After being ranked third in the state last year, making program history and going all the way to the state playoffs, Wildcat Softball is looking forward to another successful season this spring.

“Our program has really taken off in the last four or five years,” Head Coach Kenny Allen said. “It’s been a lot of work, but we’ve gotten it to a point where we’re a known commodity.”

With eight returning athletes from last year’s squad and 111 wins under their belts from the last four years, Oxford is aiming to take its district and regional titles this spring. Along the way, they plan on taking out the No. 3 state-ranked Clarkston team.

“We’ve kind of got a big bull’s-eye on us again this year, but we’re young and ready,” Allen said.

Allen thinks the ladies are up to the challenge and have proved to be a particularly versatile team in the first few weeks of practice.

“We’re athletic top to bottom,” he said. “We’re very, very athletic. We run well, we hit well, we play good defense. This is the first group I’ve had where I can literally call time out and switch everybody on the field without making a substitution. They’re very versatile.”

Right now, the team’s only blind spot is on the pitcher’s mound. Oxford graduated an All-State pitcher last year and is looking to see how the three new ladies will fare in the first few games.

Aside from their athletic abilities, the ladies are especially strong in the classroom. Senior captains and four-year starters Mackenzie Miller and Chloe Allen lead the way academically with 4.2 and 4.1 grade point averages, respectively. Miller is the top of her graduating class right now.

“I’m really proud of the girls for that,” Allen said. “I actually submitted the team grade point average to the high school coaches’ association because I believe we’re in the running for the academic state championship.”

Other ladies Allen suspects will make strong contributions this season are juniors Sarah Tyrell and Gabby Dinges along with returning sophomores Emma Morris, Caroline Marsh and Meghan Lupu.

Important games the ladies are looking forward to this spring are their away double headers at Lake Orion and Clarkston. The Wolves will host Oxford on May 2 and the Dragons on May 7.

The Lady Cats played their first double header of the season at Romeo on April 9 after the Leader went to press. They will play again on April 11 when they host Davison.