NATCHEZ — The Adams County Christian School Lady Rebels softball team finished sixth in the state last season, and head coach Forrest Foster might be even more excited about the start of the 2014 season than anyone else.

The Lady Rebels went 18-19 last year, the first time the team finished under .500 for as long as Foster can remember, but it didn’t stop him from saying it was one of the best years the team has had.

“We’ve had the best year we have had overall, it’s not about the record, but how we finished,” Foster said. “And I expect to do even better than last year.”

ACCS made it to the state tournament for the first time in school history, and lost out to Leake Academy 10-0 in an elimination game.

Even without graduates Tory Laird and Taylor Perkins, more talented players have flocked to the Lady Rebels’ dugout with more than 20 players on the squad ready to play ball.

With Laird gone as the starting pitcher, ACCS rising junior Ashleigh Williams will take over on the mound.

Williams was the Lady Rebels’ first baseman last season, but she said she has been preparing to make the most of her position change.

“I’ve done a lot of work this offseason with a pitching coach and I’ve gotten much better,” Williams said.

Foster said his defense would be deep, with Anna McDaniel and Brianna Henson at the shortstop position and Jordan Petty on third base.

“We’ve got kids that will step in and we won’t miss a beat, and we will be stronger overall defensively than we were last year,” Foster said.

Two flaws that plagued the Lady Rebels in crunch time last season were their hitting and outfield defense.

But Williams said she has seen improvement in those areas.

“Our hitting had gotten a whole lot better and that is a big improvement for us,” Williams said. “That was a big problem.”

The Lady Rebels play their first game Friday at Centreville Academy, and Foster said he hopes to see good things from his players.

“I just want them to compete,” Foster said. “Our motto this year is ‘Make it personal.’ We’re going to make it personal, and if we do that, we’re going to be good, but we have to do that every at bat and every pitch and every tag.”