If the metro softball season wasn't enough of a pressure cooker already, the prospect of a condensed schedule is certain to turn up the heat.

The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union's decision to shorten the season from 50 to 40 games while starting the season a week earlier comes at a time when the competitive balance between the metro's big three - East, West and Cedar Falls - is the closest it's been in several seasons.

While Columbus and NU High are respectively dealing with an influx of new personnel and a new coach, the Trojans, Wahawks and Tigers are all loaded with talent, experience and expectations.

Those high expectations will be put quickly and thoroughly to the test as the new schedule forces teams to hit the ground running faster than ever.

"It definitely affects us," said rookie Cedar Falls coach Tammy Utley. "It makes it harder to have a good practice when you're still missing your track and golf athletes."

Veteran East coach Gene Laughlin isn't a fan of the new format, either.

"I don't see it as a positive thing for us," Laughlin said. "We've lost 10 games, and I don't know of any kid that wouldn't rather play games than practice."

The games will come quickly enough, but the new schedule means non-conference tune-ups have been sacrificed for the night-in, night-out combat of the Mississippi Valley Conference.

"It doesn't give us much lead-in to the conference season, and it's going to make our June extremely busy," West coach Kelly Nelson said. "I counted, and we only have four practices in June, so we're playing pretty much every day. It kind of compacts things."

In the always rugged MVC, it helps to be well-armed.

"We're strong in our pitching this year, which should be helpful, because if you don't have a strong pitcher and you have to throw her four nights in a row, it can be really difficult," Nelson said.

Between Cedar Falls' Shyann Beach, East's Kylie Rash and West's Jadyn Spencer, each of the big three has a talent, seasoned No. 1 hurler.

On the offensive side, all three have big bats returning, too. Whether that means that the metro area will send its first-ever representative to the state tournament this year may depend in large part on which team can rise above the stiff competition in its own backyard.

Here is a look at the locals.

Waterloo East

When Laughlin looks over this year's Trojan squad, which returns eight starters, he sees something familiar.

"This reminds me of our 2002 class, when we set a school record (for victories)," Laughlin said. "They began as group who took their beatings young, and by the time they were seniors, they were returning the favor to everybody else."

The learning curve may have accelerated since then, as this Trojan team features no senior starters. What it does have, though, is a strong core of leadership between co-captains Amanda Magnuson, Sarah Schmitz and Nicole Gilbert.

"We're lucky, because these kids are more dedicated to softball than they are to any other sport around here right now," Laughlin said. "They just enjoy playing. We work them hard, but they just keep asking for more."

If the Trojans need any added motivation, they only have to remember back as far as the 2007 postseason, when they experienced the high of a seventh-inning comeback win over West and the heartbreak of a 1-0 substate semifinal loss to Cedar Falls.

"It's definitely something we think about," said Magnuson. "The West game taught us that anything's possible if we don't give up, and the Cedar Falls game left us hungry to take the next step."

To get there, the Trojans will rely heavily on junior pitcher Rash and all-metro catcher Charissa Wright, while counting on Schmitz to take over the third base post vacated by lone graduated senior Jessica Magnuson.

"(Schmitz) is one of the quickest kids I've ever seen," Laughlin said. "She played first last year, but we're moving her over to third to kind of capitalize on her quickness a little more."

Waterloo West

With eight starters and six seniors back from a team that logged its best record in 10 years, West looks loaded even before you take a look at its unusually talented underclass.

"It's going to be a good season," said Nelson. "If we get to where we can close every game and stay confident through every game, we are going to be a tough team to beat."

For a team so long on experience, it might just be a freshman that leads the way. As an eighth grader, Spencer earned all-metro honors with eye-popping numbers: 14-10 with a 1.64 earned run average, a batting average of .461 and six home runs.

"Pitching-wise, she's only going to get better," Nelson said. "It's really exciting to see what we're going to get from her this year. She's missed several practices with state track, but she's a great athlete and it's good to see her participating in a lot of different sports."

Sophomore Rebekah Doering and junior Kelli Joens are also back after earning all-metro status. Doering batted .397 last year, while Joens hit .367 with five homers.

"We're strong offensively, too, and we showed that last year with a lot of doubles," Nelson said. "I like to think we're going to be even better in that department with another year of experience."

Suffice to say the Wahawks' goals are lofty.

"We haven't finished on top of the conference in a long time, if ever," Nelson said. "With a 40-game season we're shooting at 30 or more. We've got a long ways to go, but I think we're a very capable team."

Cedar Falls

With a team that went 32-13 in 2007, new coach Utley is stepping into a strong position.

"Of course, it's going to be an adjustment, but we've had great practices and I'm very excited about the season," said Utley, a former Northern Iowa assistant who swapped spots with Ryan Jacobs, who left Cedar Falls to take over the UNI program.

"We want to keep growing on the success we've had and take it to the next level."

She inherits a pair of all-metro performers in Beach and Casi Naber. Beach logged 114 strikeouts with an ERA 1.70, while Naber batted over .300.

The Tigers' only returning senior, Taylor Fairman, will be taking over the third base spot.

"(Fairman) will be stepping into a big leadership role this year," Utley said.

The Tigers also picked up an experienced player in former Waverly-Shell Rock Go-Hawk Jillian Zaputil.

"She's going to be a great addition at the plate," Utley said.

Waterloo Columbus

The problems that the big schools experience with the compacted schedule are only exacerbated with a smaller roster, according to Sailor coach Chris Simensen.

"I think it impacts a 1A or 2A school more than a 3A or 4A," Simensen said. "We had to drop tournaments that we wanted to play in, and with spring sports, we don't have the type of numbers that a bigger school has to sustain us through practice and the first couple of weeks of the season."

The Sailors will face more challenges than just juggling the schedule.

"We've only got two people in the positions they were in last year, so we've got a lot of spots open," Simensen said.

The known quantities are up the middle, with Sydney Mattoon in center field and Carolyn Schlichte moving from first base to behind the plate.

"At first base, (Schlichte) only made two errors all year," Simensen said. "She's the type of player who can play any position on the field, she's absolutely rock-solid on defense, and we expect her hitting to catch up."

After losing all-metro pitcher Casey Brennan, the Sailors are looking at junior Abbie Huff and sophomore Katie Moran to take up the load, with eighth-grader Sarah Peterson expected to get some innings, too.

The youth movement has been forced on Simensen in his second year with Columbus, but he hopes to plant the seeds of long-term success.

"We've invited a lot of elementary school and junior high kids to our multi-purpose room over the winter," Simensen said. "That's where you've got to start. As far as I know, that's the first time anybody's done that at Columbus."

NU High

Tyler Struck is a softball guy, and now he's the new head of a softball program.

Already the Panthers' girls' basketball and track coach, Struck took over for the outgoing Gerald Warren a mere two weeks before practice started, but that doesn't mean that softball is a low-level priority.

"When I got into coaching, the only sport I really envisioned coaching was softball," Struck said. "My dad coached at Algona Garrigan for nine years and my sister played, so the whole time I was on the diamond, helping any way I could."

With his experience coaching in other sports, Struck already has a good working relationship with several of his athletes.

"It's not just the players, but I'm also getting a lot of encouragement from the administration and the parents," Struck said. "I'm really excited to take up the challenge."

Taking over a squad with just one win the past two seasons will definitely present challenges, but Struck will be able to lean on an experienced battery with a pair all-metro honorable mentions ? senior pitcher Tiffany McCombs and junior catcher Nicole Lopez.

Like every other program, the Panthers will have to contend with a newly-squeezed schedule, but Struck is accentuating the positive.

"June's going to be a pretty hectic month, but I like the schedule that way," Struck said. "If something goes bad on Monday, we've got to forget about it and be ready to play on Tuesday. It might help us get over some of the rough spots."

Contact Brian Pals at sportsdoor@wcfcourier.com

Metro capsules/schedules

cedar falls tigers

HEAD COACH: Tammy Utley

2007 RECORD: 32-13

RETURNING LETTERWINNERS (10): Taylor Fairman, sr.; Shyann Beach, jr.; Alison Jaynes, jr.; Megan Kleitsch, jr.; Cari Collins, so.; Allison Duchman, so.; Conner Fairman, so.; Sarah Korte, so.; April Newton, so.; Sonja Przybylski, fr.

Schedule

May 22 - Dubuque Senior (V2), 5 p.m.

May 27 - at Cedar Rapids Jefferson (V2), 5 p.m.

May 29 - Cedar Rapids Prairie (V2), 5 p.m.

May 30 - at Iowa City West Invitational, 5 p.m.

May 31 - at Iowa City West Invitational, 10:45 a.m.

June 3 - at Waterloo East, 4 p.m.

June 5 - Cedar Rapids Xavier, 5 p.m.

June 7 - Terri Benson Invitational, 2 p.m.

June 10 - at Iowa City West, 5 p.m.

June 12 - at Cedar Rapids Kennedy, 5 p.m.

June 13 - Ames (JV-V), 5 p.m.

June 17 - Cedar Rapids Washington (V2), 5 p.m.

June 19 - Waterloo West (V2), 5 p.m.

June 24 - at Iowa City High (V2), 5 p.m.

June 25 - Charles City (JV-V), 5 p.m.

June 26 - Dubuque Hempstead (V2), 5 p.m.

June 27 - at Don Bosco tournament, TBD

June 28 - at Don Bosco tournament, TBD

July 1 - at Dubuque Wahlert (V2), TBD

July 2 - at Waverly-Shell Rock (JV-V), 6 p.m.

July 3 - Linn-Mar (V2), 5 p.m.

COLUMBUS SAILORS

HEAD COACH: Chris Simensen

2007 RECORD: 18-25

RETURNING LETTERWINNERS (4): Mackenzie Johnson, jr.; Sydney Mattoon, jr.; Carolyn Schlichte, jr.; Colleen Sullivan, jr.

Schedule

May 19 - Janesville (JV-V), 6 p.m.

May 23 - vs. Solon at Clear Creek-Amana tournament (Solon), 4:30 p.m.

May 24 - vs. North Polk at Clear Creek-Amana tournament (Oxford), 12:30 p.m.

May 24 - vs. Cedar Rapids Washington at Clear Creek-Amana tournament (Oxford), 5:15 p.m.

May 27 - at West Delaware (Manchester) (V2), 6 p.m.

May 28 - at Benton Community (Van Horne) (V2), 6 p.m.

May 29 - at Waverly-Shell Rock (JV-V), 6 p.m.

May 31 - at Waterloo East (JV-V), 4 p.m.

June 2 - Maquoketa (V2), 6 p.m.

June 4 - Independence (V2), 6 p.m.

June 7 - at Terri Benson Invitational, Cedar Falls, 2 p.m.

June 9 - at Anamosa (V2), 6 p.m.

June 11 - at Marion (V2), 6 p.m.

June 14 - at Benton Community (Van Horne) tournament, TBA

June 16 - at Dyersville Beckman (V2),TBA

June 17 - at Nashua-Plainfield (JV-V), 6 p.m.

June 18 - Center Poitn-Urbana (V2), 6 p.m.

June 20 - at Waterloo West (JV-V), 6 p.m.

June 23 - at DeWitt Central (V2), 6 p.m.

June 24 - North Butler (JV-V), 6 p.m.

June 25 - Vinton-Shellsburg (V2), 6 p.m.

June 26 - New Hampton (V1), 7:30 p.m.

June 27 - at Don Bosco (Gilbertville), TBA

June 28 - at Don Bosco (Gilbertville), TBA

June 30 - at Western Dubuque (Epworth), 6 p.m.

EAST TROJANS

HEAD COACH: Gene Laughlin

2007 RECORD: 14-32

RETURNING LETTERWINNERS (9): Nicole Gilbert, jr.; Erin Klein, jr.; Amanda Magnuson, jr.; Kylie Rash, jr.; Megan Dunn, so.; Sarah Schmitz, so.; Jessica Kinnetz, fr.; Abby Roberson, fr.; Charissa Wright, so.

Schedule

May 20 - Iowa City West (V2), 4 p.m.

May 27 - at Dubuque Senior (V2), 4 p.m.

May 29 - at Cedar Rapids Xavier (V2), 5 p.m.

May 31 - Waterloo Columbus (JV-V), 4 p.m.

June 3 - at Cedar Falls (V2), 5 p.m.

June 5 - at Waterloo West (V2), 5 p.m.

June 6 - at Jesup tournament, TBA

June 7 - at Jesup tournament, TBA

June 10 - Dubuque Wahlert (V2), 4 p.m.

June 12 - at Iowa City High (V2), 5 p.m.

June 14 - at Mason City (JV-V), TBA

June 17 - Linn-Mar (V2), 4 p.m.

June 19 - Dubuque Hempstead (V2), 4 p.m.

June 24 - at Cedar Rapids Washington (V2), 5 p.m.

June 26 - at Cedar Rapids Prairie (V2), 5 p.m.

June 27 - at Iowa City West Classic, TBA

June 28 - at Iowa City West Clasic, TBA

July 1 - at Cedar Rapids Jefferson (V2), 5 p.m.

July 3 - Cedar Rapids Kennedy (V2), 4 p.m.

NU HIGH PANTHERS

HEAD COACH: Tyler Struck

2007 RECORD: 1-25

RETURNING LETTERWINNERS (6): Tiffany McCombs, sr.; Bailey Carlisle, jr.; Nicole Lopez, jr.; Catherine Stone, jr.; Karen Engels, so.; Meagan Schneider, so.

Schedule

May 24 - at Springville (V2), 5:30 p.m.

May 27 - at AGWSR (Ackley), 6 p.m.

May 29 - at Jesup, 6 p.m.

June 2 - at Wapsie Valley (Fairbank), 4 p.m.

June 3 - at South Hardin (Eldora), 6 p.m.

June 5 - Dike-New Hartford, 4 p.m.

June 6 - Union, 4 p.m.

June 7 - at Aplington-Parkersburg tournament, 9 a.m.

June 9 - at Denver, 6 p.m.

June 10 - Hudson, 4 p.m.

June 12 - at Union (LaPorte City), 6 p.m.

June 13 - at Turkey Valley (Jackson Junction) (JV-V), 5:30 p.m.

June 14 - at CAL tournament (Latimer), 10 a.m.

June 16 - AGWSR, 4 p.m.

June 17 - Jesup, 4 p.m.

June 19 - Wapsie Valley, 4 p.m.

June 23 - South Hardin, 4 p.m.

June 24 - at Dike-New Hartford, 4 p.m.

June 25 - Central Elkader, 4 p.m.

June 26 - Denver, 4 p.m.

June 28 - North Tama (V2), 11 a.m.

June 30 - at Hudson, 4 p.m.

WEST WAHAWKS

HEAD COACH: Kelly Nelson

2007 RECORD: 27-16

RETURNING LETTERWINNERS (11): Kim Horak, sr.; Hannah Jensen, sr.; Mallory Matthias, sr.; Megan Matthias, sr.; Lindsey Merron, sr.; Taylor Ray, sr.; Cassie Horak, jr.; Kelli Joens, jr.; Rebekah Doering, so.; Cassie Knutson, so.; Jadyn Spencer, fr.

Schedule

May 22 - at Dubuque Hempstead (V2), 4 p.m.

May 27 - at Cedar Rapids Kennedy (V2), 5 p.m.

May 29 - Dubuque Wahlert (V2), 5 p.m.

June 3 - at Linn-Mar (Marion), 5 p.m.

June 5 - Waterloo East (V2), 5 p.m.

June 10 - at Cedar Rapids Prairie (V2), 5 p.m.

June 11 - North Scott (JV-V), 6 p.m.

June 12 - Cedar Rapids Washington, 5 p.m.

June 13 - vs. Iowa City Regina at Jack North Tournament, Des Moines, 1:45 p.m.

June 13 - vs. Des Moines East at Jack North Tournament, Des Moines, 1:45 p.m.

June 14 - vs. Clear Creek-Amana at Jack North Tournament, Des Moines, 12:30 p.m.

June 14 - vs. Mid-Prairie at Jack North Tournament, Des Moines, 4 p.m.

June 16 - at Waverly-Shell Rock (JV-V), 6 p.m.

June 17 - at Iowa City West (V2), 5 p.m.

June 19 - at Cedar Falls (V2), 5 p.m.

June 20 - Waterloo Columbus (JV-V), 6 p.m.

June 24 - at Dubuque Senior (V2), 4 p.m.

June 26 - Cedar Rapids Jefferson (V2), 5 p.m.

June 27 - at Don Bosco tournament (Gilbertville), TBA

June 28 - at Don Bosco tournament (Gilbertville), TBA

July 1 - Cedar Rapids Xavier (V2), 5 p.m.

July 2 - at Independence (JV-V), 6 p.m.

July 3 - Iowa City High (V2), 5 p.m.