A young Nansemond-Suffolk Academy softball team enters the 2014 season with two experienced Lady Saints taking over for two recently departed leaders.

One of those departed leaders is Kim Aston, who has stepped down as head coach. Aston had been interested in focusing more extensively on coaching her primary sport, basketball, and was eyeing an eventual transition last year when Brittany Wilkins joined her softball staff as an assistant coach.

Wilkins attended NSA from kindergarten through 12th grade, playing with the Lady Saints and graduating in 2008.

Aston noted that Wilkins went on to be a four-year starter at Boston College, which has a Division I program.

Wilkins now teaches middle school Spanish at Nansemond-Suffolk and used 2013 to gain valuable coaching experience.

“(I) gave it a shot last year, liked what I saw, and decided to take over this year,” Wilkins said.

Aston added, “Brittany is more than ready to take over her own program.”

Wilkins will follow a legacy of success established by Aston, which included a conference tournament championship and a trip to the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division II state title game in 2012.

Last year, the Lady Saints went 11-5, 6-1 in the Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools, were runners-up in the conference tourney and advanced as far as the state semifinals.

Addressing the other recently departed leader, Wilkins said the biggest challenge her team will have to overcome to be successful is “probably losing the senior leadership on the mound that we saw in Devin Coyne last year.”

Coyne was a constant for NSA at pitcher, earning All-TCIS first team honors.

This year’s heir to her senior leadership role is readily apparent, because the 2014 squad has only one senior — Macy Mears, who has the accomplishments to command the respect of her teammates.

“Macy led us in batting average last year,” ending up at .667, Wilkins said. Mears is now also a four-time all-conference first team and three-time all-state first team member.

She will head up a team with four eighth-graders, five freshmen and one sophomore, compared to only five upperclassmen.

“We’ve got some great leadership, some great athletes, and despite their age, I think we should do very well this year in conference and then on to the states,” Wilkins said.

Mears may spend some time on the mound as well as at catcher and shortstop.

“She’s kind of our do-it-all player,” Wilkins said.

But the new coach has a young prospect who could become a reliable presence at pitcher — eighth-grader Emily “EJ” Bankson. She plays travel ball with Orion Hunter Fastpitch.

Sophomore Brooklyne Carr will continue to be a force as a vocal member of the team, contributing strong performances both at bat and at first base.

Junior Madi Glynn is expected to be a standout in the outfield, which will be light on experience compared to last year, when now-graduated first team All-TCIS talent Katelyn McCracken patrolled centerfield.

Delaney Taylor was a contributor for NSA last year as an eighth-grader and is expected to be a standout this year.

“Haven’t set in stone where she will play, but she is very versatile,” Wilkins said of Taylor, citing catcher, shortstop and outfielder as possible positions where her talents could be utilized.

Eighth-grader Madi Wilson drew mention from Wilkins as an up-and-comer on the team. Wilson plays catcher with her travel ball team, Virginia Legends Fastpitch.

Provided the field has sufficiently dried from the recent snow, Nansemond-Suffolk begins its season this afternoon on the road at Southampton Academy.