Knowing all of that about Webster City’s longtime softball coach, it’s no surprise that she’s not interested in going down the crystal ball road. Coming off a 21-7 2019 campaign that included a runner-up finish in the North Central Conference, her veteran-laden club enters Monday’s season opener at Hampton-Dumont/CAL ranked 14th (Class 4A) and yet it’s not considered a favorite to win the league crown this summer.

Howard could care less.

“I don’t really care what other people are doing or what they think,” Howard said. “I just care about how we’re approaching games. We know we’ve got potential and we’re hoping to make the most of that potential every single time we step on the field.”

WCHS came within a whisper of ending Humboldt’s long run atop the conference in 2019, but the Wildcats eked out a fourth consecutive crown with a 1-0, 8-inning victory over the Lynx in the final NCC contest.

Algona, which finished third in the standings, four games behind the Lynx, pulled the ultimate stunner though when it upset Humboldt in 3A regional play and reached the state tournament.

All three squads bring back the bulk of their rosters from a season ago, giving the NCC a top-heavy feel in a seven-game conference sprint.

Humboldt, which returns its top seven hitters off last year’s 28-3 team, opens the campaign ranked No. 2 (3A), while 10th-ranked (3A) Algona has six of its top nine sticks back.

All three return their ace in the pitcher’s circle too, a common theme throughout the league. Seven of the eight programs bring back their leading hurler.

“We’ve got a lot of teams that are bringing back pitchers, so there aren’t going to be any easy games,” Howard said. “We have 13 nights where we have to be ready to roll.”

The Lynx 13-game slate also features a few daunting non-conference tasks, namely dates against the No. 1 ranked teams in 4A (Carlisle) and 5A (Fort Dodge), as well as No. 5 (1A) Algona Garrigan.

But Howard feels like she’s got the club that is prepared to handle the challenges. WCHS returns six starters, including all-state sophomore Kelly Stoakes and junior pitcher Jenna Miller, who has been in the circle since the eighth grade.

Stoakes, who cranked out a .521 batting average in 2019, is one of the more dangerous hitters in central Iowa. She can hit for power (15 extra base hits and a .734 slugging percentage last summer), she’s patient (12 walks and a .583 on base percentage in 2019) and she almost always puts the ball in play (just six strikeouts as a freshman).

Stoakes could be back in the lead-off spot for the Lynx, or she could move into the RBI-rich third spot.

“She’s still got that same smooth swing when she’s coming through the ball and she’s got that experience,” Howard said. “We’ve got a couple different ways we can go with the lineup to utilize all of the players that we have back.”

Leah Kasch, a junior third baseman, supplies another power bat that produced a .439 average with three home runs and a league-high 35 RBIs a season ago. Alayna Finucan brings speed to the table and a consistent bat from the left side. Miller bashed a pair of dingers last season, and Tatum Goings and Taylor McKinney are also capable of putting a charge into the ball.

“We’ve got a lot of power back and we’ve got a lot of consistency back at the plate,” Howard said. “The ability to score runs is there, now it’s about getting that group of girls in the right order to get it rolling.”

An explosive offense would make Miller’s job easier in the circle. The right-hander put together a 15-6 record with a 2.17 ERA and 104 strikeouts as a sophomore, and Howard says she’s looked sharp in the shortened preseason.

“We weren’t able to have contact with (Miller) over quarantine, but coming into practice we could tell she’d been working on stuff,” Howard said. “Her ball is breaking a little bit harder and later than last year, and she’s coming off the mound noticeably stronger and more confident.”

Part of Miller’s confidence comes from an infield that she can rely on, and that starts with McKinney, a five-year starter and whiz with the glove at shortstop. Kasch is a sponge at the hot corner as well.

“Having both McKinney and Kasch back on the left side of the field is going to be very beneficial to us,” Howard said. “The growth we saw out of Kasch last year, I’m hoping to see that same growth again. With McKinney, her ability is something we’ve benefitted from for the last four, now five years. The thing that gets overlooked is her knowledge … her ability to read the base runners and read the plays are the things we’ll miss the most when she’s gone.”

How the outfield will look is a potential question mark. Stoakes is going to make the move behind the plate to serve as Miller’s battery mate, which leaves the three outfield spots up for grabs.

Howard says Goings will likely take over in center field. Faith Anderson, who missed last season following hip surgery, is a contender for playing time. So are twin sisters Fallon and Reese Casey, as well as eighth grader Allie Tesdahl.

“We might have a few bumps along the way, but I think we’re going to have some great players,” Howard said. “We’ve got a lot of athletic girls competing for positions and they’re making huge strides and leaps as we’re going through practices.”

If the outfield comes together, if Miller continues to progress in the circle, if McKinney and Kasch are once again one of the premier defensive duos in the area, and if Stoakes continues to be, well, Stoakes, WCHS will once again be a conference title challenger.

A lot of ifs, to be sure, but a lot of potential as well.