<p>For the first three years of their high school softball careers, Piper Belden and Abby Herbst came to practice every day knowing exactly what to expect.</p><p>This spring, the routine is just as new to the Center Grove seniors as it is to the freshmen.</p><p>Longtime coach Russ Milligan stepped down last summer after 27 seasons as the Trojans’ coach, having won five state championships and 741 games. Trying to fill the void is Alyssa Coleman, a former Butler player who guided Speedway to the Class 2A state title last year.</p><p>Coleman, who also teaches physical education at Center Grove, knows she doesn’t need to fix what isn’t broken — the Trojans were 30-2 last year, reaching the Class 4A semistate final.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery<p>"I inherited just a ton of excellence," she said, "and that’s exactly what they expect here."</p><p>But while she’s not looking to tinker too much with a successful team, Coleman is bringing a different approach than Milligan did. So far, the seniors are on board with it.</p><p>"It’s a good different, but it’s really different. With Milligan, we knew what to expect all the time," Herbst said. "It’s a little crazy at times, but it’s a good kind of crazy. Everybody’s learning together, and everybody’s working together to figure it out."</p><p>"I think it’s refreshing," Belden agreed. "The seniors don’t know what to expect, the freshmen don’t know what to expect, so I think everybody’s coming in with a brand new attitude."</p><p>Coleman’s track record, both as a Division I college player with the Bulldogs (2009-12) and now as a championship coach, has made it a little easier for her to earn the respect of some of the Trojan players. Just as important, though, has been her ability to relate to them as athletes and as young women.</p><p>Both Belden and Herbst pointed to Coleman being approachable as a big plus.</p><p>"I’ve been in their shoes," Coleman said. "I’ve played. So that totally helps. I can relate where they’re looking, I can tell when they’re hurting, I can tell when they’re missing something that we’re just not clearly communicating."</p><p>Coleman says she has a good relationship with Milligan, who has been supportive and willing to offer help when it’s asked for.</p><p>The atmosphere may be different at practices this preseason, but there is one thing that has absolutely remained constant through the coaching change — the expectations. It’s been state title or bust for the Trojans for decades, and Coleman has made it clear to her new team that she’s not lowering that bar at all.</p><p>"Her wants are the same as ours," Herbst said.</p>[sc:pullout-title pullout-title="Scouting the county" ][sc:pullout-text-begin]<p><strong>Center Grove Trojans</strong></p><p>Coach: Alyssa Coleman</p><p>Last season: 30-2, won MIC, sectional and regional championships; lost to Decatur Central in semistate final</p><p>Top returnees: Piper Belden and Abby Herbst, seniors; Lexi Fair, Kaci Finchum, Addy Osborn, Lauren Wackerly and Brooke York, juniors; Lexi Burris and Alexis Rudd, sophomores</p><p>Key newcomers: Abby Patton, sophomore; Sydney McConnell, Maya Netter and Lex Warner, freshmen</p><p>Outlook: Coleman, who coached Speedway to the Class 2A state title last spring, will try to maintain the high standards set under Russ Milligan, who guided the Trojans to five state championships during his tenure. Leading the charge will be Herbst, a MaxPreps Junior All-American last season, and Belden, an All-State middle infielder. Center Grove should again be one of the top teams in the state; whether it can win it all may depend on whether some of the underclassmen at the bottom of the lineup in 2018 can thrive in more prominent roles.</p><p><strong>Edinburgh Lancers</strong></p><p>Coach: Ben Taylor</p><p>Last season: 14-8, tied for first in Mid-Hoosier Conference; lost to Indianapolis Lutheran in sectional championship game</p><p>Top returnees: Sidney Beier, Grace Joiner and Emma Wade, seniors; Paige Burton and Abby Schooler, juniors; Gracie Long, sophomore</p><p>Key newcomers: Carly Cowan and Shelby Graham, freshmen</p><p>Outlook: The Lancers have a couple of huge holes to fill, most notably in the pitching circle, but they do return one of the state’s top Class A hitters in Beier, a threat to go deep any time she comes up. Joiner and Graham will split the pitching duties, and Beier should have protection from a strong lineup that features four other returnees who batted at least .333 in 2018. First-year coach Taylor expects his team to again contend for conference and sectional championships.</p><p><strong>Franklin Grizzly Cubs</strong></p><p>Coach: Kilah Dickey</p><p>Last season: 9-15, fifth in Mid-State; lost to Center Grove in sectional semifinal</p><p>Top returnees: Payton Parker, senior; Baylee Parker, Bostyn Parkhurst and Emma Rutan, juniors; Izzy Harrison, sophomore</p><p>Key newcomers: Mariah Stansbury, senior; Emma Dowty, junior; Maddie Hedges and Erin Lee, freshmen</p><p>Outlook: The Grizzly Cubs will be very young and inexperienced, but they will have the most important piece of their puzzle taken care of with the return of Izzy Harrison, a Kentucky commit who flashed plenty of star potential during her freshman season. If new coach Dickey can fill in some of the vacancies around her, then Franklin — the lone team to beat Center Grove during the 2018 regular season — should be able to play with just about anyone on its schedule.</p><p><strong>Greenwood Woodmen</strong></p><p>Coach: Greg Norwood</p><p>Last season: 8-20, sixth in Mid-State, won Johnson County championship; lost to Whiteland in first round of sectional</p><p>Top returnees: Allison Hayes and Alexis Rees, seniors; Dominique Proctor and Tori Stout, juniors; Kiley Hankenhoff, sophomore</p><p>Outlook: The Woodmen lost a trio of three-year outfielders and don’t have much back in the way of pitching experience, but the reigning county champs should still be able to remain competitive thanks to a strong batting lineup. The Woodmen have an experienced backstop in Rees and a solid middle infield combo in Proctor and Hayes. If the pitching, led by Stout, can hold up, Greenwood could still be a factor in a loaded Mid-State Conference.</p><p><strong>Greenwood Christian Cougars</strong></p><p>Coach: Tami Haynes</p><p>Last season: 10-7, fourth in PAAC; lost to Edinburgh in sectional semifinal</p><p>Top returnees: Marissa Jent and Avery Shingleton, seniors; Morgan Haynes, Alexis Mead, Abigail Warner and Dani Whitney, juniors; Izzy Reed, sophomore</p><p>Key newcomer: Hailey Haynes, freshman</p><p>Outlook: The Cougars have made incremental progress the past few seasons and should be able to continue under new coach Haynes. Mead and Morgan Haynes are both coming off of big offensive seasons, and what GCA may lack in softball experience elsewhere on the roster it should make up for in athleticism. Hailey Haynes will be counted on to carry much of the pitching load for the Cougars, who again face a tough sectional path with Edinburgh and Indianapolis Lutheran in the way.</p><p><strong>Indian Creek Braves</strong></p><p>Coach: Gary Mitchell</p><p>Last season: 13-10, fifth in WIC; lost to New Palestine in sectional championship game</p><p>Top returnees: Michaela Denney, senior; Talea Bowling, Jozie Farris and Kayla Lemmon, juniors; Delaney Heminger and Makena Hogue, sophomore</p><p>Key newcomers: Jocelyn Lauck and Haylee Mathena, juniors; Aly Fleener, sophomore; Bobbi Suttles and Emily Todor, freshmen</p><p>Outlook: The Braves lost some major offensive firepower to graduation, but there are still plenty of experienced players back, including outfielders Denney and Lemmon and third baseman Bowling. Farris and Fleener should shoulder the majority of the pitching duties. Mitchell is pleased with the team chemistry and expects Indian Creek to battle every inning. "I don’t see that ever changing for our program," the coach said. "We fight." How many wins that translates into remains to be seen, but this group should be competitive as always.</p><p><strong>Whiteland Warriors</strong></p><p>Coach: Katie Mitchell</p><p>Last season: 6-20, seventh in Mid-State; lost to Martinsville in sectional semifinal</p><p>Top returnees: Shelby Gibson, senior; Delanie Gourley, Abby Nacio and Allie Watson, juniors; Macy Cornelius, Hailee Park and Jordan Smith, sophomores</p><p>Outlook: The Warriors didn’t have a problem scoring runs last season, but preventing them proved difficult. Mitchell is hopeful that with most of her lineup returning, they can get significantly better in that area. A large freshman class should provide some additional depth. If Whiteland can make the improvements that Mitchell expects, it should at least be competitive in a very deep Mid-State Conference.</p>[sc:pullout-text-end]
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