Two years ago, Community R-6 softball won a school record 18 games.

A season ago, the Lady Trojans set a new record with 19 victories.

For the third straight year, Community wants to rise to the top of the school record books again and believes it has the group of girls to do this.

“We’re going to be facing some better competition this year,” head coach Kody Asquith said. “We’re going to be hitting pretty hard very early so we can try to capitalize on that and try to get over 19 wins this year.”

The Lady Trojans start the season Aug. 26 at South Callaway, who defeated them 16-14 in the first game a season ago, and will host Silex, who is coming off a 20-win season that saw the Lady Owls ranked ninth in the state in Class 1.

Leading the way for Community the previous two seasons is an offense that has averaged at least 10 runs per game. Asquith said this year’s team is capable of posting similar numbers as the Lady Trojans bring back two all-Central Activities Conference players in seniors Sarah Angel and Olivia Kuda.

Angel was named the conference MVP a season ago and will slot in at shortstop this year after leading the team with a .464 batting average a year ago along with a 1.202 OPS, 43 runs, 39 hits, 19 RBI and nine doubles. Kuda is the team’s third baseman, bringing some returning thunder to the lineup in the form of a .402 batting average, 1.103 OPS, 33 RBI, 33 hits and 13 doubles. Freshman infielder Peyton Schafer has looked like a good addition to the lineup, Asquith said, and junior Brooklyn Glasgow is a returning all-conference player after hitting .354 batting average, .991 OPS, 30 RBI and 11 doubles.

Each player’s walks equaled their strikeouts, except Angel who had 10 walks compared with six strikeouts.

“We only graduated two seniors last year,” Asquith said. “I have a great group of incoming freshmen. They’re just as strong-minded at the plate as my seniors are.”

One of two graduated players was Shelby Clark, who had an all-conference season as one of the team’s main pitchers. Asquith said freshman Jocelyn Curtis has impressed him so far in the circle and will be relied on along with junior Paige Painter.

The Lady Trojans allowed 5.8 runs per game a season ago, which is an increase for the second straight year.

Asquith believes Community can win districts for the first time in three years as it has fallen short in the second game of the tournament, losing 13-4 two years ago against Silex and 6-4 last year to Van-Far.

“I think we’re fairly strong all the way around,” Asquith said. “We have a pretty solid defense that we’re going to be putting out on the field this year.”

Community plays in a jamboree Monday at Montgomery County before starting its regular season schedule.