By P.J. Harmer

Staff Writer

The bigger the target gets, the better Afton softball seems to get.

With the bulk of last year’s Class D state finalist team back this season, the Crimson Knights should once again be the cream of the Midstate Athletic Conference and Section Four Class D this season.

Daily Star file photo Catcher Amber Lynn returns for her junior season at Afton, the 12-time Section Four Class D champion. Lynn earned First Team Daily Star All-Star honors last spring, when she batted .409 with 38 runs and 31 RBIs.

Heading that talented group is freshman shortstop Jessie Winans _ The Daily Star Player of the Year last season _ and junior pitcher Morgan Muller, a Daily Star First Team All-Star in 2006.

The Crimson Knights went 25-3 last season, winning their 12th straight Section Four Class D championship. They also earned their fourth Midstate Athletic Conference title in the five-year history of the league, beating Harpursville, 3-0, for the crown.

"I think you’ll see a tight race," said Afton coach Cindy Bostelman, a nine-time Daily Star Coach of the Year who enters her 19th season with a 308-120 record. "There are a lot of young coaches bringing new things. I don’t foresee us dominating the league and I think we have to earn it. ... There’s nothing being handed to us. It’s going to be good and we’re going to have to earn what we get."

Afton did lose some key players with the graduations of Daily Star First Team All-Stars Chelsea Beames (center field), Brittney Sines (second base) and Courtney Lynn (left field). Still, the Knights wasted no time getting a jump on the league this season.

The Crimson Knights beat Sidney, 9-0, behind a 10-strikeout, two-hit performance from Muller on April 2. Afton also had 11 hits off Sidney pitcher Danielle Gravel, which Bostelman said is a good sign.

"It seems like we always have trouble with (hitting in the early stages)," Bostelman said. "Against Sidney, we were slow and then got rolling. That’s rare. In the past, we’d be lucky to have four, five or six hits. We had 11 clean hits.[an error occurred while processing this directive]

"That’s something we have to keep up," she continued. "That’s always a factor. Can we hit consistently?"

Afton starts with Winans, a strong-arm defender who brings a lot of pop with the bat. She’ll hit third this season, sandwiched between freshman outfielder Stephanie Sherman and junior catcher Amber Lynn.

Winans hit .462 last season with a .753 slugging percentage. She had 36 RBIs, scored 37 runs and led the Knights to the Class D state title game, which ended with an 8-4 loss to Fort Ann.

"She’s looking real good and strong," Bostelman said of Winans. "She plays a lot of ball, and talk about knowing the game. I’d like to think she’ll lead a little more this year and talk a lot in the infield."

Lynn, a junior catcher who caught 9 of 12 runners stealing in 2006, is back after hitting .409 with 38 runs. She’ll again work with Muller, who went 25-3 and struck out 201 with a 0.48 ERA last spring. Muller threw two no-hitters and allowed 27 runs on 90 hits. She’s also strong at the plate, where she batted .304 as a sophomore.

Freshman Stephanie Parsons will bat leadoff this season for the Knights. A bit of a spitfire at the plate, Parsons brings speed to the offense and the outfield. She opened the season with three hits against Sidney.

After Sherman, Winans and Lynn, Bostelman will go with junior Amanda Rupakus (third base), senior Brittney Hulbert (second base), sophomore Ashley Winans (pitcher, infield, designated player) and senior Marie Lohr (first base). Muller or senior outfielder Sam Sickler will bat ninth.

"It’s a nice luxury to have experience back," Bostelman said. "You can work on fine tuning. You have kids who have played together and are beyond beginners."

Afton could get a stiff challenge in Division II from Hancock, which returns its senior battery of pitcher Liz Rice and catcher Dana Wormuth. The Wildcats have fallen to Afton in the past three Section Four Class D title games, including a 3-0 loss last season. Senior outfielder Lauren Wellman is Hancock’s top power hitter.

Bainbridge-Guilford lost catcher Katie-Mae Laing from last year’s team, but returns a good core of players in seniors Jen Patten (third base), Sammie Darling (second base) and Jessica Zito (pitcher), along with junior Christina Butcher (shortstop). Junior Rebecca Thomas also will see time inside the circle.

Deposit, which finished fourth in D-II last year, is back with a large group of newcomers. Oxford has three pitchers on its roster and likely will split starting time between senior Patty Dalglish and junior Vanessa Pierson. Sophomore catcher Marlena Frank, who hit leadoff last year, is also back.

Walton graduated its infield from last year, but gets a boost with the return of Casey Kelly, a senior third baseman. Kelly, a MAC All-Star as a sophomore, sat out last season with a knee injury. The junior battery of Rachel James (pitcher) and Rachel Valentine (catcher) return.

Harpursville, despite graduating top pitcher Kaitlyn Hamilton and 11 other seniors, should still be one of the top teams in Division I. Senior outfielder Angela Eberly is the top returner from last year’s team. The Hornets likely will split pitching time with Heather Kelly, a senior, and freshman Stephanie Gaska.

Sidney, 13-7 last season, could also contend for the division title with Gravel leading the way. She finished 12-6 last season. Senior shortstop Theresa Mirabito is back a year after hitting .428.

The Warriors lost some key pieces in shortstop Christine Mirabito (.353), first baseman Megan Walker (.440) and outfielder Misty Cotten (.379), who all graduated. Additionally, catcher Elaine Herbis transferred.

Also back for the Warriors are seniors Kaitlyn Lennon (outfield) and Michelle Walter (first base). Sophomore Nicole Rowe will step in at catcher.

Greene could be a team to watch in D-I and will feature three-year starter Megan Boeltz, a senior shortstop. Look for the Trojans to use two pitchers in sophomore Megan McDermott and senior Beth Ludwig.

First-year coach Brandi Backus takes over at Unadilla Valley and has a strong core of experienced players from last year’s 5-14 team. Junior pitcher Kristen Elliott is back in the circle for the Storm, who also return senior shortstop Caree Acre, junior first baseman Katrina Benson and sophomores Hannah Johnson (third base) and Leslie Barnes (center field).

Unatego, 9-10 last season, graduated its entire infield and two outfielders from last year’s team. Two holdover starters _ Colleen O’Hara and Blake Shelton _ have changed positions. O’Hara, a sophomore, moves from catcher to shortstop, and Shelton switched from left field to catcher. Senior Sierra Birdsall will share time in the circle with junior Kailey Kinsella.

"We’re very young," Unatego coach Sue Herodes said. "We’re going to plug along."

Delhi also got hit with the graduation bug after going 6-11 in 2006. To add to the woes, senior Ashley Skovira is out for the season with an ACL injury she suffered during basketball season.

The Bulldogs, who were no-hit in a 26-0 season-opening loss to Oneonta, will start senior Megan Cantwell inside the circle. Cantwell (2-5 last year) threw a no-hitter in 2006. Junior Cristin Salerno will catch.

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P.J. Harmer can be reached at pharmer@thedailystar.com or 607-432-1000, ext. 229.