Friday is the first day of spring and it is also supposed to be the first day of the softball season, and the first day of play for Northampton's Konkrete Kids.

Coach Kevin Mann starting his second season says his Kids are "expecting no less than last year" when his team went 17-7 and reached the Lehigh Valley Conference and District 11 semifinals.

"I'm excited with what we're doing at practice despite being inside (in the gym) and we were mainly on the grass in the outfield on Monday," he said as Northampton's field as well as the other 15 fields for the new Eastern Pennsylvania Conference schools has been covered by snow and are wet and mushy.

The Kids are scheduled to play a nonleague game Friday at Bethlehem Catholic and "are excited with what we're doing," said Mann.

"I think we'll exceed our expectations," he added. "We're practicing hard and still need some fine tuning.

"We have no blinding speed, but we'll be solid on defense and I have nine-of-nine batters that can hit in the starting lineup. We should be able to generate enough runs to back our very capable pitchers."

Talking about pitching, Mann has two starters who alternated as starters last year as freshmen Jillian Muthard and Taylor Keeney now sophomores.

Mann also has several letter winners returning, including juniors Emily Schwartz and Auria Enright, both starters last season.

Seniors Kendal Reed, Ali Reppert, Amber Saylor and Samantha (Sam) Frey also saw action as starters in 2014.

Other key players are sophomore Hallie Muffley and juniors Maura Moser, Diedra Person, Reily Piotrowski, Clara Wallace and Jolene Makovsky.

"Our division (Skyline) will be tough with the addition of Emmaus and Central Catholic to Parkland, Whitehall and Nazareth," says Mann.

"We'll play 20 games 16 in the EPC and have two nonleague games with Becahi along with one each with Stroudsburg and Kutztown," Coach Mann adds.

The Kids are scheduled to open play Friday at Becahi and begin EPC play Monday at Freedom before playing Easton at home Wednesday and visiting Dieruff Friday.

"It's possible we may be playing for games a week for a while, because of the snow," says Mann, "but we'll be ready."