The Bryan softball team does not need to rebuild. Not this year.

The Vikings just reunite.

Almost every member of the Lady Vikings' team that swept through the second half of District 12-5A softball last year is back in place this season, which starts Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. when it hosts Conroe. Bryan advanced to the area championship round in 2009.

Nine starters and 12 letterwinners return, including senior shortstop Ashley Lara, a three-year starter who was the 12-5A co-Player of the Year last year. Lara is Bryan's power hitter, hitting .420 her junior season with nine doubles, 10 triples and three home runs.

"She continues to get better and has been working hard," said Bryan coach Enrique Luna of Lara, who has signed to play at McLennan Community College. "She's not big in stature, but she can hit a missile off the fence, but she's not the only one. We've got quite a few that can hit the ball hard this year."

Other first-team all-district selections back for Bryan include pitcher Emily Peirce, first baseman Jennifer Kasper, designated player Roxy Alvarado and outfielders Kaitlyn Hathcox and Patty Gorzycki.

It may be may be the most experienced team that Bryan has fielded since its state championship year. Because of that, optimism is soaring.

"I think this is the first time since 2002 that we had so many coming back," Luna said. "We have our goals set high. We want to go after that district championship, give Belton and Consol a run for their money and see what that holds for us in the playoffs."

Luna points out that A&M Consolidated is the two-time defending champion and that Belton is "one of the best hitting teams around."

Bryan, which finished 18-17 overall last year after a 6-12 start in nondistrict play, opens 2010 at home Tuesday against Conroe. If the team is good enough, rankings will come, but it's not something the Lady Vikings expect yet.

"It doesn't hurt [to be ranked] but if people are looking past us right now, that's what we want," Luna said. "We want to sneak up on people and have an opportunity to better ourselves."

In two years as head coach since taking over for Janice Williamson, who is now Bryan's assistant athletics director, Luna has had young teams. But Williams, the winningest high school softball coach in Texas, left a program steeped in tradition.

"We have taken our lumps the last couple of years with so many young players, a lot of sophomores and a lot of freshmen," Luna said. "Now, with most of the kids we have back three-year lettermen now, we're in position to get back where we want to be."

Peirce split time at pitcher and first base. In the pitching circle, she posted a 10-10 record with a 2.74 earned run average. Those numbers improved in district play, where she was 6-2 with a 1.13 ERA.

"We've got four or five good pitchers, but obviously we've got two stars back in Emily and Jennifer," Luna said. "We've got a sophomore in Hannah [Parker] who can also fill in and we've got two freshmen in Brittney [Jones] and Taylor [Canales] who can fill in, so obviously, there are a lot of options. But having two kids who have pitched for two or three years, there's no substitution for that."

The outfield combo of Gorzycki and Hathcox provides a dangerous duo at the plate and on the base paths. Center fielder Gorzycki batted .457, stole 13 bases and scored 33 runs last season. Hathcox, a senior, batted .360 with eight doubles, three triple and two homers while driving in 19 runs.

Alvarado's move to the varsity corresponded with the Lady Vikings' turnaround in 2009, coming up with numerous key hits as a sophomore. In a half-season on the varsity level, Alvarado batted .377 with seven doubles and two homers.

Bryan will incorporate some talented freshmen this year but won't be forced to depend on them.

"They are going to play some JV tournaments and JV games to get experience," Luna said. "Our JV is going to play in a couple of varsity tournaments, but to be around practice on a day-to-day basis with the older girls, there's a lot to learn."

Bryan Lady Vikings

No.PlayerCl.PositionBat/Throw

2 Hannah ParkerSoph.P/UtilityR/R

3 Leticia AlfaroSr.OFR/R

4 Brittney JonesFr.P/UtilityR/R

5 Ashley LaraSr.SSR/R

6 Rachel NucheJr.2B/OFR/R

7 Reagan BoenkerFr.C/UtilityR/R

8Taylor CanalesFr.P/UtilityR/R

9 Jennifer Saxby,Sr.C/3BR/R

10Megan KraatzSoph.3B/SS/OFR/R

11Emily PeirceJr.P/1BR/R

12Alexis KopfSr.OFR/R

15Morgan IsbellFr.UtilityR/R

16Jennifer KasperSr.P/1BR/R

17Kaitlyn HathcoxSr.OFR/R

18Patty GorzyckiJr.OFL/R

19Brooke ParkerJr.OFR/R

20Taylor BoenkerJr.OFR/R

21Roxy AlvaradoJr.1B/3BR/R

22Taylor DohnalikJr.2B/OFR/R

24Kenna BuxbaumSoph.UtilityR/R

Head Coach: Enrique Luna

Varsity Assistants: Cody Foreman, Aimee Petroski

JV Assistants: Rae Anne Watson, Justin Matthys, Michelle Rios, Kelly Adams