ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Concordia-St. Paul softball team is set to head south to open up their season in Las Vegas this weekend as they take part in the 2016 Desert Stinger Tournament from Friday to Sunday.
 
With nearly the entire lineup back and two of the team's three top pitchers back to go along with three freshmen added to the mix, the Golden Bears will look to take a step forward in 2016. CSP is coming off a 13^th place finish, just a few games out of the top-10 and a spot in the NSIC Tournament, and is picked to finish 12^th heading into this season. Expectations for the team are set a little higher as the squad looks to return to their place in the top half of the league.
 
Head coach Bob Bartel said, "The team's expectation is to make the conference tournament. We really haven't talked about wins and losses, we've talked more about the process of playing the game and using practice to learn to do things the right way. If we do that, the wins and losses take care of themselves."
 
In addition to improvements on the mental side of the game, the team also hopes to see some progress on the defensive side, both in the field and in the circle. Early indications seem to be positive as the team has spent time in the offseason working hard in those areas.
 
"We will definitely be better defensively through added experience as well as newcomers allowing us to shift a few people around into better positions. Our pitching should be better also with our pitchers throwing with a lot of confidence right now. Some of that confidence comes from knowing the defense will be better," pointed out Bartel about areas of improvement for the team.
 
Concordia won't have to wait long to see their progress on the field as their February 5^th start to the season is the earliest start that the program has ever had. Concordia opens up play against Concordia-Portland and California Baptist on Friday before taking on Hawaii at Hilo and Concordia-Irvine on Saturday and Nebraska-Kearney on Sunday.
 
"This is the earlier that we've kicked off that I can remember. The team is looking forward to seeing if what we've been doing in practice will carry over to the games. We'll be looking closely to see how we react and respond to mistakes as a team. It will be key for us to stay upbeat," said Bartel of the early start.
 
In addition to starting their earliest ever start date to the year February will be a busy month with the team playing 14 games in 24 days. The Golden Bears' full non-conference slate features 20 games against tough opponents from all across the country as they travel to Las Vegas, twice to St. Cloud and once to Missouri before kicking off NSIC play at the end of March. Concordia hopes to use that schedule to get prepared and build some momentum heading into the challenging NSIC season.
 
Bartel said of the conference competition, "The league is getting tougher every year. The teams that have traditionally finished in the bottom half seem to be improving and the teams that are at the top seem to be staying there. I expect to see a lot of splits in doubleheaders because everyone is so evenly matched."
 
One area of strength that will be beneficial heading into a season that features few breaks will be depth for the Golden Bears. Concordia returns eight of their nine starters from last year's lineup while also adding a few impact bats that should help lengthen an already solid batting order and give head coach Bob Bartel plenty of options.
 
In the infield, Concordia returns quite a bit of experience, but will utilize a new look at a few different spots.
 
Elena Koncar and Liz Jarosz each return as third year starters at catcher and first base, respectively, while Nicole Thompson and Lizzy Swenson enter their second season in starting roles. With Thompson locked in at second base and Swenson manning third, freshman Justine Schattner is tabbed as the starter at shortstop.
 
Koncar heads into her third season behind the plate with 96 career starts as she has been a mainstay in the lineup since joining the team. The junior has clubbed seven homers while slugging .347 over her career while throwing out 33 runners and picking off six more from the catcher position.
 
She is a third-year starter that is working hard on her receiving skills and working hard on improving at the plate. She is a great blocker and she has one of the stronger arms in the NSIC. We are excited to have her back this year," Bartel said of Koncar.
 
Jarosz returns to her post at first base after two productive seasons for the Golden Bears as she has delivered 14 homers and drawn 45 walks to collect a .340 on-base percentage and a .441 slugging percentage in 105 games. The junior has been really durable as she has missed just one game in her two years on campus.
 
Bartel said of Jarosz heading into this year, "If she can carry over what she's been doing in the fall and in practice this spring, she could be one of the more feared hitters in the conference. We hope to see her average increase this year along with her power numbers."
 
Thompson, an All-NSIC Second Team performer at shortstop last season, will shift over to second base this season as she returns to the top of the order. The sophomore led the Golden Bears with a .391 batting average and .412 on-base percentage with 21 steals and 34 runs scored and was a consistently solid presence as she finished the year with 23 multi-hit games, including eight three-hit and one four-hit game on the year.
 
"She is a sparkplug for our team that gets us going from the number two spot in the order. She will be moving back to her natural position at second base this year and should be one of the top second basemen in the league," Bartel said of Thompson.
 
Swenson enters her second season with the Golden Bears looking to lock down an everyday role at the hot corner. The sophomore battled some injuries and bounced around between third base, second base and catcher last year as she managed to put together a solid freshman campaign. She slashed an impressive .313/.386/.463 in 30 games as seven of her 21 hits went for extra bases.
 
Bartel said, "Lizzy is a versatile player that bounced around at a few different positions last year. This year we are working her hard at third base to see if she can nail down that spot for us. We are looking for her to make the routine plays and give us some consistency there."
 
Schattner joins the Golden Bears after an illustrious career at Wilmot Union High School in Wisconsin. The freshman will look to establish herself as a regular in her first season as she appears poised to claim the starting shortstop role.
 
"Schattner is a freshman with great range and a strong arm, and we hope to have her solidify the shortstop position for us this year. She will also add some power to the lineup," said Bartel of the freshman.
 
Emily Shinn and McKenna Giese will also be mixing in around the infield while Nicolle Sparks and Lizzy Swenson could see some action behind the dish if Koncar were to miss some time.
 
In the outfield, the Golden Bears are set to feature a pair of seniors in Teona Zepeda and Jamie Fleischhacker in the corners and a freshman in Carlie Hart in center.
 
Zepeda has been solid presence in the leadoff spot throughout her three seasons in navy and gold as she has collected at least a .290 batting average all three years, including marks of .315 or better in each of the past two seasons. The senior has been a constant threat on the base paths as well with 45 steals in 52 attempts in her career.
 
Bartel said of the left fielder, "Teona made some great strides defensively for us last year and we believe she can return to being an All-Conference type player at the top of the order."
 
After spending her first two seasons at third base and last season in center field, Fleischhacker is moving over to right field in her senior campaign to help solidify the defense.  The senior has been a steady presence in the three spot for nearly her entire career as she enters her final season with 112 career hits and 76 walks to put up a solid .366 on-base percentage in 150 games. Last year, Fleischhacker broke out in the power department with a career-best six home runs.
 
Bartel said of the move, "We think moving Jamie to right this year will help solidify our outfield defense this year while she will continue to be an important piece in the three spot in our order."
 
Hart is set to patrol center field after joining the Golden Bears from Stillwater Area High School. The freshman is poised to help solidify the outfield defense with her speed and instincts in the field.
 
"She can pretty much go and catch anything out in center and has proved to be a tough out at the plate," Bartel said of Hart.
 
Kelly McKenzie is another veteran that stands to see action in the outfield and potentially as a pinch-hitter or designated player.
 
In the designated player spot, Haley Schanks is set to return to that role on days when she is not pitching as she looks to hold down the four hole in the lineup. The sophomore had a strong debut at the plate last year as she led the team with seven home runs and put up a solid .328/.372/.537 slash line in 134 at-bats.
 
When Schanks is in the circle, Shinn and Sarah Kivisto will be competing for playing time at the DP spot along with Frankie Munkwitz, Lauren Bartel and a few others.
 
In the circle, Linzy Heim and Haley Schanks will both be tasked with taking on a bigger role as they look to fill the loss of Stephanie Kappes to graduation.
 
Heim enters year three with the Golden Bears with 209.2 career innings under her belt in 50 combined appearances. The junior has picked up 11 wins and struck out 89 and will be asked to fill an even bigger role this year.
 
"Heim is someone we're looking at to take over that number one spot and throw that first game of the day. She is a third-year starter that has logged a lot of innings and we hope she will take a bit of a jump for us this year," stated Bartel about the Nebraska native.
 
Schanks will look to build off a freshman season in the circle in which she flashed her abilities throughout the year. She threw 72.2 innings in 22 appearance, 18 starts, and struck out 45 while picking up four wins.
 
Bartel pointed out, "Schanks has all the potential to be a top-notch pitch in the NSIC and she showed glimpses of that last year. We're looking for more consistency from her this year and she has been working hard on that."
 
Sarah Kivisto is primed for a role in relief for Concordia as she looks to make her debut in the circle this season.
 
The Golden Bears officially open up the season on Friday night in Las Vegas at 6:30 p.m. CT against Concordia-Portland.