RONAN — The Ronan Maidens held their own on the softball diamond last year, finishing close to .500 in a very competitive Class A conference despite their ace Bethany Colman missing time with an injury. But as they head down to Class B/C in 2012, head coach Tom Peterson isn’t counting on the competition to get any easier.

“Class B/C is tough,” Peterson said. “There are some very good teams and there won’t be a drop in talent.”

RONAN — The Ronan Maidens held their own on the softball diamond last year, finishing close to .500 in a very competitive Class A conference despite their ace Bethany Colman missing time with an injury. But as they head down to Class B/C in 2012, head coach Tom Peterson isn’t counting on the competition to get any easier.

“Class B/C is tough,” Peterson said. “There are some very good teams and there won’t be a drop in talent.”

Peterson pointed to Mission, Florence and his first opponent of the season, Deer Lodge, as teams that are going to give the Maidens all they can handle this season.

“Our goal is to finish at the top in the conference,” Peterson said. “Florence, Mission and Deer Lodge are tough, but we can compete with them and then we want to finish at the top three at state.”

In order to make that happen, Ronan is going to need a lot from its top two pitchers. Colman, an all-conference starter as a sophomore who missed time her junior year, will anchor the staff. Alaina Madsen, who replaced Colman when she went down, filled in admirably and will be called upon to spell Colman.

“She had an excellent finish to the year,” Peterson said of Madsen. “We have two pitchers who are very capable.”

Another leader on the team will be all-conference first-team center fielder Ashleigh Lynch, a left-handed slap hitter who can create problems in the field and at the plate for opposing teams. Peterson hasn’t decided yet, but he’s considering moving the versatile Lynch to shortstop, one of three holes left by the departed senior class.

“We lost seniors at shortstop, first base and catcher,” Peterson said. “We’ve got some shoes to fill, but the girls will fill those.”

If that happens, look out. The Maidens boast great team speed and a lineup capable of exploding. Last season against Anaconda, Ronan scored 11 in the second inning as part of a 21-6 rout. Peterson knows the potential for big games is always there, it’s just a matter of doing it game in and game out.

“We need to put everything together,” Peterson said. “We just need consistency.”

If practices are any indication, effort won’t be an issue for Peterson’s squad. The girls have been excited to go and have helped each other as they prepare for the beginning of the regular season.

“The girls are working hard,” Peterson said. “Last week, we had two-a-days with conditioning and sprinting in the morning and practices in the afternoon. There was 100 percent attendance and the girls were pushing each other.”

The Maidens’ campaign begins on Tuesday, March 27 when they face the Lady Wardens.

“Deer Lodge is a good team,” Peterson said. “We’re going to put out a quality team and I’m looking forward to the season.”