Psst! If you find yourself at a rival campus, keep this under your (softball) cap:

This year's softballing Gators are young, unknown and arguably the conference underdogs—yet they may prove to be the year's big sporting surprise.

A new-look SF State softball team, which includes eight freshmen, a walk-on and a first-year head coach, introduced itself as a conference contender by beating last year's champions, Humboldt State, 5-3 in a non-conference tourney in Turlock, Calif., this weekend, in which the Gators finished 2-2.

"Everybody thinks we're underdogs," junior shortstop Monica Amburgey said. "I mean, we're ranked on the bottom of all the coaches' rankings. Everybody thinks we're going to be terrible because we've got eight freshmen coming in and we've lost eight seniors."

The Gators, who finished last year in fifth place with a 31-33 record, are starting afresh this year. Gone is All-American second baseman Vanessa Rodrigue, who led with a team-high nine home runs and a .358 batting average last year, as is Elissa Reizman, who made the All-Tournament conference championship team.

All-conference recipient Allison Shirley? No more. Kristin Bartholomay? Nope. All-American Nicole Hatfield? See ya.

"Because we just graduated a chunk of players, no one knows what to expect from us," head coach Cristina Bryne said. "The unknown is a key factor, because [the opposing teams] don't have any idea about the freshmen we have. It's kind of exciting to know we're the underdog in this league, and we'll play off that."

This year, Gator softball fans will hear plenty of new names—like Kelly McDonald, who hit a double on her collegiate debut Friday, and pitcher Ashley Jackson, who struck out six in hers.

Another is McKenna Coelho. And Kendra Wood. And Lea Cardenas. They're all freshmen, they all made strong opening performances this weekend and, because of the gaps left by graduating starters, they're all required to play like they're upperclassmen.

"We have the potential to be really good this year, because with the freshman we have, they showed us they can step up and not just play freshman roles," Amburgey said. "I mean, just because you're a freshman doesn't mean you have to play like a freshman."

But having so many new faces—not to mention a new coach—can upset team chemistry, which is something the coach said is paramount to success. That's why returning players like Amburgey and senior first baseman Jordanna Freeman have assumed leadership roles to help smooth over the bonding and team-building process.

"The freshman kind of looked up to us and asked us for advice," said Freeman, who picked up an All-conference honorable mention last year. "It was not like, 'Hey, we're going to be your leaders, listen to us and hear us roar,'—it was more like, 'Okay, you guys want us to be your leaders, so here's what we have to say.'"

Amburgey recalled being a freshman and looking up to Freeman for advice. But now that she's a junior under a new coach with new ideas, she admitted things are a little different.

"It's hard as upperclassmen to teach new freshmen when we don't yet know ourselves the style of coaching," she said. "It's kind of like we're all in the same boat because we all have a new coach—it's like we're all freshmen again, except with experience in playing this conference."

But that experience is exactly what freshman utility player Kendra Wood is looking forward to.

"As a freshman, I don't really know a lot of the ins and outs [of being on a college softball team]," she said. "I just need to learn as much as I can, and then next year improve from what I have learned."

Coach Bryne, who inherited the team from the previous staff and has made just one recruit since arriving at SF State, said the returners are enthusiastic and proactive in their role as team leaders, and that they lead by example, whether studying, weight training, practicing, or even attending other Gator varsity games, like basketball.

"The upperclassmen have really laid the groundwork of the team," Bryne added. "They said they wanted to be positive role models [and] they've kind of bonded and set that tone. It's rare to see teams that get along as they do."

Wood agreed.

"We're young, but we're coming together as a team really well," she said. "We hang out all the time. No one really fights with each other."
This year's team first met back in September, and along with all the bonding and team training, they've all had to make adjustments to each other's—and the coaches’—playing styles and expectations.

Sometimes it's the seemingly small things that help gel a team.

"We all started from scratch," Bryne said. "It was tough in the beginning—I'm very structured, very organized, and that was something that caught everybody off guard. Things need to happen, like tucking your shirt in at practice—things that maybe they weren't used to."

Freeman recalled appearances not being so much of an issue with the previous coach.

"You could show up with your pants around your ankles and it really didn't matter," she said. "With this coach, you've got to look good all the time. It's been an adjustment—and not a bad adjustment at all, just a small adjustment."

The Gators will now have to put five months of preparation and adjustments behind them and begin their season properly this Friday—in a two-game road series at conference foes Humboldt State. Their first home game is a non-conference game against private Christian school Biola University on Feb. 18.

Freeman said the players, whether returning or part of the emerging eight, look ready—especially if this past weekend is any indication of where they’re at.

"If someone walked by and saw us playing, I don't think they would say, 'Oh look, that's a freshman, that's a freshman,'" she said. "We were all just like one team. Everyone played at the same high level, and everyone was on the same page. It was a really good weekend."