By Chase Slone |ContributorAugusta University’s softball team is set to begin the preseason.Melissa Brocato, the Jags’ coach, is entering her 21st season at the helm and is looking forward to this team.“I always love the newness of fall; it's a new semester, new girls," Brocato said. "I’m looking forward to getting to know our new players better and seeing our returners step up into leadership. We had seven seniors last year, so I’m anxious to see who will rise to the top as a team leader.”Augusta has added seven new players this year, including six freshmen and one transfer. Brocato held tryouts last week.In preparation for the 2019 campaign, the Jags started lifting and running earlier this week, and also working in small groups on Aug. 27. The team has community service work coming up soon as well.Last season, the Jags made the Peach Belt Conference Tournament, hosted by Georgia College in Milledgeville. Brocato said that was a major goal and hopes to improve on that this season.“I think one of the biggest accomplishments of the team was getting back to the PBC tournament," she said. "We hadn’t been in a couple of years so that was a goal. The other was that we had a team GPA of near 3.5 for the year. I’m very proud of that.”AU finished 17-34 last season overall. Contact Chase Slone at Cslone@augusta.edu.