VIENNA — Mathews is on a mission this season.

With zero seniors, a dominant junior class looking to put their group on the map, and plenty of continuity, the Mustangs are ready to go into 2024 with a full head of steam.

They may take the time to have fun, but even during scrimmages this season, it’s been all gas and no brakes for Mathews.

“When you have a group of girls, they like to have fun, and a lot of the practices sometimes you have to rein them in a little bit just because of the social aspect of it and stuff. They put the work in and out, but when we went to scrimmages, it was like the regular season. We didn’t have to say anything as coaches,” Mustangs coach Jim Nicula said. “From the minute we got there, to setting up everything for warm ups, all through the games, we stayed locked in and just had great performances in our scrimmages. We’ve had really good results. We’ve been doing a lot of different things. Playing everybody. The whole game, we’re mixing things up in that but there’s been a lot of maturity in that aspect. It’s like when they get to the field, they’re ready to go.”

The Mustangs return plenty from last season, and like every coach will tell you, it all starts in the circle.

Mathews brings back its top two arms from last season in Olivia Matheny and Ashia Pate. When one is pitching, the other will likely be in the infield. Matheny on third and Pate on first.

Expect to see Kennedy Newsome and Ava Shugart pick up some innings as well throughout the year.

Kennedy Newsome will primarily be at first however. Sister Kelsie Newsome is expected to line up at shortstop.

Maddy Hufford returns to her spot behind the plate and could play a little bit of third base or center field as well. In that scenario, Kelsie Newsome would catch in Hufford’s place.

Sophomore Allie Ramsey is expected to take that final infield spot, lining up at second base. Ramsey spent time last season at left field, but is shifting in for her second year with the program.

In the outfield, Mia Delgarbino is going to take centerfielding duties, with Rilee Paddock in right field. Left field is still up in the air with multiple sophomores vying for the role. Nicula says he won’t have a named starter until game day.

Mathews’ class of juniors has been hyped up for some time now. They’ve shown their talent over the last two seasons, but as upperclassmen, it’s their team now. They have to take over as leaders of this group, which is something that has happened so far.

“I’m just really really tickled with that maturity. Mentally and also result-wise. My junior class out there has just really stepped up and gotten better than last year,” Nicula said. “They were good last year to get to where they went, and I can say that same thing about the sophomore class, they’ve really stepped up their game and put the work in.

“We’re optimistic with all of them because, down the line, you’re going to have your kids that are just locked in performance-wise all the time, but the other kids that, maybe failure at times might have hampered them before, that’s gone now. They may have a bad at-bat or, having errors in the field but they’ve bounced right back, where last year that always wasn’t the case.”

With the talent this group has, the goals are lofty. But anyone following the Mustangs in the Nicula era knows that this is par for the course.

After missing out on the league title for the first time in a decade, it all starts there.

“Our goals don’t shift much but they’re tweaked a little bit this year. Last year was the first time in 10 years that we weren’t league champions,” Nicula said. “Pymatuning Valley wrestled that title away from us and we want it back. We want to get back and become NAC champs again, and then get out of districts, make it to the regionals, and then see where it goes from there. … Win a league championship, get out of districts, get to regionals and then hopefully fight through regionals and get back to a Final Four.”

With those goals comes the needed work to make that happen, and the Mustangs have a beefed up schedule in preparation of making it happen.

To say Mathews’ schedule this season is brutal might be putting it lightly. A pair of Division I regional qualifiers in Marysville and Gahanna Lincoln, 2021 state champion Wooster Triway, Toledo Whitmer, Ursuline, Poland, and Boardman are all on the schedule this year.

Nicula knows that it might be a little shocking to look at now, but knows the importance of regular season tests.

“There might be some parents where I’m sure their eyebrows are raised, but I’m a firm believer. I’ll take losses during the year to make that title run,” Nicula said. “I’ve done it so long, I know what it takes. You can’t beat the girls. down but I know that you have to be prepared. It’s always worked for us. … We’re always on the doorstep. We’ve never gotten blown out in a regional final. It’s always been either a one-run game or a two-run game, but we’re always right there. We’re just going to keep on sharpening that blade to try and burst through and get back to the Final Four.”

The Mustangs’ quest for Akron began Monday with a 14-0 win over Ashtabula St. John.

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