Nokomis’ coach JD McLellan instructs his team during a practice Tuesday in Newpork. The Warriors won the Class B state title last season. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

NEWPORT — For years, the Nokomis softball team was chasing a Class B championship and falling just short.

This spring, the Warriors are the team being chased after beating York, 2-1, last season in the Class B title game for their first state championships. Nokomis, which finished 18-2 last season, exacted revenge after losing to York in the 2023 state final.

The Warriors may have the pressure of starting the season as the favorite, but it isn’t making them uptight. During practice Tuesday afternoon inside the Nokomis High gymnasium, the team took a break to visit a food truck in the school’s parking lot.

“It’s a fun group of girls,” said senior infielder Jenna Sawtelle.

There’s reason for Nokomis to be confident. The team returns most of its starting lineup, including infielders Sawtelle, Addison Hawthorne and Raegan King. Nokomis scored 6.75 runs per game during the regular season last year. The group should also be strong in the field, a longtime calling card of coach JD McLellan.

“We have a lot of potential on this team,” said King, a junior. “We have a lot of players that can go anywhere (in the field) and be very successful.”

“I think we’ll have a good running start (to the season),” said Sawtelle, who is recovering from an ankle injury. “We have quite a few girls who play year round. … I think we have the same drive, we want (a state title) just as bad as we did last year. We still have a solid group of girls that we’ve played with for a long time, so having everybody there that had the same attitude, that drive, is there to get back to that.”

Nokomis graduated three key players from last year’s championship team — outfielder Courtney Hughes, first baseman Sydney King and pitcher Mia Coots. Coots had a masterful senior year, going 17-2 with a 0.67 ERA while striking out 227 batters in 125 innings. She is already contributing as a freshman (4-5, 48 strikeouts in 52 2/3 innings) at the University of Southern Maine.

“It’s going to be really interesting, because last year, by the fourth game, all of a sudden we moved everyone around (in the lineup). I want to do that before (the fourth game this year),” McLellan said. “Those first couple of games could be interesting. Whether or not we’ll be in the chase at the end (of the season), I think we are, we’re still right there with the rest of them. We still have a lot of talent.

“Last year, if we got two runs (per game), we figured we’d win the game,” McLellan continued. “This year, it’s going to be 4-6 (runs) to win a game.”

Trying to replace the production of Coots will be a two-person job, at least to start the season. Sophomore Hallie Coots, Mia’s sister, will be one of the Warriors’ pitchers, along with fellow sophomore Makenzie Watson. Hallie Coots was the starting catcher last season.

“I’m going to do the best I can. I’m going to throw strikes and bring confidence and a (positive) mindset into every game,” Coots said. “I don’t need to strike every girl out. My sister, she had that goal. I’m just going to be, ‘Throw it. If they get a hit, the defense can play,’ and see what I can do to help out the team. I think that’s really my mindset coming into this, pitching my best for the team.

“We do have a very good defense, and I have a lot of confidence in them.”

McLellan said: “Hallie has come in and surprised us with how well she was throwing. We said, ‘OK, this is something.’ Makenzie Watson, she worked all winter long. With Hallie, you’re taking a state championship catcher and moving her to pitcher, so now I’ve got to find someone (at catcher), and that’s a huge spot. That makes it a little tougher.”

It’ll be tough for Nokomis to repeat in Class B, but the Warriors welcome the challenge.

“(Softball) is more than just a sport for us, we’re all a close team, we’re a family,” said Hawthorne, a senior. “We’re very disciplined, we know when we can (have fun) and be serious. I think we’re just so excited to be back together, spending the (season) together… Last year was a pretty magical year, but we come here knowing that every day is a chance to get better. We work hard everyday. We all have the mindset of, yes, we’re good, but there’s always room for improvement.”