SCOOBA — For East Mississippi Community College softball coach Kyndall White, things are so much easier the second time around.

White begins her second season as the Lions softball coach Thursday when EMCC plays a doubleheader at East Central Community College. The former Auburn star now feels comfortable with her new position and believes the Lions are ready to contend on the national level.

“We are really excited about the season,” White said. “Top to bottom, it is a very good group of girls and it is a group of high character girls. The sophomores are doing a great job of leading and the freshmen are doing a great job of learning what it takes to be successful on this level. We have more depth and will be better offensively. This should be a season where we can move forward to really make some noise.”

EMCC finished 24-19 overall and 17-7 in Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges North Division play last season. The Lions advanced to a fifth straight state tournament and barely missed a division championship, as archrival Itawamba Community College stole that distinction by beating EMCC twice on the final day of the regular season.

“Really, we have done nothing but progress since the end of last season,” said EMCC sophomore utility player Corey Dawkins, a former Pickens Academy star. “I have seen us get better each day. The big thing is nobody gets down anymore. It seems like anytime someone gets down, the rest of their teammates are there to get them back up. I think that togetherness is going to help us a lot.”

White was brought in to build on the success of Kate Neely, who coached the Lions for four seasons. While the 2012 campaign saw a losing record, the squad the year before advanced to the National Junior College Athletic Association Region XXIII tournament for the first time in nine seasons.

“Our job as coaches are to help put Scooba on the map,” White said. “Football has won two national championships and men’s basketball keeps playing the national tournament every year. In baseball and softball, our job is to compete on that level. We have the resources and the school has made a commitment to top-notch athletics. It is exciting and fun to work in that type of environment.”

On the field, the Lions will be counting on a talented group of incoming freshmen, including former New Hope High School standouts Kasey Stanfield and Anna McCrary. Pickens Academy freshman Whitney Lowe is also on the squad.

“With this being my first year, I am really excited about finally getting to play some games,” McCrary said. “When I first got here, I was really nervous about playing this level. My teammates and coaches have done a great job of building my confidence. In my own game, I have taken a huge jump. I was nervous and jittery at first but my teammates told me to remain calm and use the talent that God has given me.”

White has seen the same level of determination with some of her other first-year players. She feels like the comfort level between players and coaches will serve the team well.

“We feel a lot more comfortable going into this season because we know where we are at,” White said. “Personally, I am more comfortable in the decision making process. I rely heavily on my assistant (Taryn Gray) because she has been at it longer than I have. I think everybody is excited about their second season. From a recruiting standpoint, these are all my players. This is really your opportunity start leaving a mark on the program.”

EMCC looks to improve offensively this season, after hitting .337 with 19 home runs last season. Catcher Abby Roberts returns after hitting a team-best .431 with 53 base hits last season. Dawkins hit .333 and was third-best on the team with 47 base hits last season.

“Our offense will be a main strength of this team this season,” Dawkins said. “We have a lot of strong hitters. We can all power hit. I think we also have players who can slap better and we have more team speed.

“As a sophomore, it is my job to help the younger players. I try to take what I learned last year during my first season and try to help the new players with that knowledge this season. Leading through my actions is important to me, because that is how I learned so much last season.”

McCrary also feels like her squad will have the right balance to contend for its first division title since 2011. On the pitching staff, Halie Green and Taylor Hackney are the lone returnees. That duo combined to appear in 16 games last season, throwing right at 70 innings.

“In the circle, our pitchers are really great,” McCrary said. “They have a great attitude and never let us down. I think we will be able to get people out. As long as we can score some runs, we will have a successful season.”

Meanwhile, White really like her squad’s defensive makeup late last season and hopes that trend continues.

“The biggest thing for us will be consistency on defense,” White said. “Our pitching will be strong enough to be effective, it we can defend behind it. The goal here is to compete for championships, like we do in the other sports.

“We have brought in the players to do just that. Now our job is to coach them up and keep working hard day in and day out to reach that level.”

Follow Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott.

Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.