Scrimmages do not always mean a whole lot and given that Battlefield showed up to Nokesville to take on Brentsville District while wearing self-designed green and blue T-shirts instead of jerseys, the idea of "fun" clearly triumphed over seriousness.

After the Bobcats tallied the most runs and the glad-handing ended after the game, Battlefield manager Joe Schelzo gathered his players around and stressed the ethos that's led to three consecutive state appearances.

"Tomorrow's No. 1 of 20 wins," he said to roars of approval.

The current crop of seven seniors may make this year's Battlefield squad one of the most potent since the team's first run to states during the 2008 season, which resulted in a runner-up finish. Two of those soon-to-be graduates, Miranda Kemp and Bailey Liddle, are also set to lead the team as their ace hurlers, providing Battlefield with crucial years of experience.

With the pitching rubber being moved back from 40 feet to the college-regulation 43 feet, Schelzo said he expects both Kemp and Liddle to have "a lot more bite" on their breaking pitches, particularly their drop curves and screwballs.

As her batters prepared to face Kemp on Monday, Beard noticed that the senior, acting in a closing role, could use speed to her advantage.

"It took us a little bit to adjust to her and I told the girls, I said, 'Look, she's quicker, you've got to get out in front,'" said Beard, noting that Kemp worked the inside of the plate well.

Kemp tossed hardly any change ups, but the ones she did throw had a freeze-frame effect on batters as they came across at a deceptively slow speed, going for strikes.

Fellow senior Stephanie Figgins returns as catcher this season, continuing in her role from last year as the team's primary pitch caller. According to senior Tyler Welch, who joins Liddle and Figgins as co-captains, Figgins has "grown as a player" after attending clinics and working with her predecessor Courtney Liddle, the 2009 Group AAA player of the year.

"She's developed a very good pitch placement" mindset, she said. "I think she makes the picthers work their spots."

Schelzo mentioned that his coaches turned over pitch-calling duty to Figgins full-time after a couple games into the 2010 season and that, over the course of the year, she figured out exactly what worked well with both Kemp and Liddle.

"She's (done) very well with having to fill big shoes," he said.

Junior Shannon Black also does at shortstop given that she takes over for graduated four-year starter Brittany Clendenny.

She's filled the role in a strong way, at least according to Beard, who remarked after the game, "Their shortstop, she's got a gun; she's a heck of a player."

Katherine Palmer, Katie Sutphin and Erika McLaughlin round out Battlefield's Class of 2011 attack and are joined by five juniors and freshman Emma Thornberg. Schelzo highlighted the second baseman McLaughlin's bat as being particularly potent in the pre-season, suggesting she may find a spot into a power position in the line-up once he settles on one. Palmer is now a full-time player in the outfield after performing in a more limited role last year and Sutphin is back at first base, on the receiving end of a gun-slinging defense.

Juniors Ashley Parnarouskis and Samantha French are both new to the varsity squad. French, up from junior varsity, is expected to fill in for Liddle at third base when the senior steps inside the pitching circle while her classmate Kimmy Brady has a spot in the outfield. Veteran Haley Sortzi has experience at both first base and the outfield, having also played travel softball with the prestigious Shamrocks organization, like some of her teammates.

"Our expectations are always to get the No. 1 seed out of the district, ideally to win the region and get a No. 1 seed going into states and hopefully coming through," said Schelzo, as he set the same goals for the 2011 team that he's done annually for years.

However, he added that the team has "got to get there" first but he is happy with the results early on.

Referring to the position changes in his roster, he said, "those tweaks have gone quite well.

"So far," he added. "Of course, we'll see for real tomorrow."