Key veterans returning to the lineup will be Tori Mueller, Maria Moccio and Olivia Labbe.

Mueller, a senior utility player, ranked fifth on the River Hawks last season in batting average (.253) and scored 17 runs, drove in two RBI and only struck out four times. She appeared in 26 games with 24 starts, and was safe on all three of her stolen base attempts. As a fielder, Starek noted Mueller's ability to be versatile and how comfortable she is with moving around the field and playing different positions.

Moccio, now a graduate student, started all 31 games for UMass Lowell and was an effective first baseman. She tallied 20 hits, 11 RBI and drew nine walks. Starek will look for Moccio to be an effective weapon in the batters box this season, as well as a trusted fielder on defense.

Labbe, also a grad student, started 30 games for the River Hawks in 2021 and finished the season with a .333 on-base percentage. Discipline at the plate led to 12 walks, while she also boasted two home runs, a career best for her. Additionally, her abilities as a fielder were displayed throughout the campaign, as she finished with 47 putouts, 5 assists and a .958 fielding percentage.

“They're going to be the anchors,” Starek said. “They know exactly what the conference and schedule looks like. They've been awesome leaders with some of the younger kids by helping them adjust to what we've had going on. But we also have players who've been in and out of the lineup in the past, so they're hungry to solidify some of those positions, which has made for healthy competition.”

Two players that are expected to make contributions on the field this season are junior Brenna Davenport and sophomore Lea White. While they weren't consistent faces in the lineup throughout the 2021 campaign, they demonstrated their abilities in the infield by finishing plays and getting outs. 

Davenport tallied 11 putouts and seven assists in her 16 appearances, while White maintained a .933 fielding percentage and nine putouts in 19 appearances. Expectations are that the duo will cover the gaps with efficiency and minimize ground balls from getting through to the outfield.

Becoming a cohesive unit as quickly as possible will be of critical importance for the River Hawks. Most players taking the field at the start of the season will have had limited experience playing together during games. Additionally, Starek is implementing new defensive strategy that the team has been practicing in preparation for the season. Shifting players to different positions and educating them on new alignments and setups is key to establishing themselves and finding a comfortable system. The hope is that by the time America East play begins in April, UMass Lowell will have found its gear and be able to coast through the conference schedule with few bumps in the road.

“We want to make sure we're competitive every single game,” Starek said. “We need to focus on doing the right things including the small details to make sure we're putting ourselves in a good spot. If we have a competitive attitude and do the routine things, we really should be hitting our peak.”

The bar is being set high for the River Hawks this season. Time will tell if they're able to soar over it.