If any team personifies the ability to not just rebuild but reload, it's St. Anthony Village's softball team.
The Huskies lost six starters from last season's Class 2A state runner-up team, a group that set a school record with 243 runs scored, and came back to score 255 so far this spring.
Enhanced batting, combined with solid pitching and defense, have the Huskies back in the state tournament for the sixth time in the past eight seasons. St. Anthony Village (23-3), ranked No. 2 in Class 2A, opens state tournament play at 11 a.m. Thursday against No. 6 Kasson-Mantorville (22-2) at Caswell Park in North Mankato.
The Huskies hope to avenge last season's extra-inning title-game loss to New Ulm.
"I think our returning kids wanted to set a tone that they were a pretty good team, too," coach Lamar Brendemuehl said.
Veterans such as pitcher Sarah DeMars and shortstop Mary-Clare Couillard provided key pieces. But the emergence of juniors Kelly Lawson and Aiyana Ledwein sparked the lineup. The extra runs, Brendemuehl said, came on an estimated 20 additional hits — few of them bunts.
A title-game rematch with No. 3 New Ulm (20-3) is possible because the teams are on opposite sides of the bracket. Brendemuehl believes his team has what it takes to reach the final game.
"If we continue to be solid on the mound, play good defense and do what we know we can do at the plate, anything can happen," he said.
