The Sycamores finished the 2009 season with an overall record of 20-27 and earned 10 wins in Missouri Valley Conference play to tie for eighth in the league standings. Indiana State went on a tear through the MVC Tournament, making an appearance in the semifinal round with upsets of fifth-seeded Illinois State (3-0) and No. 4 seed Drake (3-2), marking the Sycamores' second semifinal appearance in school history. Three seniors - Darcy Wood, Katie Armour and Meredith Simpson -- earned All-MVC honors, adding to ISU's record books for 27 all-time all-conference honorees.

This season in the circle, Indiana State looks to replace Wood, one of the most accomplished pitchers in school history and the all-time MVC leader for career strikeouts. McCurdy, who is back at full steam after an arm injury in her junior season, is the most experienced returner with 289.2 innings to her credit and 239 career strikeouts, including 64 as a sophomore. Hard-throwing sophomore Lindsey Beisser also returns, while freshmen Sara Evans and Kristen Felker bring fresh arms to the group of hurlers. One year ago, McCurdy and Beisser were part of a pitching staff that tallied 343 strikeouts, the most in one season of any ISU team in history.

"We very much have a true pitching staff this year," Coldren said. "Our pitchers all throw different speeds and possess different go-to pitches, which is a nice luxury to have. That mix is hard to find. We'll be able to look at opponents and work with their weaknesses and our strengths. It also means we have options in the middle and later innings. With their variety of strengths, I know our pitchers will be confident going into games, whether it's in starting or relieving roles."

Behind the plate, the Sycamores return sophomore Bailey Wittenauer, while Alyssa Marcum and Alex Lucas provide depth at the catching position after filling in for an injured Wittenauer in fall action. Marcum and Wittenauer will also give the ISU offense a pair of promising and powerful bats after its losing leading hitters from last season, Armour (.424) and Simpson (.405).

"Bailey is going to put the power into our lineup, and defensively, she comes back as the catcher with the most experience with our two older pitchers," Coldren said. "Alyssa has shown considerable improvement in her blocking and shifting, and she also has the potential to be an outstanding hitter. Finally, Alex has a great personality behind the plate and really recognizes how our pitchers should adjust in games. She is so fundamentally sound, and she'll bring consistency to our catching crew."

The Sycamore infield corps is highlighted by Paz as a leader at shortstop, along with sophomore Stephanie Robinson, who played nearly her entire freshman season at second base. When not pitching, Beisser is expected to take over at first, while junior Rachel McCleary has also seen significant work at the position in the offseason. In addition, junior Stephanie Jonson has successfully made the switch to the outfield after spending her first two years as a pitcher, and sophomore outfielder Alyssa Doyle adds a triple threat offensively with her ability to bunt, slap and hit for power.

Freshman utility MacKenzie Connelly is also in the mix as both an outfielder and infielder, specifically at shortstop with Paz, and her offensive prowess could help the Sycamores immediately. Speedy freshman Halee Myers also has the skills for time in the infield and outfield, while freshman Kim Pierce brings a strong arm and ranginess to the outfield. Finally, freshman Kellie Szablewski provides a left-handed bat and the ability to cover significant ground at third base.

"Our infielders and outfielders are a young but very talented group," Coldren said. "We return two starters in the middle infield and have seen some really good things out of our corner players. Our outfield is a mix of returners and newcomers. They all have great speed and will cover a lot of ground out there. Overall defensively we will be much stronger and much more consistent this year than we have been in the past."

With the annual slate of MVC competition and four NCAA postseason-qualifying teams in Sacred Heart, Lehigh, Illinois and Bradley on the schedule, Indiana State's schedule features challenges and opportunities for the Sycamores to develop the primarily young squad into one that will contend for a follow-up run in the league's championship.

"We're going to be a very solid team this year," Coldren said. "Our defense has shown a marked improvement in the offseason, and our hitters have the chance to step in immediately and replace the power last year's seniors brought to the table. As a program, we are excited to see our players capitalize on the opportunity the 2010 season brings."

Indiana State opens the 2010 season at the Memphis Tournament in Memphis, Tenn., Feb. 19-20. Friday's games match the Sycamores with Appalachian State at 10 a.m. and McNeese State at 12:15 p.m., while Saturday's schedule includes SEMO at 12:15 p.m. and Memphis at 4:45 p.m.