of consistency at the plate in her career hitting above 300 with at least 11 home runs and 47 driven in all three seasons. Her 153 RBI in her career puts her seventh in the NCAA heading into the season. The outfield has also brought rock-solid defense with six assists and a career 983 fielding percentage.
 
"I love Hayley's consistency," O'Donnell said. "She brings it every day in practice, she's never too high, never too low. She's is incredibly strong and powerful and it's been a joy to watch her grow into a real leadership role on this team."
 
Mikayla Bower (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport) really blossomed in her starting role last year, starting all 58 games for the Red Flash, primarily at shortstop. Bower delivered a .254 average with 11 home runs and 29 driven in. As a senior, Bower will be relied upon all over the diamond, including the circle, where she has a 4.07 earned run average in 10 collegiate innings.
 
"One of the first things Mikayla said to me was that she could pitch," O'Donnell said. "That's something that the team hasn't needed from her in a couple of years, so for someone to step up and take on such a responsibility during their senior season, that speaks a lot to her character and her ability as a leader."
 
Manning the hot corner for the fourth year in a row will be three-time All-NEC third baseman Kassidy Troxell (Navarre, Ohio/Perry). A mainstay in the Red Flash lineup, Troxell has started 158 games in her career at third base. Last year, Troxell hit .272 with seven home runs and 35 runs batted in. Troxell led the team in assists last year, recording 88 putouts.
 
"Kassidy is one of the best third basemen that I have had the privilege to work," O'Donnell remarked. "Her footwork is impeccable. At the same time, she strives to get better, she's open to coaching, she wants to be coached and improve every day."
 
Redshirt-junior Halle Marion (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) has seen time in the outfield and as the designated player in her career and earned an All-NEC tournament spot during SFU's first title run.
 
"Halle has so many tools in her arsenal," O'Donnell said. "She's been so coachable and setting a great example for everyone. We are going to utilize her ability as a slapper and she has great speed and quickness."
Aside from the seniors, the Red Flash welcome back several underclassmen as well that will look to take on a bigger role in their second season in Loretto.
 
"You are going to see a lot of emerging roles with this sophomore class," O'Donnell said. "We're encouraging and pushing them to take on roles that they haven't had to embrace before."
 
MeKenzie Saban (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) is coming off a season where she saw time all over the diamond. She has a knack for getting on base, posting a 300 on-base percentage last season. She was a big key as a runner off the bench for Saint Francis last season but will see her role expand as a sophomore.
 
"She has been driving the ball in practice, she has a great mindset, great attitude that she brings every day in practice," O'Donnell said. "She is going to be a fun one to watch this season."
 
Brittney Crawford (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon McMillan) also saw most of her time as a freshman in a pinch-running role, scoring 11 runs on the season and appearing in 45 games.
 
"Brittney has undergone a tremendous transformation," O'Donnell said. "She was putting so much pressure on herself at the start to now, she's put in the works, has grown and brings an uplifting and positive attitude and influence every day into practice."
 
Brianna Walker (Walworth, N.Y./Gananda) and Tayven Rousseau (Beaver, Pa./Beaver) both were in reserve roles last year and will see their roles expand in 2019.
 
"Bri is extremely powerful, she's working hard to recognize pitches and making great strides," O'Donnell said. "Tayven, we will see her a little behind the plate, out in the outfield, really trying to utilize her versatility."
 
Jordy Frank was the freshman who saw the most playing time in her freshman season, cracking four home runs in 39 starts in the Red Flash outfield.
"Another girl who is extremely versatile and has embraced a leadership role," O'Donnell quipped. "We threw it out there and she accepted."
 
Part two of the Red Flash softball preview will look at the newcomers for 2019 and the expectations facing the program this season. Saint Francis opens the 2019 campaign with five games at the Bash in the 'Boro hosted by Georgia Southern.