Whether or not first-year Bishop Chatard High School softball coach Pat Miles has experience is an interesting question. He's been around the sport his entire life as his sister and sister-in-law played in college, but his resume is limited to seven years as baseball coach at Ritter.

"I'm intrigued by the sport," said Miles, who also was a girls basketball assistant at Ritter for five seasons. "I don't see a lot of difference between baseball and softball. I've been around (softball), I understand the game and I enjoy it. It's a much quicker-paced game than baseball. I saw this as a good opportunity."

Miles was 68-71 at Ritter and won a sectional title but left the school to take a job at an accounting firm on the Southside of Indianapolis to be closer to home and help his wife with their two young children. But after two years away from coaching, Miles' wife convinced him to return. He initially spoke with Bishop Chatard baseball coach Mike Harmon about an assistant position but instead applied for the softball job when he heard about the opening.

Miles has had several conversations with former Bishop Chatard coach Kim Wright, who, with co-coach Kim Duncan, resigned after last year, and spoke to former softball coaches at Roncalli, where he went to school, to refine his knowledge of the sport.

The Trojans return two senior starters in Molly Stimpson and Lauren Brehm, but lost Amanda Neufer, who has a scholarship to Marian College, to a knee injury. There also is a pair of sophomore pitchers in Amy Coutz and Kim Tyler that received experience last season. Miles will be counting on production from newcomers Kathleen Lee, who will see time in the infield and outfield, and Lea Kilbaine, who is expected to start at shortstop.

"(Pitching) is a huge difference (between softball and baseball)," Miles said. "(But) with (Coutz and Tyler) pitching as freshmen, they won't be overwhelmed at the varsity level. They're not dominating but I think they'll help keep us in games until our bats come around. We're young but we're not going to use our youth as a crutch. I think we can compete for the sectional title. We're too talented to wait a couple years (to win)."