Correspondent photo / Robert Hayes YSU freshman Ayla Ray (left) gathers with the rest of the Penguins’ infielders, including fifth-year Elyssa Imler (back) and freshman Kami Diaz (22), in between innings during a doubleheader against Robert Morris on Wednesday.

YOUNGSTOWN — It’s been a season of growing pains for the Youngstown State softball team.

After winning the regular season title and earning the top seed in the Horizon League tournament last year, the Penguins came into this season with a young and inexperienced squad, which included seven sophomores and six freshmen.

As a result, YSU has struggled on the field, stumbling to an 11-30 record so far, as it works to foster growth and build experience for its younger players.

“It’s a part of a process, a learning process,” head coach Brian Campbell said. “We’re learning, and each day they’re taking the steps in the right direction to get where they need to be.”

The youngest part of YSU’s team is also one of the most important, which is its pitching rotation. The Penguins have four pitchers on the roster, which include two freshmen, Autumn Boyd and Kelsey Ogin, and two sophomores, Maci Boggess and Autumn Behlke.

Behlke and Boggess each made at least 10 appearances last season as freshmen, but those were mostly few and far between with seniors Sophie Howell and Devan Ryan getting the bulk of the work in the circle.

With a team ERA of 6.32, each of the pitchers have had to learn on the fly all season.

As the most experienced returner, Behlke has the most starts (14) and has made the most appearances (21). But they’ve each had their fair share of starts and appearances. Ogin has made an early impact with a 4.89 ERA and a 4-8 record in her 20 appearances and 12 starts.

“Each game and each struggle has been a learning experience for us, and I think that we’ve grown from it,” Behlke said. “(We’re) each learning our roles, learning how to have each other’s back and not get down on ourselves and really just come together as a group. I think when you have that core unity, it goes a long way.”

Elsewhere on the roster, the Penguins have seen some of their young players step up in key spots.

The team’s three top hitters are all young — sophomores Lydia Wilkerson (.380) and Macy Littler (.325) and freshman and Austintown Fitch product Ayla Ray (.328).

“I think us being a young team, it’s really a learning experience,” Ray said. “Us learning the game, learning each other’s game and just having fun playing our game and settling in. … We’ve been continuing to work at practice and on our own, and it’s really paying off.”

Plus, freshman Kami Diaz has earned herself a starting spot at third base in recent games, while batting .245 and hitting the second-most home runs on the team.

“It’s one of those things that they’ve taken the right steps,” Campbell said. “I think defensively and offensively, you can look at some of their stuff that they’ve been able to put up that’s in the right direction. Offensively and defensively, I think they’ve done a pretty good job in that area.”

As a freshman last year, Wilkerson had the second-highest batting average on the team while starting all 53 games. Littler also started most of the season (40 games), while batting .250.

They both got plenty of playing experience last year, and now this season, they’ve built off that to continue to contribute for the Penguins.

Meanwhile, Ray was a highly-touted recruit who was one of the top players for a Falcons team that won back-to-back Division I state championships. She’s lived up to that billing with her consistency at the plate, having started all 41 games for YSU this year.

“It’s understanding the game, simple as that,” Campbell said. “When you make adjustments, when you’re talking to them about making adjustments, like ‘hey, maybe we need to do this or that,’ they’re sponges that just take everything in and make the adjustments and do the right things. That’s why I think they’ve taken the right steps.”

The leadership from the upperclassmen has helped, but each of the Penguins’ young players that have made an impact have earned their spots with their play.

Now, throughout the rest of the season, Campbell and the coaching staff are hoping the other younger players on the roster can make the most of the opportunities and continue to grow and build for the future.

“Do the best you can,” Campbell said. “That goes with really any team and any player. In stuff like that, you need opportunities. Take advantage of it, take those opportunities and do the best you possibly can.”