Staff file photo / Neel Madhavan Fitch’s Abby Toth high-fives head coach Steve Ward after hitting a solo home run against Canfield last season in Austintown.

AUSTINTOWN — Coming off back-to-back Division I state titles, the Austintown Fitch softball team had its sights set on a possible three-peat last year.

However, the Falcons’ postseason run fell short in the regional semifinal, as Fitch lost to Massillon Jackson. Now, Fitch is ready to return to Akron and pursue another state run this spring.

“It made us hungry to reflect back on what we could have done better,” head coach Steve Ward said. “What went right, what went wrong and what are we going to maximize and then what are we going to do to take care of business this year? How are we going to do it? So there’s been a strong focus, especially with this senior class. They know what they want to do, and they know where they want to go.”

After graduating just two seniors from last year’s team, Fitch has no shortage of experience and talent back on the roster this season.

Leading the way for the Falcons are eight seniors, four of whom are signed to continue their softball careers at the college level next year. Kylie Folkwein is headed to Syracuse, Abby Toth is going to Detroit Mercy, Alyssa Rodgers is signed to Cuyahoga Community College and Morgan Roby will play for Division II Glenville State (W.Va.).

“We’ve all been playing together for so long, so I feel like we’ve created a really great bond,” Folkwein said. “We know how each one of us plays and what our specialties are on the field, so that helps us win games because we know how we play and work together.”

Toth and Rodgers were Fitch’s second and third-best hitters last season, batting .623 and .529, while Roby and Folkwein weren’t far behind at .456 and .382, respectively. Toth led the team with 10 home runs and 49 RBIs, while Folkwein had six home runs and Roby had 40 RBIs.

Folkwein will be behind the plate, Roby is at third base, Rodgers will play shortstop and Toth will be at first base. With such a large, experienced senior class, Ward is looking for that group to lead the Falcons’ talented crop of freshmen and sophomores.

“When you have a senior class that has less than 10 losses in their entire career, they bring the talent. Everybody knows their talent. Everybody knows what they’re able to do,” Ward said. “What we get to see as coaches is truly their leadership — how they include everyone in team events, how they include everybody in the dugout and just how they truly lead this team. We give a lot of ownership to all of our players and each one leads differently, and it’s very exciting to see.”

Junior and Louisville commit Kaliana Ray was Fitch’s leading hitter a year ago with a .689 average, and she’s back in center field. Meanwhile, senior Miauna Jorge, junior Veda Burt and sophomore Seneca Coates are competing for the other two spots in the outfield.

Freshman Annabel Mikesell gets the nod at second base. Then, after not playing last year, senior Lily Stevens is back for the Falcons this season, and Ward said she’ll be taking on a designated player role for the team.

“I know I can trust my teammates when I have a bad at-bat or do a mistake in the field,” Toth said. “I know I can trust them, even the freshmen. They help us a lot, too. It feels really good to have so much talent on this team because if I mess up, or Kylie or Morgan, we all can pick ourselves up and we can help our teammates.”

In the circle, sophomores Kourtney Fedorek and Tori Greathouse are both back after being thrown into the fire last year as freshmen. Fedorek compiled an 11-4 record with a 3.52 ERA in 19 appearances, while Greathouse went 9-1 with a 3.33 ERA in 16 appearances.

However, highly-touted freshman Mila Hamley joins the varsity team this year, and Ward said she will get the starting nod at pitcher.

“Mila Hamley has had an amazing first season here with us. We’re super excited for her,” Ward said. “She’s made her name in Little League and on a high-level travel team, so we’re very excited to see what she’s going to be able to do out here. … (Greathouse and Fedorek) have had a great offseason too, and you’re going to see them in the circle this year as well.”

After sharing the All-American Conference title last year, Fitch will have its work cut out for it in league play this season against the likes of Boardman and Canfield. Plus, the rest of the schedule is just as tough as it always is, with the Falcons scheduled to face Massillon Jackson, Berea-Midpark, Mentor, Tallmadge, Strasburg-Franklin and Painesville Riverside, along with its usual out-of-state opponents during the annual spring break trip.

“We all know the standard,” Toth said. “We want to be in Akron, but it’s just one game at a time. At this point, we just want to get there. But we need to win regular-season games first before we get anywhere else.”

And just like it has since the expansion to seven divisions, Fitch will continue to play up in Division I in the postseason.

“The schedule is going to get us ready. Every week builds upon itself in our schedule so that we’re playing at our best,” Ward said. “We peak at the right time, which is conference play, and then we’re going to build even more and then keep developing grit. Tournament time is our second peak. So we’re really excited for our schedule. I think we’re going to have an RPI schedule that is one of the top in the state.”