The powerhouse Redmond High School (RHS) fastpitch team enters this spring with its third new head coach in three years despite coming off back-to-back Class 4A state appearances.

Things change — and with it comes a fresh perspective on how to play the game. Running the show this season will be Parris Mamon, who has more than 10 years experience coaching fastpitch, including the last six at Lindbergh High in Renton. Mamon also helped the Kentridge Chargers to the school’s first 4A state fastpitch title as an assistant coach in 2002.

“I was thrilled,” Mamon said about his new position at RHS. “It’s a great school, and the kids have a lot of drive. The tradition is rich in fastpitch, and Kingco, to me, is the league to be in.”

CHEMISTRY LESSONS

As always with a new coach, it can take time to mesh as a team, but Mamon said that has been advancing smoothly.

“I have to get to know the girls, their personalities, what works for them and what works for me,” he explained. “We’re just trying to get our chemistry down right now. It’s been difficult, but we’re getting better.”

Easing that difficulty will be a strong returning crop of talent from last year’s 4A Kingco championship team who have played competitive fastpitch for most of their lives, and know how to win.

The team’s natural leader is third baseman Jenny Eisenmann, who displays a tremendous work ethic and was on both state teams in 2008 and 2009.

“She’s just a great leader,” noted Mamon of Eisenmann. “She has all the girls on point as to what they need to be doing.”

Flanked throughout the lineup will be a good balance of offense and defense, comprised of players chomping at the bit to get a regular starting job for the Mustangs after being in the shadows of great players in previous seasons.

“Stephanie Gero, Lindsay Cristobal, Riley Flynn, Christine Ho, they’re all just phenomenal athletes,” Mamon said. “They all know the game, so it makes the transition easy. The hardest part has been getting our lingo down and our chemistry.”

The biggest question mark for the Mustangs appears to be pitching, as the program graduated one of the most dominant pitchers in school history last year in Erika Hendron.

Hendron led the league in wins (9), complete games (12) and strikeouts (139) last season while posting a phenomenal 0.58 ERA.

Junior Emily Graves, last year’s junior varsity MVP, looks to get the call, and she pitched well during the Mustangs’ season opener on Monday night against Snohomish, scattering eight hits and three runs in a 13-3 win.

Backing her up will be Ho, who did see time on the mound last season, notching two wins.

Mamon believes that the Mustangs’ success this year will hinge on his team’s ability to come together and play as one unit.

“I think our key will be once our chemistry gets together, I think we’ll be good,” he said, “But how long it takes us to get to that point is going to determine how good we play.”

A FRESH START

Even with the team’s successes from years past, the players themselves view the 2010 fastpitch season as a new beginning with endless potential.

“It was a big switch with a new coach and so many seniors graduating,” said Eisenmann. “But it was a good change and we’re excited to see how it goes.”

Mamon said the Mustangs will have to be firing on all cylinders to earn wins in the tough 4A Kingco league.

“Our goal is, like everybody else, to go to state,” he said. “I think the immediate goals are to go out, have fun, work hard, and hopefully make it to districts and make some noise in there.”

Gone are the days of Hendron blowing fastballs by opposing hitters and big hits by now-graduated athletes like the Mullins twins, Maria Reisinger, Lauren Nabseth and Emily Squiers leading to lopsided scoreboards.

But with a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work, the Mustangs will still look to make their mark in the league this year.

“Even though we graduated so many seniors, we’re looking forward to putting that behind us and moving on to a new team,” Flynn said. “The seniors will be missed, but we’re really trying to move on from that and start something new.”

REDMOND FASTPITCH AT A GLANCE

REDMOND MUSTANGS

• Head coach: Parris Mamon, 1st season

• Last year: 13-3, 4A Kingco champions; 17-5 overall

• 2010 turnout: 22

Key returners

• Sr. Jenny Eisenmann, 3B: Senior provides great leadership and gives 100 percent every time she steps on the field, according to coach. Was on the Mustangs’ 3rd-place state team in 2008.

• Jr. Christine Ho, 1B: Unselfish player switched positions to make the team better defensively. Good contact hitter.

• Jr. Lindsay Cristobal, OF: Speedy outfielder will track down fly balls and get on base. Understands the game extremely well and hit a home run in team’s season opener earlier this week.

• Jr. Emily Graves, P: Hard to replace a pitcher like Erika Hendron, but she has great poise, lots of experience playing in club ball, and should hold her own on the mound.

• Jr. Stephanie Gero, 2B; Sr. Riley Flynn, CF: Both were part of Redmond’s 2008 and 2009 fastpitch state teams and know what it takes to win. Both were all-league honorable mentions last season.

Top newcomers

• Jr. Ashley Mitchell, SS: Great athlete with quickness and speed looks to shine on defense.

• So. Louise Chouinard, IF: The Overlake School sophomore displayed great power in season opener, hitting two doubles. Formerly played in Little League World Series.

DID YOU KNOW?

Coach Mamon was the assistant fastpitch coach at Kentridge High School back in 2002 when the Chargers won the 4A state championship, beating Shorecrest 2-1 in the finals.

QUOTABLE

“So far, so good. He’s really come in and taken control of the team, and playing his game, much different than Coach Frable or Coach Bloom. He’s really doing his own thing, and I think we’re adjusting well.” – Redmond 3B Jenny Eisenmann on adjusting to a new coach

BIG GAME

Wednesday, May 12, 4:30 p.m. at Issaquah

Season finale will be a big one against a very solid Eagles team. May be an important win for seeding heading into the 4A Kingco tournament.