The University of Minnesota Duluth launches its 2015 softball season this Thursday (Feb. 12) by taking on the University of Arkansas-Monticello at the UAM 8-State Classic in Bentonville, Ark. That doubleheader will be followed up by six more games in three days for the Bulldogs, who posted a 25-21 overall record and an 11-6 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference mark (sixth place). Before her club boarded the bus for the 14-hour trip south, 10th-year Bulldog head coach Jen Banford previewed the upcoming season with umdbulldogs.com

You welcome back 11 letterwinners from a year ago, all of whom have had some kind of previous starting experience. What do you like about this group?

Like you said they all have starting experience, and a lot of them have played consistently since they were freshmen, so I guess that's any coach's dream to have that kind of experience back.

What do you think will be some of the team's biggest challenges this year?

We've had an early injury with one of our pitchers so that's always a challenge, but Sam (Hartman) has worked hard to get back and healthy, and it sounds like she's ready to go for Arkansas. So I think that will probably be our biggest challenge.

Turning to pitching, Cayli Sadler and Sam were your workhorses on year ago, starting 42 of the team's 46 games. How do you see the pitching rotation working out this spring?

I think that they both worked really hard. They both had a really good fall season, and they both compliment each other. It's nice to have lefty on your staff like we do with Sam, who is more calculated and works the hitter. Cayli, on the other hand, attacks them (opposing batters) with power.

You have one senior on your roster in Jordan Rice so you'll obviously have to look at some of your six juniors for leadership as well. Who do you see stepping into that role?

Honestly our whole junior class has great leadership. Jordan is our sole senior -- she's use to being alone in that class and she does a great job providing leadership. Sami Schnyder, a 2014 All-NSIC first team pick, is also a big leader on our team as is Ashley Lewis. The other members of junior class are leaders in they're own way too.

You welcome five freshmen into your program this year. What can you expect from them during their rookie season? Do you see all of them or some them having an immediate impact?

This is an awesome class. This past fall, they led the way when we played Minnesota and in some other fall games as well. Collectively, they have a lot of speed, power, and are solid defensively.

Your team was projected for a fifth-place finish in the NSIC preseason coaches poll- is that a fair assessment from what you see and what you see in the rest of the league?

I love it. I love being the underdog and I don't feel like we're going to finish fifth in our league. I just look at it as more of challenge to motivate us.

What does this team have to do to regain the NSIC title, which you won just two years ago, and secure a berth in the NCAA playoffs this spring?

This weekend is huge. We have to win these regional games in Arkansas and then then the ones we'll have the next three weeks at the West St. Paul Sports Dome. We need to keep our winning percentage up and take advantage of any opportunities we have when the weather cooperates.