The high school softball season is right around the corner, and the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules will look to their young core to propel them this season.

The Lady Mules had their ups and downs last season, but their focus is on starting fresh with a positive mindset this year. Aaron Duncan will enter his third year as head coach and faces the challenge of having a young team but emphasizes the potential for growth and improvement.

Since taking the field, Duncan said the Lady Mules have been working extremely hard to prepare for opening day. Though the team will tackle the task of helping inexperienced players, Duncan plans to create a supportive environment where players can enjoy the game and play together without excessive pressure.

“We got four experienced players back, and we got a lot of work to put in before the first pitch,” Duncan said. “I know the first few weeks will be tough, and hopefully, by the end of September or early October, we’ll be in a more comfortable position. Our main focus has been placed on fundamental skills, error-free play and simple offensive strategies.”

Last season, the Lady Mules closed with a 9-11 record — a step up from where the team was during Duncan’s first run with the program. Despite the challenge of having no returning seniors, he said that everyone will have to step up, and it will take a lot of grit and determination from younger players to support the team.

“For us to be okay this season, everybody's got to come in with energy and play their roles,” he said. “We have a lot of people who are going to play a lot of different spots and will need to put in work every day. We’re going to need to work daily and just grind it out. We must try to create a mindset that when we get into a game, the habits we use in practice will carry over.”

Duncan will have three juniors returning with Addison Valenzuela, Molly Eason and Liz Blancett, who’s been playing varsity since their freshman year. He noted that all three of them can pitch and play different positions, and he plans to rely on their experience to leave the team.

Duncan said he will put a lot of trust in his juniors this season. He said they will go as far as possible if they work daily. He understands that it won’t be easy, but he believes in them.

Valenzuela and Eason are ready to take the field and know they have ways to go before becoming a cohesive unit.

“I definitely feel like we are going to need more work to play at our full potential,” Eason said. “I believe if we work harder and everyone gives their all at practice, it will translate to the games. During the summer, Addison and I put in a lot of effort to do better this season than we did last year.”

As for being the primary leaders on the team, Valenzuela said it won’t be easy because juniors are still learning, but they will do their best to guide the younger players.

“They look at us as leaders, and I feel like it's a hard role because everyone's looking up to us,” Valenzuela said. “Taking on the role makes us want to step up a little more this season and hopefully, we can have a winning record and win more games.”

With the Lady Mules kicking off their season next Tuesday at Strenfel Field against Fox High School, Duncan said the team must take the season one at a time. Though they will have many challenges along the way, he wants them to learn and enjoy the game.

“We're young, so we're going to make some mistakes, but we have to figure it out,” Duncan said. “I want them to understand that it's okay to fail. We discussed putting pressure on each other in practice so that when the game comes, it's not pressure. You're just going out, playing, enjoying the game together and playing for each other.”

The Lady Mules' home opener will begin at 4 p.m. at Poplar Bluff High School.