DENVER – If you've been following MSU Denver softball for long, then you've probably seen these names before.
 
Shelby Robb. Kami Grammerstorf. Miah Hartvigsen. Jaiden Geist. Audrey Burt. Hannah DiFabio. Alexia Boring. Katie Maney.
 
"We have a lot of experience, which is one of our biggest strengths – if not our biggest," MSU Denver coach Annie Van Wetzinga said. "It's exciting to have four seniors who have a lot of experience, and we've got some good leadership out of our junior class, too."
 
Those third- and fourth-year starters, along with returning RMAC Freshman of the Year Jenna Medhus, fellow standout sophomore Cheyenne Prieto, returning starters Adriana Bueno and Aaliyah Arellano, and the expected impact from transfer Miki Berg give the Roadrunners a solid group that is expected to be one of the league's top teams again in 2024.
 
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference coaches picked MSU Denver (34-22 overall and 29-13 in league play last year) to once again finish second in their preseason poll.
 
The Roadrunners start their season Friday, playing the first two games in a five-game weekend at the D2 First Pitch Invitation Tournament in Conroe, Texas.
 
MSU Denver plays Washburn (Kan.) at 9 a.m. MST and eighth-ranked Texas-Tyler at 11:15 a.m. on Friday, then squares off Saturday with Texas A&M International at 9 a.m. and Angelo State (Texas) at 3:45, and finally wraps things up Sunday at 9 a.m. against Texas Woman's.
 
"It's going to be really good competition right out of the gate," Van Wetzinga said. "We'll see good pitching and offenses that will challenge us. My big thing is, no matter the situation, I want us to go out there, play free, play with confidence and don't make anything too big."
 
The early-season gauntlet, which includes home games with St. Mary's (Texas) and St. Edward's (Texas) from Feb. 9 through 11, could pay dividends down the road should the Roadrunners move into contention for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
 
A talented roster could potentially trend in that direction with good results and good health.
 
Robb, an outfielder, was an All-American as a freshman with an otherworldly .535 batting average, and she still sports a career .410 average that is the second-best in program history. Grammerstorf, another outfielder, is a two-time All-RMAC second team outfielder who has stolen 55 consecutive bases without being caught. Hartvigsen is a steady, All-RMAC first baseman known for delivering clutch hits.
 
Geist is a power-hitting catcher who has earned All-RMAC honors. Burt is a two-way talent as a pitcher and hitter. DiFabio is one of the top shortstops in a league full of outstanding players at the position. Boring and Maney are outfielders who have starred both offensively and defensively.
 
"I'm excited for them to continue to grow," Van Wetzinga said. "We've been young the last couple of years, and now we see some of those players starting to use their experience and maturity."
 
Medhus burst onto the scene last year, starring in the circle from start to finish while becoming an offensive force as the season wore on: she was 12-5 with a 2.79 ERA as a pitcher and batted .347 with nine homers in just 101 at-bats.
 
"She adds a lot to our team on both sides of the ball," Van Wetzinga said. "We're working on keeping her healthy to have her available in the circle, and then her stick adds a lot to our team. She's got natural power and the ball jumps off her bat."
 
Burt was 8-11 despite a solid 3.55 ERA and 108 strikeouts in 124 1/3 innings, and Prieto turned in a fine freshman season, going 10-5 with a 3.57 ERA while holding opponents to a .233 batting average.
 
"When people had success against Chey, she was getting behind in counts and maybe walking or hitting batters," Van Wetzinga said. "Because the numbers show that people don't hit well against her."
 
The rest of the staff includes senior Maddy Wilson, more comfortable now after joining the program as a transfer last year, and freshman Natalie Romero, who has impressed.
 
"If someone has a hot hand, we'll stick with them, but they also pair up really well," Van Wetzinga said. "With all of them, it's a matter of not trying to do too much. You've got an athletic defense behind you. Attack the hitters."
 
Bueno and Arellano provided outstanding defense and some offensive highlights in their first seasons as Roadrunners last year while playing second and third base, respectively. They're joined now by Berg, who plays both second and third and was an All-RMAC first team selection last year for powerhouse Colorado Christian, batting .331 with 11 homers and 40 RBIs.
 
"It's nice to supplement your lineup with transfers sometimes," Van Wetzinga said. "She has really good experience, and has good postseason experience. She's come in, worked really hard, and fit in well with our team. Adding her gives us a little more depth and flexibility with our infield."
 
With the likes of Grammerstorf, DiFabio, Robb, Maney and others, MSU Denver will once again be an exciting team on the basepaths.
 
"We're going to have a lot of team speed, which is exciting," Van Wetzinga said. "It's something they really lean into. They do a nice job of being aggressive and taking things when they see them on the bases.
 
"A couple of our speed kids, we've challenged them to cut down on their strikeouts. Work more gap to gap and put the ball in play. And if you do that, actually more home runs are going to come anyway on those line drives and staying within ourselves in our swings."
 
A newcomer with a speed game is freshman outfielder Lexi Gephart.
 
"She's an athletic kid," Van Wetzinga said. "We've got a lot of experience in the outfield, and she's learning a lot from them. From the fall until now, she's probably the one we've seen the most growth from. She's a really good baserunner."
 
If it all comes together, the Roadrunners hope to be one of the teams challenging Colorado Christian in league play.
 
"I think it could be a dogfight," Van Wetzinga said. "CCU distanced themselves last year, but it could be a little closer this year because some of us (including Colorado Mesa, Regis and others) have more returners with experience."