The Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) softball team was rained out of its 2010 season opener Feb. 6, prompting a rescheduled game with Southern Oregon University somewhere down the line. Still, the Sea Lions launch into a fresh season with some changes that include a new coach and a new home field. PLNU alum Cheryl Schaeffer replaces former head coach Dave Williams, who spent 12 seasons as the Sea Lions‘ skipper. Williams posted an overall record of 271-86 (76 percent) and led PLNU to 12 consecutive appearances in the nationals. This season also marks the softball squad’s move to Liberty Station for home games on a temporary basis for the next two years.  One constant for the Sea Lions is the return of ace pitcher Tyler Lent.  “She’s excited about this being her senior year and comes back at the top of her game,” Schaeffer said. Lent had an incredibly successful junior year as an All-Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) and Second Team All-American. In the 33 games she pitched, she posted a 23-7 record and recorded 182 strikeouts and a 1.18 earned run average over 183.2 innings. Junior Kira Wommer also returns to help bolster the pitching staff. Wommer appeared in 24 games and went 4-2, holding the opposition to a 0.78 ERA over 45 innings pitched. Sophomore Cassie Monahans also got playing time last year on the mound and figures to add depth at pitching. Jill Schaeffer returns at third base after batting .318 in the 2009 season, adding power to the Sea Lions lineup. Freshmen Jessie Owens, out of Santana, is expected to help on offense with her base-stealing ability. Schaeffer, who was hired as head coach in August, believes the transition has been an easy one as coach. But it has been “a little bit of a challenge” with not being able to play on the PLNU campus any longer because the field is being returned to its natural state. “It is disappointing not being able to play on campus but we are playing at a great facility and we have an excellent relationship with the Navy,” Schaeffer said. “They have been great to us. It is a very short drive from campus to Liberty Station.” Schaeffer is no stranger to the PLNU softball program. She was a standout for the Sea Lions in 2000-03, which included honors as a three-time First-Team All-American, three-time GSAC Player of the Year and two-time National Association of Interscholastic Athletics (NAIA) recognition. She played on two GSAC and Region II championship teams and was a member of the 2002 team that reached the 2002 NAIA title game. Schaeffer returned to the Point in 2004 as an assistant coach and had been the associate head coach in the 2008 and 2009 seasons. The Sea Lions will be on the road for the next 10 games. The next game is Friday, Feb. 12 against William Jessop University. The next home game for PLNU is Saturday, Feb. 27.