The ISU softball team is preparing to start the 2011 season with a roster where 10 of the 20 players are freshmen.

Despite the squad’s youth, coach Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cesler is confident her club can compete in a conference that boasts five teams in the top 20 of the NCAA preseason rankings.

“I want them to understand and realize that they can play with anybody,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “They’re as good as anybody out there.”

Gemeinhardt-Cesler is expecting pitching to be one of the team’s strong points this season. Senior pitcher Rachel Zabriskie is coming off a 2010 campaign during which she broke the all-time ISU record for strikeouts in a season with 255.

“[Zabriskie] works very, very hard. She’s kind of bull-headed and relentless,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “She is exactly the way you want your pitcher to be.”

Zabriskie’s record was 20-17 last season, while she registered a 2.74 ERA in 227.2 innings of action. She also held opponents to a .235 batting average in 2010, as opposed to the .275 batting average posted by the Cyclones.

Most of the players around Zabriskie do not have nearly as much experience at the collegiate level, if any. The team will have new starters at every infield position, as well as at center field.

Gemeinhardt-Cesler is optimistic, despite those spots being filled by a cast of new players.

“Defensively, I feel great about all the positions,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “I feel that our depth and our speed are very good. I feel good about all aspects of our program.”

Junior Heidi Kidwell is looking to fill the vacancy in center field left by her sister, Kelsey, one of five seniors the Cyclones lost to graduation last year.

The younger Kidwell led the team in several statistical categories last season, including hits (60) and batting average (.328). Kidwell will be counted on to bat first in the rotation this season.

“[Kidwell] can hit well deep in the count and she hit well behind in the count,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “She does a great job of starting us off.”

Sophomore Erica Miller is also expected to be one of the team’s top offensive weapons this season. Miller, who batted .299 last season, was second on the team in home runs (7) and third in RBIs (27).