The Blue Angels softball season is about to begin, and as the frigid Wisconsin ground thaws out, it is time to take a look at what is in store for the 2015-16 Blue Angels Softball season.

In 2014-15, the Blue Angels continued their growth from their building program. Finishing 9-22 last season, MMU softball tied their team record for wins in a season since joining the NCAA. As the Blue Angels offense was ready for a surge, the surprise may have come from the big boost in pitching.

The wins in the circle came off the arms of then newcomers Ashley Contreras (College Station, Texas) and Nikki Festge (Menomonee Falls, Wis.). The freshman (Contreras) and junior transfer (Festge) cut the previous team ERA of 14.97 to 6.67 in 2014-15. The team ERA was the lowest since the MMU joined the NCAA ranks in 2009.

With each pitcher slashing away the ERA and earning double digit complete games each, more and more games were left open for the MMU offense to decide the outcome. As a team, the Blue Angels stepped up offensively as well collecting 180 hits and scoring 112 runs, which was up significantly from 2013-14 at 101 hits and 74 runs.

The offense was generated from a combination of power and speed. Katie Edwards (Class of 15) led the offense in most categories including hits, home runs, RBIs, batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

Pitcher/outfielder Ashley Contreras supplemented that attack adding 33 hits, three home runs, 14 RBIs, .367 BA and led the team with 13 doubles.

Freshman Payton Hintz (Almond, Wis.) further bolstered that attack with 25 hits, two home runs, nine RBIs and a .313 BA.

Along with Katie Edwards, who will return this season as assistant coach, winning the Association of Division III Independents Player of the Year, the 2014-15 recruiting class was honored as well. Contreras was named AD3I Rookie of the Year and was also named to the All-AD3I Second Team as a pitcher. Hintz and Festge also earned spots on the All-AD3I Second Team as a third baseman and pitcher respectively. On top of all that, Coach Tim Edwards was named AD3I Coach of the Year for the huge turnaround the team experienced.

"It's the commitment level," Head Softball Coach Tim Edwards pointed as the reason for the turnaround, "not only from the players but from the coaching staff."

"I think our training has improved, we've improved our conditioning." Coach Edwards goes on to point out, the ability to get full participation in practice and work around those hectic college schedules as yet another reason they keep making progress.

This season, the Blue Angels look to continue that progress as they get ready for their first doubleheader. "The commitment level has been greater, we have not had one practice where we have missed more than one person any one time."

Along with the enduring commitment from the MMU softball players, the addition five newcomers with varsity level skill will add to the depth of the team's experience. To strengthen up the interior, four of the five new Blue Angels will play mainly on the infield.

According to MaxPreps, a news subsidiary of CBS Sports, freshman Madison Ledda (Tracy, Calif.) had a varsity high school batting average of .387 in the 52 games recorded. With a .385 BA in her senior year, that would give Ledda the highest 2014-15 batting average on the current MMU roster.

Rookie Peyton Davis (Tracy, Calif.) made big strides in her batting from junior to senior year, going from .118 BA in 2013-14 to .194 in 2014-15. While her bat continues to improve, Davis can always rely on her arm as she finished her senior year with a .923 fielding percentage, 37 assists and only four fielding errors.

With the added depth of the newcomers and the experience of the returners, this year's Blue Angels will ultimately have a chance to shine at the end of the season for the first time since the Blue Angels joined the NCAA. This year, MMU will be members of the Great South Athletic Conference. That gives Blue Angels Softball an invitation at the end of the season to play in the GSAC postseason tournament. The winner of the conference tournament will ultimately receive an automatic bid to the NCAA DIII national tournament.

The Blue Angels are ready to begin the season, and are set to be put to the test against a strong schedule. After two games their first week, the Blue Angels will travel the Midwest playing four doubleheaders during their spring break.

As the clock winds down, the Blue Angels get closer and closer to their first game against Wisconsin Lutheran College. With the winter weather already looming around the corner, the Blue Angels will have to adjust. Initially, the Blue Angels first contest was Wednesday against Concordia Wisconsin, to avoid complications with weather, MMU changed their planned Thursday game against WLC to Tuesday March 22.

Stay on top of all the last minute changes, follow all the updates, schedule changes and coverage all at mtmaryathletics.com.

Returners
Michelle Argenzio (Sr./Brookfield, Wis.) 12 H, .167 AVG, .250 OBP, 10 RBI
Shandrieka Richardson (Sr./Atlanta, Ga.) 9 H, .143 AVG, .239 OBP, 2 2B, 2 RBI
Payton Hintz (So./Almond, Wis.) 25 H, .313 AVG, .402 OBP, 5 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI
Marissa Rechlicz (So./West Allis, Wis.) 4 H, .108 AVG, .195 OBP, 3 RBI
Ashley Contreras (So./College Station, Texas) 33 H, .367 AVG, .412 OBP, 13 2B, 3 HR, 14 RBI
  Contreras (Pitching) 14 GS, 4 W, 10 CG, 91.0 IP, 5.69 ERA
Nikki Festge (Sr./Menomonee Falls, Wis.) 4 H, .114 AVG, .162 OBP, 2 RBI
  Festge (Pitching) 17 GS, 5 W, 11 CG, 83.1 IP, 7.81 ERA

Newcomers
Peyton Davis (Fr./Tracy, Calif.)
Madison Ledda (Fr./Tracy, Calif.)
Katy Groth (Fr./Racine, Wis.)
Jess Runge (Jr./Freedom, Wis.)
Taylor Yordt (Fr./Omaha, Neb.)