The article below originally appeared on MercuryNews.com and is being reprinted with permission.

Nicole Borg was blunt at her press conference Tuesday afternoon.

“Second place to me is the worst place to be,” the College of San Mateo softball coach said.

For the past four seasons the Bulldogs have finished as the runner-up in the North Division of the Coast Conference. And if Borg has her way, the 2012 squad will help the coach claim her first outright title.

“With the talent level, the expectation is so much higher,” said Borg, whose teams won co-championships in 2006 and 2007.

CSM is ranked 13th in the state in the preseason coaches poll.

The Bulldogs must replace their ace and top slugger in Alyssa Jepsen, a Notre Dame-Belmont product who transferred to Santa Clara. But coming back are shortstop Lindsay Handy and center fielder Annabel Hertz, who hit .378 and .355 last season, respectively.

Meanwhile, fellow sophomore Vika Kafoa, a left-handed hitter, will split time at first base and as a designated player.

A lot of responsibility will fall to the 11 freshmen, including catcher Jamie Navarro out of Capuchino-San Bruno, which won the Central Coast Section Div. III title last spring.

“She really has never been taught all that much about the specific details of hitting and throwing,” Borg said of Navarro, who went 7 for 7 with a walk during a doubleheader against San Francisco State in the fall. “She just goes out there and does it.”

Borg, who was part of the last Capuchino team to win a CCS title 14 years before, has built a pipeline of talent from her alma mater as well as Hillsdale-San Mateo, which is where Handy hails from.

“I think if you make believers out of the high school coaches, they are definitely going to push kids your way,” said Borg, who has three players from Hillsdale and four from Capuchino on the CSM roster.

So it’s not a surprise that last year’s Capuchino ace Michele Pilster is one of four freshman hurlers vying for a spot in the circle.

Pilster and fellow right-hander Amelia Shales (Notre Dame-Belmont) will make a potent foursome alongside southpaws Ashley Miller (Woodside) and Jenn Davidson (Carlmont-Belmont).

“We have two righties, two lefties — all with a variation of pitches,” Borg said. “I think it’s all going to depend on the opponent we play and what our pitcher’s strengths are. The nice thing is we don’t have to run one pitcher to the ground like we did Jepsen last year.”

Whoever gets the call in Saturday’s opener at Foothill College against Yuba at noon is not guaranteed of a spot in the rotation come crunch time at the end of the season.

“There is so many preseason games that they’re all going to get a chance to show what they can do,” Borg said. “I think their true colors will shine, and if they’re all successful then great. Then they will all pitch.”

The battery also includes Kristin Petrini (Hillsdale), who will split time behind the plate with Navarro.

And a plethora of other freshmen will get their turn, including Southern California import Mikayla Conlin, a Mater Dei graduate who will add depth to the outfield.

“Everyone has different roles, whether it’s a power hitter, base stealer or pinch-runner,” Borg said. “Whatever it is, it’s nice to have 15 people that you can work with.”

And work the Bulldogs will, for their coach is determined to finish second to none.

“For most of them, they’re doing more at our practices than they ever did in high school,” Borg said. “But more is not enough. Just a little bit more gets you second place. You have to go above and beyond and you have to do more than the teams that are beating you year in and year out.”

Email Vytas Mazeika at vmazeika@dailynewsgroup.com.