Pat Miles' coaching background is in baseball so he was expecting a few surprises when he took over the Bishop Chatard softball program. So far, however, they've all been pleasant.

"We're a little more advanced than I thought we'd be," he said after opening the season with victories over Broad Ripple and Carmel before a loss to Decatur Central. "As young as we are, it's a good start. We can build on what we started and look at things we need to work on."

Bishop Chatard will go 19 days without a game, not playing again until April 11 against Cathedral, because its spring break was at the end of March and most schools have it the first week of April. But Miles will take advantage of the break to work with the seven sophomores and three freshmen on the roster.

Molly Stimpson, with a double and triple in the opener, has been the team's top hitter, but the Trojans have been getting production up and down the lineup, averaging 10 hits per game and striking out only once. Miles singled out pitchers Amy Coutz and Kim Tyler but also credited the entire defense, which has committed just one error.