A new fast-pitch softball season for the Vian Lady Wolverines, which started Monday evening in Spiro, brings a new coach.

Vian football and baseball assistant coach Jaykob Taylor is taking over for last fall’s coach, John Mays — who left to become the new football coach at Cave Springs High School.

Taylor is inheriting a squad that went 12-18 last season and lost its pitching ace — Kala Gibbins, who is now a Carl Albert State College Lady Viking.

Gibbins’ successor would appear to be the tandem of junior Cassidee Postoak and freshman Jordyn Cowett.

Five players are back from last year’s team, with four of those being seniors — center fielder/ catcher Halli Russell, third baseman Rayleigh Terrill, left fielder Tressa Sandlin and first/third baseman Scarlett Fields. The other returning player is junior catcher/shortstop Eden Girty.

Rounding out the roster are junior outfielder Sidney Cox, sophomore first baseman/outfielder LaKoeta Cheater, freshman second baseman Leila Cheater and freshman outfielder Tinley Gibson.

“We’re very young, aside from a few seniors,” Taylor said. “We have a lot of promising players. I’m very excited to take over the program and start building it around new expectations.”