In head coach Erica Hanrahan's first season at DePauw, she won't inherit a program bereft of talent.
In reality it's quite the opposite, and it's not just talent she inherits, but a standard of winning carried over from five NCAA Division III appearances in the last six years.
It's a standard that Hanrahan hopes translates into on-the-field wins.
The DePauw softball team begins its season Saturday on the campus of Rhodes College for four games during the Softball Showcase of Hope to benefit St. Jude. The Tigers will face old Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference rival, Rhodes, first, and then University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
DePauw will look to improve upon its second place finish in the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament a year ago, and 29-12 overall record.
In August, Hanrahan - in her first year as a collegiate head coach after being an assistant coach at Boston College last season - said before pre-season practices she wanted to get to know who her players were on and off the field.
She accomplished her goal, now it's a matter of making the lineup work.
"This is an extremely deep team," she said Wednesday. "The composition of what the team has been in the past, there were 10 or 11 players that were the integral players on the field. This year there's a lot of parity.
"There is at least three strong at each position. The level of play of one player is not head and shoulders above another."
That depth creates a problem for Hanrahan in setting a lineup, but it's a problem she said is good to have.
There are seven seniors who each started games last season. There are also eight freshmen that are vying for starting roles. The two classes make up 15 of the 21 players listed on the roster.
"The next couple of weekends will be learning for all of us because so many kids have shown that they deserve the opportunity to be on the field," Hanrahan said. "We don't really know who will accelerate and grasp those positions."
There are unknowns because five starters, who all played integral roles in the daily lineup, have graduated. The group included the entire left side of the infield, two outfield positions and combined for 104 of 184 runs batted in during the season.
While the holes left by those players can be considered gaping by some, it's no matter to returning starter, Amy Hallett.
"We have several girls on the team who play multiple positions well," the senior catcher said. "Even though we lost five strong seniors, we gained eight strong freshmen in addition to the seniors we have now.
"The depth allows us to have an off-day, and we have something to fall back on."
Returning also is arguably the deepest pitching rotation DePauw has ever had. Led by Emily Bichler, a senior, the rotation improved in the off-season working with Hanrahan, who was a pitcher for St. Peter's College from 1997-2000.
"In speaking with the pitchers individually, they feel like they are the most prepared they have ever been," Hanrahan said. "They feel like they're the most dominant in their skills right now, and that's the best thing I could hear. ... I'm excited for their enthusiasm and confidence."
Added Hallett, "We have five very different, unique pitchers. Each one of them has a specialty and has different speeds. ... By having five different pitchers you can play a team five different times and it'll be different."
While the depth is readily apparent, it presents problems with consistency in the everyday lineup. Hanrahan expressed a slight concern that it may take a couple of weekends to understand who will bat where, and what combinations of players work well together.
But she is certain runs will score, and be kept off the board by the pitching staff.
Hallett, who led DePauw with 11 homeruns last season and knocked in 33 RBI's, thinks the team should fare well from the outset.
"Coach has made it clear that she doesn't have a set nine for every game," Hallett said. "It might take a game or two just to get in the groove of things. We still have a core group of power hitters, but now we have some speed with some lefties, so I think our lineup will be more versatile than in years past."