One of the beautiful things about softball and baseball is that on any given day, anybody can beat anybody. Flip on an Orioles-Yankees game in the middle of June, and you will see what I mean.

First year Saint Louis University softball head coach Christy Connoyer understands this as well as anyone and implores here team to “play against the game” and not the opponent.

Connoyer, formerly an assistant coach at Southern Illinois- Carbondale, is familiar with the St. Louis area. She grew up in Bethalto, Ill., and some of her family still resides there.

“It is nice to be back home. It is very familiar. There were all kinds of facets to coming to SLU.  Being close to home was a big reason. Family is key. I come from a big family, one of five, so it is nice to get back close to your family and your roots and come full circle,” Connoyer said.

Connoyer opens her career at SLU with a squad returning seven starters and two pitchers who saw significant innings on the hill last year. Senior infielder Kristin Nicoletti has already etched her name into the SLU and Atlantic 10 record books with her 40 stolen bases last season. That total was the best ever in SLU history and tied the A-10 record. She also led the team in batting average, hitting at an impressive .348 clip.

“Kristin is a great leadoff hitter. She puts the ball in play and has a great mentality and work ethic in the weight room, classroom and field. She is a great leader by example. She works hard and has that focus to get the job done. She wants it, being a senior; I know she’s invested,” Connoyer said.

Senior Caitlin Trevillyan is another returning starter who posted big numbers last year. Her seven home runs tied the SLU record, and her on base percentage of .437 led the team. Other position players poised to make an impact include junior Kelly Flanagan (.300 BA), sophomore Jessica Buschjost (A-10 All-Rookie team) and catcher Alyson Brand.

“We’ve got a lot of tools on offense. We’ve got powers, speed, little slappers that can create chaos, and we’ve got singles hitters,” Connoyer said.

Although scoring runs and hitting the long ball provide the excitement in softball, every fan of the game knows that pitching is the biggest determinant in a team’s success. Luckily for the Billikens, they return two juniors coming off of solid 2010 performances. Hannah Huebbe, despite a 15-13 record, posted an earned run average of 2.22 and produced six shutouts. Her ERA led the team. With the returning firepower, if she can maintain her performance on the mound, her win-loss percentage should improve drastically.

Rounding out the returners on the pitching staff is Kelcie Matesa. Matesa posted a 2.58 ERA, but like Huebbe, barely finished above the .500 mark in winning percentage (14-11). Matesa led the team in strikeouts with 162 strikeouts.

The two were only the second pair in Billiken softball history to post double-digit wins and 100 K’s each in the same season.

Freshmen Julian Austin and Caitlin Santefort should add depth and strength to the pitching staff. Austin was a second-team All-State selection in Missouri last season, posting a 18-4 record and a 0.77 ERA.

“It is great to have kids as juniors who have years under their belt and have been on the mound before. We have a pitching staff, and it is nice having a staff going into the season,” Connoyer said.

Without doubt, there is a significant amount of talent returning.

However, as the old adage goes, hard work beats talent when talent does not work hard. This edition of the Billikens has good work ethic in spades.

“These guys are busting their tails. They are working hard. They have committed to that work ethic that it takes to win championships,” Connoyer said.

The Billikens square off against tournament-tested opponents throughout the year, such as Lipscomb, Radford, Missouri and Alabama- Birmingham. Despite the stiff competition, Connoyer maintains her one-game-at-a-time stance.

To kick off the season, they head down to a tournament at Southeastern Louisiana University on Feb. 11. Connoyer sees the tournament as a great opportunity for her squad.

“It’s a good opening tournament. We get to challenge ourselves, and the bottom line is that we get to compete. That is what we have been building towards all preseason,” Connoyer said.

With a promising season in front of her, Connoyer hopes to continue to build the SLU program into one that can compete for championships year in and year out by taking advantage of the SLU academics and athletics, and also by seeking talent from the fertile St. Louis recruiting grounds.

“I think [SLU] is a quality program. I look at the whole picture: great student athletes, great academics and competitive athletes. I think we are on the verge of breaking out. There are a lot of pieces to a good program, and it is about getting those pieces together and moving in a forward direction.”