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UNO coach Jeanne Scarpello's advice to her team this season is simple.

Get used to being uncomfortable.

From replacing Important players, to having injured veterans at — naturally — key positions, to playing its first season as a Division I team after decades among the best in Division II, there will be adjustments this season.

When last weekend's heavy snow split a seam in the team's domed practice facility? No big deal, the Mavericks practiced elsewhere around the city for a couple of days until it was fixed.

When this weekend's season-opening tournament at Northern Iowa was "cancelled" because of mechanical problems at the UNI-Dome, was it a surprise that it was uncanceled and rescheduled in Ames, Iowa, rather than Cedar Falls? No.

"Adversity, we've had it," Scarpello said. "And we've handled it great. This team is just ready to play."

The Mavs open with Wisconsin-Green Bay in an 8 a.m. game Saturday, followed by a 10 a.m. game with Valparaiso. On Sunday the Mavs play North Dakota at 2 p.m. and UNI at 6.

They'll be playing without two-way All-American player Lindsey Slocum , who last year hit .299 with eight homers while going 15-5 with a 1.84 ERA and 166 strikeouts in 137 innings as a senior. And they'll be without pitcher Beth Haley, who was 22-5 with a 1.06 ERA as a senior.

But that was a given.

They'll also be playing without shortstop and leadoff hitter Molly Feichtinger, who hit .423 last year but has been sidelined by a back injury. And they'll be playing without second baseman Ashley Lynch, a .309 hitter who is out with an elbow injury.

"We'll have freshmen at second base (Kiley Thalken) and shortstop (Tonya Peterson), Scarpello said. "It's a great opportunity for them to get experience, and we still feel good about where we're at there. We've known the other two would be out for a while, so they've been preparing to start."

In the circle, hard-throwing sophomore Dana Elsasser moves into a more prominent role after going 10-1 with a 1.18 ERA in 71 innings last season.

"She got some experience pitching behind those two (Haley and Slocum) last year, and the torch has been passed to her," Scarpello said. "She's throwing (64 to 67 mph) with velocity that would impress any Division I team, and she's one of the hardest throwers we've ever had at UNO. And she's learning a changeup that's coming along nicely."

The Mavs still have some big bats in the middle of their lineup in catcher Lauren Larson (.320, 10 homers, 41 RBIs), designated hitter Amber Lutmer (.311-11-42) and outfielder Katelyn Hinton (.288-7-30).

Like UNO's other teams, scheduling during the first year of reclassifying to Division I has been intriguing - the Mavs have 29 games scheduled before the end of March, only three of which are at home. The home opener at their new digs, Westside Field, is March 20 against Nebraska.

"The kids are excited about the new facility," Scarpello said. "It's a different look, and perfect timing with everything changing in the athletic department."

After April 24, UNO's only scheduled games are a road doubleheader at Drake and the Great West Conference tournament.

UNO will compete for the Great West title (there is no automatic berth to the NCAA tournament for the winner) before beginning a full Summit League schedule next season.

After going 47-11 in its final season in Division II, the Mavs are scheduled to play at least 37 games against Division I opponents.

"Our depth is a little low," Scarpello said. "We have to go in with the mentality of knowing we can compete with a lot of these teams. Everyone has a solid lineup — a little more speed, a little more power. The pitchers aren't going to miss as much. It's going to be hard for us as coaches, too, because we haven't seen these teams before.

"But we go down to the Farmers Branch (Texas) at midseason (to play Great West opponents) and we'll see what's out there and what improvements need to be made. By the end of the year, we'll be ready to compete at the Great West tournament."

* * *

UNO SOFTBALL ROSTER

RHP Kat Barrow: Second-team all-region pitcher in Kearney, Mo., the freshman impressed during the fall season with wins over South Dakota State and Colorado State.

OF Mara Eeman: Class B all-stater and four-year letterwinner in three sports at Ralston, she saw her bid for a starting job put on hold by a concussion.

RHP Dana Elsasser: Overlooked by many Division I recruiters, the hard thrower from Hershey, Neb., is a D-I pitcher in the end. She was 10-1 with a 1.18 ERA last season in spot duty, but is expected to be the Mavs’ workhorse this year.

SS Molly Feichtinger: The senior from Omaha Marian hit .423 last year, had a team-best .527 on-base percentage and earned second-team All-MIAA. But a back injury has kept her out, and a return date is uncertain.

OF Lindsay Gilliland: The freshman brings a reputation for solid defense.

OF Katelyn Hinton: Senior has been a consistent three-year starter, compiling a .288 average with 22 homers, 101 RBIs and 35 stolen bases for her career.

RHP Ashton Hughes: Transfer from Western Nebraska Community College, where she went 30-7, the junior reported with an injury and has been throwing for only four weeks — but progress has been good and she’s expected to earn innings soon.

OF Mollie Jones: Twice second-team all-conference with the College of St. Mary, the Columbus Scotus graduate joined UNO last year and appeared in 20 games, primarily as a pinch runner.

C Lauren Larson: Earned All-MIAA and MIAA defensive player of the year honors last season, her first with UNO after transferring from Creighton. The senior from Millard North hit .320 with 10 homers, 41 RBIs and a team-best 62 hits.

C Amber Lutmer: Will serve again as the Mavs’ designated hitter after a .312 average with a team-high 11 homers and 42 RBIs last season. The Millard West graduate was the first UNO player to hit 10 homers as a freshman since 2003.

2B Ashley Lynch: A medical redshirt in 2010, the senior from Bellevue West bounced back to hit .309 last season but suffered an elbow injury in the fall. She should return soon.
3B Molly Negrete: The junior from Millard South moves to third base after spending time at first last year, when she hit .156 and started 42 games.

SS Tonya Peterson: With Molly Feichtinger out with a back problem, the All-Nebraska player from Omaha Westside moves directly into the starting lineup.

OF Lindsay Redding: A part-time starter each of the past two years, the junior from Papillion-La Vista gets another shot at full-time duty. She’s a career .381 hitter in 63 at-bats and has 17 stolen bases in 20 attempts.

2B Kiley Thalken: The Class B state record-holder for career doubles (48) at Bennington, she moves into the starting lineup because of an injury to Lynch.

1B Emma Wright: The senior will play first base after spending much of her career at third. She’s hit .242 the past two seasons.

Contact the writer:

402-444-1027, rob.white@owh.com

twitter.com/RWhiteOWH

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