PRATT, Kan.- On Sunday, Punxsutawney Phil will let us know if spring has officially sprung, but as the Beavers return to the softball diamond, it's safe to assume that winter has come to an end.

Tomorrow, head softball coach Melvin Jenkins and his group of young women will officially begin regular season play against Lamar Community College. Due to Pratt's recent exposure to the winter elements, softball's opening weekend has been moved to the campus of Barton Community College.

To some, the change in venue from Lemon Park to a rival in-conference ballpark could put a damper on the excitement of a new season sprouting on the schedule, but not Coach Jenkins. He's ready to get things going.

"I'm exponentially excited," Jenkins said. "I know that sounds like using a big word, but it fits. We feel good about the kids we brought in in the fall, and when we started playing games early in the fall, we really though we saw some glimmers of potential."

Now in his fourth season as head coach of the Beavers, Coach Jenkins has learned plenty about himself as a coach and a mentor not only at Pratt Community College, but in his stops throughout the state of Texas as well.

"You're adjusting on the fly every year," he said. "Every year it's a different group of young people and you have to try to identify with them. You have to try to find that place where they can be most successful. Sometimes you find it early, sometimes you're late finding it, and other times you don't find it at all. It's been a continued lesson to try to find a space for your players where they can be most successful."

The 2020 version of Beavers softball is still an unknown, and will be for quite some time as games become final and trends begin to emerge. Going into this new season however, Coach Jenkins has a very young group he's excited to mold.

"They fit every stereotypical definition of youth," Jenkins said. "Very talented, extremely capable, but along with that youth, you're trying to find a new self-confidence now that they're no longer at home. There's not a lot of space for slow maturation. You're asking them to mature quickly and with this group, the pitfalls have been learning to work with new people, learning to take a leadership role because you are more talented, and that talent needs to be on display every single day."

Coach Jenkins has had plenty of time as a coach to envision the kind of team he wants to place on the field. With this group, he feels as though he's come very close to showcasing a product that matches his blueprint.

"We've got tactful pitching," Jenkins said. "We've got multiple arms this year, and that's something that's defeated us in the past. Offensively, we like to showcase athleticism. We've got big strong girls, and their bodies show that, and their athleticism shows that. We're not wasting a lot of time with touch-and-go and slap or anything like that. We're coming in with the mindset that we know what our goal is, and when someone gets on, the selfishness goes away."

With such a young group on his hands, Jenkins will be looking for the aforementioned youth to immediately catalyze the Beavers.

"With youth being the key here, most coaches would want to highlight their sophomores, but we don't have that luxury," Jenkins said. "Bringing Erica Spencer back, her having been in the system even though she didn't play last spring, brings back a hunger of someone that wants to get the chance to reintegrate herself. She can step in and lead the program from the pitching circle as well as the left side of the infield.

"I'll be looking for Celeste Chavez to anchor us in the utility role. We're young behind the plate, so maturity in Cortnie Miles and Mykenzie Stroud will help us. Kylee Erickson in the outfield is an all-state kid out of Texas, and fits the strong, powerful mold. Nikole Puetz is one of those kids in a four or five year cycle that can pretty much do everything well. As a freshman she's stepping right into a leadoff role."

Speaking of Spencer, Coach Jenkins will be putting a lot of stock in the contributions of the sophomore, who he expects to be a key cog in the Beaver machine. He also believes a couple of her teammates will be crucial to the success of his softball team.

"Spencer can no doubt be an all-conference pitcher," Jenkins said. "I think you add in all the different things that Kylie Fletcher can do, talent-wise because she can play some shortstop too, she compliments Erica well because we can utilize them on the infield. Puetz is going to be a key because she can hold down a lot of things in the outfield, and she can allow us to bring Chavez back-and-forth.

"Because we are blessed with some dual talents, can put three different quality kids at first base. If Rayne Cottle can come along, she can be an all-conference kid. She just has to make the adjustment to college ball."

Young and talented, this group of Beavers hopes to right the wrongs of a 4-42 season in 2019. That hope rides on Coach Jenkins squad having to accept the heavy expectations levied on them by their head coach. "Maturity" was the theme of the discussion, and it's something he hopes to see his team embrace. Jenkins also made a promise to Pratt fans that the Beavers will certainly be worth the price of admission.

"Sophomores need to step forward into leadership roles, regardless of what their on-field role is, and the younger ones will have to mature into expectations of success…. You're going to see a quality product here at home. You're going to fall in love with the kids and want to follow them and see where their success takes them."