One could point at the things the Streator softball team doesn’t have – a regional championship since 2017, an above-.500 season since 2021, three of its four Times All-Area honorees from last season or a single senior on its roster.

For their Bulldogs’ part, they’re looking at it from a perspective of having a talent-rich, junior-led roster already with quality experience, a large freshman class gaining varsity know-how now for a bright future and, for all intents and purposes, a two-year window with the same team to end those aforementioned droughts that have been rare in the 50-year history of the Streator High softball program.

“Oh, 100%,” sixth-year head coach Louis Ondrey said of the optimistic outlook. “We’re actually pretty excited about it, because we have a lot of talent in the 14 girls we do have, and a lot of talent came in with the freshman class.

This year’s one-team roster includes five juniors, two sophomores and seven freshmen, with all of the 11th- and 10th-graders having experience in the program.

Headlining the senior-less group is Caitlin Talty. The pitcher and middle infielder was a 2025 Times All-Area Team honorable mention recipient after striking out 44 over a healthy 45⅔ innings pitched as the secondary behind now-graduated ace Makenna Ondrey and batting .275 with 16 runs batted in.

Returning alongside her are fellow juniors 3B/UT Ava Glisson, OF Kyleigh Essman, C/OF Morgan Kostal and P/1B Raegan Morgan, as well as the team’s two sophomores, 2B/C Alexis Thomas and 2B/OF Kieran Black.

“We’re going to have to have a few of the now-juniors step up and really be leaders for the team, lead these freshmen the right way,” Louis Ondrey said. “We have good attitudes. ...

“I really say Caitlin Talty and Ava Glisson being big leaders on the field. You know, Ava’s coming off an injury where she didn’t get to play last year at all, and she’s super-excited, super-involved. We’re really excited to have her back, and I think she’s going to carry her excitement onto the field for us.”

Then come the freshmen, a large group that includes OF Alexandria Hafer, IF/P Peyton Marin, SS/P Natalya Solis, OF/C Harmony Morgan, P/1B Maddie Campbell, OF Ava Palko and C/OF Ayla Morgan. Beyond the talent in the group and the experience it’ll pick up playing varsity this season, its sheer size is an encouraging sign of things to come in Coach Ondrey’s mind.

“The freshmen coming in are very talented ... and we’re excited too because we have the 14 out this year, and if they all come out next year, it looks like we’ll have big numbers coming in next year too. We could possibly go back to having two teams [a varsity and a sophomore ballclub],” Coach Ondrey said.

Exactly how the pieces will fit together is still a work in progress, Ondrey said. But encouraged by what he’s seen, he’s hopeful if things fall right, this spring’s Bulldogs will improve on last season’s disappointing 10-24 record filled with hard-luck losses.

“I’m looking to go over .500 this year,” Ondrey said. “I don’t think we should have a problem doing that. ...

“This is a perfect team to play with and build with for the next couple years. We’re just really excited to get out there and play and see what we actually have.”

The Bulldogs are scheduled to open the season with a visit to former NCIC/NIB 12 conference rival Rochelle on March 18.