LEWISTON, Maine -- The Bates squash teams have some key returnees, but a lot of new faces as well entering the 2023-24 season, which begins Saturday at 1pm at Franklin & Marshall. 

"We are in a bit of a rebuilding phase, but that's something that I think is going to help the players, since there's no pressure or anything like that," head coach Reinhold Hergeth said. "So we just want to focus on the process and make sure that we can improve every day and then see what's possible."

The No. 18 nationally ranked Bates women's squash team is led by senior captain Andy Martagon (Puebla, Mexico), a two-time first team All-NESCAC selection, who has played at the No. 1 position in the lineup her entire career at Bates.

"She's the perfect player, in the sense that she works extremely hard," Hergeth said. "Yes, there are parts of her game that can improve. But as a leader, as a senior, I cannot ask for anything more. She leads by example. She's always very organized. She's had a phenomenal career at Bates." 

Sophomore Aasya Patel (Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India) is another impact player who is back this season after earning second team All-NESCAC honors while going 11-8 at the No. 2 position as a rookie. Junior Grace Flaherty (Malvern, Pa.) is studying abroad but should be a key contributor when she returns in January.

Six of the 11 players on the Bates women's team are first-years. Hergeth expects most of them to play very high in the nine-player lineup from day one.

"The rookies are going to be playing near the top of the ladder, which is going to be an experience for them," Hergeth said. "But I am very eager and very excited to see what they can bring when it's actually time for match days."

On the men's side, the No. 22 nationally ranked Bobcats are led by junior captain Alec Spiro (Portland, Ore.), who earned first team All-NESCAC honors last season while playing at the No. 1 position. He finished the year on fire, winning nine of his final 11 matches.

"He's a special player and a special person," Hergeth said. "He had a phenomenal season last year. I don't think I expected that and I don't think he expected that either. But it really showed where he is in the whole realm of college squash and how far he can actually improve and how far he can reach up the college ladder."

A pair of Bobcats are studying abroad, so the men's team is low on numbers to begin the season. However, sophomore Ashton Monteiro (Riverside, Conn.) had a promising rookie campaign and junior Harris Ramlee (Southville City, Selangor, Malaysia) was a second team All-NESCAC selection a year ago. Junior Labeeb Ali (Plano, Texas) is another key returnee, coming off a winning record of 10-9 last season.

The bulk of the schedule is in January and February, which means juniors Max Good (Shaker Heights, Ohio) and Philip Han (Seoul, South Korea) will be back from abroad to provide much-needed depth.

"I think in the month of January, we play on average every three days, which is extremely hard," Hergeth said. "So having players back is going to be very important. I'm just looking forward to what both the men and the women can produce. We are approaching the whole season with no pressure, which is a great place to be. I love being the underdog."