DENVER – Riding high a year ago at this time, the MSU Denver softball team, not to mention the world, was stopped cold by COVID-19.
 
Now, with the majority of the team returning, not to mention some new recruits, the Roadrunners will look to recapture the magic again once the 2021 season starts.
 
"Any time you come off a good season, where you have good feelings … sometimes you can get caught in a rut in trying to duplicate that, or repeat that," MSU Denver coach Annie Van Wetzinga said. "Every year is different, has a different feel, whether you bring in new players or have most of the same ones coming back. We talk to our team about working hard, not just on the field, but for the culture and team unity. Each year will have its own wrinkles, and this year is obviously really different."
 
MSU Denver is picked to finish first in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference after piling up an 18-6 overall record, and 10-2 and tied for first in the league, before last season was cut short. The Roadrunners were on an eight-game winning streak at the time.
 
They won't ease into 2021, as Colorado Mesa and Colorado Christian are the first two teams on the schedule, each for a four-game series. They are the other two 10-2 teams from league play last season and are picked to finish third (Mesa) and second (Christian) in the league this season. All three teams received four of the 12 first-place votes in the preseason coaches' poll.
 
MSU Denver is scheduled to face Mesa in doubleheaders Sunday and Monday at the Regency Athletic Complex, with first pitch Sunday at noon and Monday at 11 a.m.
 
"Do we believe we can have a lot of success on the field? Van Wetzinga asked. "Definitely. But we know it may look different, how we attack things might be different, and different people might be in slightly different roles. We do have some new faces that we think will help us. It could look different, but our expectations of wanting success and planning for that don't change."
 
One thing that figures to look the same is Darby McGhee pitching, playing shortstop and contributing offensively.
 
In the circle, the All-South Central Region player is MSU Denver's all-time leader in strikeouts (352) and ranks high on the leader board in virtually every category, including innings pitched (second, 501), wins (fourth, 43) and ERA (eighth, 3.53). At the plate, she's tied for 10^th in program history in doubles (34) and is a career .312 hitter.
 
"She's been a mainstay for a while, and we know what we can expect from her," Van Wetzinga said. "She's always going to keep us in the game (as a pitcher), and contribute on the offensive side as well. She may not have flashy offensive numbers, but she's really steady at the plate and she's steady on the field as well. To have somebody on the field with that much experience is a big deal."
 
Another senior, center fielder Megan Sansburn, is eighth in program history in stolen bases (30) while compiling a .320 career average, 10 homers and 79 RBIs in 182 games. She had a .468 on-base percentage last season.
 
"Like Darby, she's been really consistent for us and has a wealth of experience," Van Wetzinga said. "She really leads our outfield with her communication, and she reads the ball off the bat really well. She's set up for another good year."
 
Outfielder Rebecca Gonzales, the 2019 RMAC Freshman of the Year, ranks sixth in program history with a .378 career batting average after hitting .427 last season.
 
"She's obviously established herself as a very good hitter," Van Wetzinga said. "We like where she's at. The biggest quality for her since day one has been her steadiness and approach. She never gets too high or too low. She has a bad at-bat and it doesn't carry over to the next one."
 
As freshmen last season, third baseman Olivia Dampier and pitcher-first baseman Kayla Banks were putting up All-RMAC quality numbers through 24 games. Dampier, who homered in her first collegiate at-bat, was hitting .405 with 28 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. Banks was hitting .422 while going 6-1 with a 3.67 ERA in the circle.
 
"Kayla and Olivia, that was their first season and they were off to really good starts," Van Wetzinga said. "And you hope that can pick that back up. They've been doing good things so far."
 
Joining McGhee and Banks on the pitching staff are veterans Destinee Lopez and Julia Heitz. Lopez has served a valuable role as a starter, long reliever and late-game reliever, and last year was 6-3 with a 4.49 ERA. Heitz is looking to regain her 2019 form, when she was 10-6 with a 3.85 ERA.
 
"It's a staff approach," Van Wetzinga said. "We'll piece things together sometimes. Just because someone starts a game, it doesn't mean they're going to finish. And that's OK."
 
Veterans such as Ari Valdez (.325 last season) and Haley Doughty (.281) impressed in regular roles and catcher Whitnee Alexander hit .323 in part-time action and appears capable of taking over full-time responsibility.
 
Speedy outfielders Emily Shreves and Kassi Reiger are looking to push their way in to more playing time, and Reiger will also see time at catcher. Meanwhile, three freshmen – versatile infielder Shelby Robb, speedy outfielder Kami Grammerstorf and Northern Illinois signee Mackenzie Jamieson are also in the mix.
 
The Roadrunners' first two weekends of the season have been canceled, but they are ready to return to action.
 
"It's been rough," Van Wetzinga said. "Because we felt like we were in a really good place, in a good groove and building to play. We were probably on borrowed time – because we had smooth sailing with no issues. But we're back on track for the most part and are ready to play. We just want to get on the field and compete."