LA MIRADA Calif. --- The 2017 season offers Biola Softball a chance at a fresh start. As the Eagles participate in their final season in the Golden State Athletic Conference before transitioning to the NCAA Division II and the PacWest, they will incorporate the ability to play under the lights at Freedom Field for the first time and the opportunity to face future PacWest peers Azusa Pacific and Concordia-Irvine.

Due to a few untimely injuries and a lack of breaks their way, consistency was an elusive commodity for the Eagles' 21-win 2016 campaign. The Eagles will need to add about 14 wins to their 2015 total in order to get in the mix for a GSAC title this season, so resurgences from many of the team leaders and replacement production from newcomers will be crucial.

"I believe that the team's strength that we'll show this season is our ability to slap the ball. Coach Janie Takeda has done a fantastic job in that area for the players and slapping should form a good combination with the power hitters we have," said Head Coach Lorie Coleman. "We're hoping that will cause a good kind of chaos and help us reach the goal of scoring more runs this season."

Many of Biola's new faces will occupy infield positions that were vacated by the four seniors in the 2016 class. Sophomore Andi Hormel is a lock at shortstop with the glove and the bat and will anchor the infield as she did all of last season. But the Eagles will look to the next player up to replace All-GSAC catcher Bria Madrid, the versatile Iliana Morales, power-hitter Heather Hall at third and the dual-threat Kendall Maddox.

The backstop will be particularly important, as incumbent Alexis Parker and freshman Kayla Neff will likely share the at-bats there and the duties of partnering with a four-part pitching committee. Parker had 22 at-bats last season as a freshman.

Luckily, senior leadership is another strength for the 2017 Eagles despite the departure of four starters from last season.

"Kasey Hormel and Kimmy Triolo are leaders on and off the field for us," said Coleman. "Kasey has a stabilizing presence on the field and keeps us moving forward with clear direction. And I think Kimmy is really stepping into the role of leading the team as well. We're optimistic that the determination she's shown since the fall will lead her to surprise some people in the circle."

Seniors Briana Acuna and Maranda Galindo will also play crucial roles for the Eagles in the way they lead by example with their production. Both Acuna and Galindo are very capable defenders and lethal hitters when they are going well, so both will likely be penciled in as starters to begin the year.  

It certainly won't take long for the shape of this team to materialize given the Eagles' 2017 schedule. At the start of February, Biola will face future PacWest peers Azusa Pacific and Corcordia-Irvine on the road in doubleheaders that are seven days apart (February 7 and February 14, respectively).

Following those series, Biola will host the NAIA So. Cal Classic and play six games over the course of a long weekend from Feb. 17-19 before beginning the conference schedule at home on Saturday Feb. 25 against Hope International.

"I think one of the benefits of our heavy schedule near the beginning is that it will help the team learn lessons early with the challenges we face," said Coleman. "The NAIA So. Cal Classic has some ranked teams and generally a long list of really good teams, so we want to be ready when that tournament comes."

The NAIA So. Cal Classic will host 18 teams at Big League Dreams West Covina and will be covered here at athletics.biola.edu.

The season begins with a home doubleheader against La Sierra on Friday, Jan. 27. The next day the team will host its alumni game and a ceremony celebrating the new lights at Freedom Field. The alumni game will be the first competition ever played under the new lights.

Find more information here.