Approaching her seventh year as head coach, Olinda Salazar is enthusiastically ready to kick off Santa Gertrudis Kingsville Academy High School’s softball season.

That’s because the Lady Pride went 9-1 in league play last year, split the District 32-A crown with Ben Bolt- Palito Blanco, acquired the district’s number one seed after beating the Lady Badgers in a tiebreaker and got over their annual opening round playoff hump by reaching the Region IV quarterfinals where they were eliminated by Woodsboro.

This season, Academy has seven returners - including five starters - back from 2009. In addition, frosh newbies joining the Lady Pride bring loads of big game experience with them.

“It is an even mix of players because I have some very quality freshmen who have come into the program,” Salazar said. “Some of those girls coming in have played on select teams pretty much year round so that experience is invaluable. I have never had so many new girls coming in with that much experience - they have gone as far as nationals - so they are not afraid of the competition.”

Exorcising their first round playoff demon last season should be very advantageous this spring.

“We have always been competitive in district but have not been able to get any further in the playoffs,” Salazar said. “Last year was the first time we had ever won Area and that was very important because we had never been past district. It had been very difficult for us to win once we advanced beyond district and last year’s experience allows it to not be as intimidating as it once was and I think that is going to help us go a little bit further this year.”

Academy shares District 32-A with Corpus Christi College Preparatory, Ben Bolt- Palito Blanco, Port Aransas, La Villa, San Perlita, and newcomers Benavides (who is starting a softball program this year) and Edinburg Idea Quest College Preparatory.

Salazar said she expects another annual rumble with the usual opponents.

“Ben Bolt is always one of the teams to beat, they always have a strong team and I know they have a new coach coming in this season,” Salazar said. “Port Aransas has plenty of good athletes, they are ranked number five in the state in basketball and a lot of those girls also play softball. So both of those schools should give us some very tough competition.”

The Lady Pride visits West Oso at 6 p.m. on Monday.