Brittany Vaughn finds herself in a unique leadership position.

As Western Kentucky’s only senior, Vaughn doesn’t carry a traditional veteran title for the softball Hilltoppers. The 2018 season will be her second year with WKU since the Bowling Green native transferred from Memphis.

Although the Hilltoppers will rely on the lone senior’s leadership, Vaughn has a handful of juniors and sophomores that have shared similar growth.

“We have (three) juniors who pick up the slack if I forget anything,” Vaughn said during the team Media Day at E.A. Diddle Arena on Monday. “Everybody brings something different to the table.”

WKU softball is young again this season with four freshmen, seven sophomores, three juniors and Vaughn as the team’s redshirt senior. The Hilltoppers, picked seventh in the Conference USA Preseason Coaches Poll, start the 2018 campaign Friday against Hampton in a Gardner-Webb hosted tournament in Boiling Springs, N.C.

With the return of 10 letterwinners off last year’s 31-31 season that ended in the inaugural National Invitational Softball Championship postseason event, Vaughn says she’s not alone in helping WKU exceed the expectations of a seventh-place finish in the league.

“Somebody might lead a little better by example, some may lead by what they say or how they carry themselves,” Vaughn said. “Everyone brings different stuff to the table, so I think all of our upperclassmen do a good job, not just me.”

Vaughn returns as last year’s leader in runs scored (43) and RBIs (38). WKU is replacing the bulk of its production at the plate and in the circle with the graduation of hitter Jordan Mauch and pitcher Kathryn Downing.

Juniors Kelsey McGuffin (.246 batting average, team-high 13 stolen bases), Rebekah Engelhardt (.213, nine stolen bases) and Louisville transfer Jordan Vorbrink join Vaughn in the upperclassman ranks. The seven sophomores and four-member freshmen class, highlighted by local pitcher Shelby Nunn (South Warren) and catcher Kendall Smith (Warren East), played a fall schedule that helped the team mature beyond its perceived youth.

“We’re very young this year,” fifth-year coach Amy Tudor said. “We have more athleticism and more looks at the plate. The game changer for us is we add three lefties to the lineup. … I think we have more looks at the plate along with another arm in the circle. This combined with big-hitting returners, I think we’re more balanced this season, even more than we were last season. I think the biggest key for us is how mentally strong we can be.”

Mental toughness comes with experience, which Vaughn said the freshmen took advantage of during the eight-game fall slate. Among the newcomers with Nunn and Smith is Lebanon outfielder Jordan Thomas (Bethlehem HS) and Utica native Maddie Bowlds (Daviess County HS).

Returning to the circle are sophomores Kelsey Aikey (7-4, 2.92 ERA), Haylee Towers (8-12, 4.43) and redshirt sophomore Cassidy Blackford (5.25).

“I think we’ve been locked in every single day and that speaks volumes for our team,” Vaughn said. “Our freshmen don’t act like freshmen and our sophomores don’t act like sophomores. That’ll be huge for us hopefully from the start of the season throughout. I definitely think they’ll step up to the challenge.”

Tudor said Vaughn’s first season last year came with a learning curve like any other newcomer. The former Bowling Green Purple still held the team’s second-best batting average at .277 and a team-best .417 average with runners in scoring position. Tudor anticipates a big year for WKU softball’s only senior in her second and final year.

“She has a lot of talent and I think that pours over into people following because she can do a lot of things athletically,” Tudor said. “I think it’s a learning curve for her as well trying to figure out how to motivate the young players. I’d say she’s had some help in the junior class that has been huge for her growth. She’s a doer. She wants to go out with a great senior season and whatever that role looks like, I think that’s what she’s going to do. I think she’s going to be an exciting player for people to come watch.”{&end}