TURNER – With rain threatening another state softball championship Saturday, Leavitt’s hopes of repeating last year’s success seems right on schedule.

“There is a little bit of deja vu,” said Leavitt coach Pete Higgins. “Let’s just hope there’s a lot of deja vu.”

The unbeaten Hornets are aiming to be the third straight Class A team to repeat as state champions. The Hornets had the regional final and the state game rescheduled last year and thus far, they’ve already changed two of their three playoff games.

Saturday’s 11 a.m. meeting with Noble already looks to be in jeopardy. The teams would likely play Monday at 3 p.m. if Saturday’s slate is rained out.

Still, change has been a bit of a theme for the Hornets this year. With five new starters in the lineup, this season has been about creating the same success but with a different team.

“They’ve faced a lot of adversity,” said Higgins. “People don’t really realize that. It’s been a remarkable journey.”

One significant part of the team’s ability to succeed amidst the turnover is the pitching of Sam St. Hilaire. She shouldered a little more pressure this time and rose to the occasion. She earned 14 shutouts and has been one of the state’s most dominant hurlers.

“She’s been steady the whole year,” said Higgins. “That’s allowed the team to find itself, both offensively and defensively. We have five new starters. That’s been a big part.”

Though there’s a significant number of new faces in the lineup, there is a core group that has made a huge difference. Captains Kristen Healy, Gretchen Conn and St. Hilaire, along with returning starter Laura Pratt, are proven veterans and they’ve helped set the tone for the season.

The team hasn’t gotten caught up in the hype of repeating or looked too far ahead.

“We haven’t played for anything more than one game at a time,” said Higgins. “We had a goal session at the beginning of the year. We set our goals and put them aside. We worked with the attitude of playing one game at a time. It’s been successful for us. We focus in on what has to be done.”

The newcomers have done surprisingly well. Beth Ellis, Alanna Leonard, Annie Dyer, Stephanie Healy, Jess Paladino, and Beth Burgess have all stepped into the starting lineup and helped maintain the team’s high level of play.

“There’s been ups and downs as you’d expect,” said Higgins. “They’ve done a real fine job for us. It’s more than I would have hoped for.”

Leavitt was a bit of a sleeper in the tournament field last year.

“There was almost that seed of doubt last year,” said Higgins. “The year before, we had a great team and then we lost to Noble (in the 2001 quarterfinals). We knew we were going to be good, and we just hadn’t gotten by that one last hurdle, and then we did.”

Now the Hornets have put themselves in prime position to finish the job. After beating Brewer on its home field, Leavitt plays a Noble club, in its first state game, that hasn’t played at Coffin Field.

“That will certainly be handy,” said Higgins. “The surface is a little different. It definitely takes some getting used to.”