Softball Season Preview

From a broad perspective, The College of Saint Rose softball team will have a very familiar feel to it in 2008. A total of 15 letterwinners return to a club that finished 16-22 overall and 11-17 in the Northeast-10 Conference a year ago. Now in her fifth year at the helm, head coach Jessica Ross has totally transformed the Golden Knights into a program that is destined for its first ever appearance in the NE-10 Tournament.

In order to accomplish that feat, Saint Rose will rely heavily on a talented pitching staff that has the ability to shut down its opponents. However, the Golden Knights must respond with their bats in order to provide proper run support after finishing near the league’s bottom third in batting average (.229) and runs (91) in 2007. Meanwhile, the pitching staff returns its frontline starter to an entity that fanned 241 batters and limited teams to just a .229 average throughout 259.2 collective innings.

Letterwinners Lost (4)
Four everyday players are gone from last year’s club. Outfielder Dominique Colbert, second baseman Evelyn Peters and catcher Dana Herchenroder leave behind prominent holes in the starting lineup following their graduation, while the departure of Samantha Harrington will force Ross to add another bat near the middle of the order. Colbert, who was one of two players on the squad to start all 38 games, led the team with 17 runs out of the leadoff spot. Peters was a solid defensive middle infielder, while Herchenroder handled the pitching staff that finished third in the league with 241 strikeouts.

Letterwinners Returning - Pitchers (3)
The pitching staff is arguably the deepest and most talented quality this team possesses. Senior right-hander Kristen Calahan (LaGrange, NY/Arlington) is a three-year starter and is expected to once again be in the discussion for NE-10 Pitcher of the Year at season’s end. Calahan, who is just 27 strikeouts and 29.0 innings shy of becoming the College’s all-time leader in both categories, finished second in the NE-10 in opposing batting average (.184) and third in strikeouts behind a single-season school record 176. A second team NE-10 All-Conference pick, Calahan went 11-11 with a 1.66 ERA throughout 155.2 innings of work.

Junior right-hander Nicole Welch (Albany, NY/Colonie) made 18 appearances in the circle with 13 starts and 10 complete games. She fanned 63 batters in 98.1 innings of work en route to a 5-11 record on the year. Sophomore Alyssa Farrell (Ogdensburg, NY/Ogdensburg Free), who is the only left-hander on the staff, also made three relief appearances last year and should take on a larger role this spring.

Newcomers - Pitchers (2)
A junior transfer from Hudson Valley Community College and a freshman right-hander comprise the two newcomers to this year’s staff. Tracy Chesebrough (Duanesburg, NY/Duanesburg) established career records for the Vikings with 678 strikeouts and 47 wins throughout her two-year stint at Hudson Valley. She was the Mountain Valley Conference Player of the Year twice and was named to the NJCAA Division III All-America First Team a year ago when she led all NJCAA pitchers with a 0.72 ERA.

Meanwhile, Nicole Traylor (Syracuse, NY/Henninger) is a versatile player that was named to the All Central New York First Team as a senior. Aside from seeing time in the circle, Traylor could very well find herself playing first and third base while batting near the middle third of the order.

Letterwinners Returning – Position Players (12)
A solid core of veteran position players made up of two seniors and five juniors are expected to give the Golden Knights a familiar look throughout the lineup. Senior shortstop Jessica Pastore (East Greenbush, NY/Columbia) started all 38 games a year ago and was the team’s second leading hitter with a .265 batting average. She scored 10 runs, stole 10 bases and should find herself in the top third of the order once again this season.

Senior Danielle Encizo (Bayshore, NY/St. John the Baptist) has also played up the middle throughout her career. Encizo saw action in 22 games last season in an injury plagued year. Regardless, she hit .234 with three runs and three RBI.

Junior first baseman Katie Wiemann (Huntington Station, NY/Walt Whitman), who is one of only four left-handed hitters in the lineup, finished her sophomore campaign on a high note after hitting safely in five of seven games to end the regular season. She should make her way out to first base in the season-opener after batting .224 with 10 RBI and a pair of doubles in 19 starts a year ago. Junior second baseman Elizabeth Cullen (Rochester, NY/Aquinas Institute) is a formidable running threat on the base paths who could also split time at second base. She scored nine runs in 21 games last year and was 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts.

Among the outfielders are a trio of juniors in Jaime Clark (Colonie, NY/Colonie), Kerry Monahan (East Meadow, NY/East Meadow) and Cara Piccarreto (Rochester, NY/Irondequoit). All three should figure into the starting lineup with Clark taking over the reigns in center field and at the leadoff spot, Monahan remaining in left field and Piccarreto vying for the job in right field. Clark will give Saint Rose speed at the top of the order after batting .234 in 17 starts a year ago. Monahan brings back the most experience with 34 starts under her belt in 2007 to go with a .235 average and 11 runs. Meanwhile, Piccarreto made 20 starts in right and is a solid defensive presence.

Although only a sophomore, catcher/third baseman Amanda Morano (Highland, NY/Highland) has shown early on this season that she can provide tremendous leadership qualities after being named a team captain. Morano, who should split time behind the plate and at third, put together a solid freshman campaign after leading the team in batting average (.351), hits (40), RBI (14), slugging percentage (.421) and on-base percentage (.369). She hit safely in her first nine collegiate games and registered a team-best nine multi-hit games throughout the year.

Sophomore Lauren Ruggerio (New Windsor, NY/Cornwall) has the ability to catch and play first and third; which is an indelible asset due to the lack of depth at any one position on this team. Ruggerio started 12 of the 17 games she played in and finished third on the team with a .250 batting average (9-for-36). She got off to a hot start in Florida last spring by hitting safely in the club’s first six games.

Sophomore outfielders Raquel Gibson (Goshen, NY/Goshen), Amanda Mendillo (Stormville, NY/Carmel) and Megan Rios (Kingston, NY/Kingston) will also mix it up in the outfield. Gibson made eight starts in right last season and provides a different look by hitting from the left side of the plate. Mendillo and Rios are anxiously awaiting their first collegiate at-bats.

Newcomers – Position Players (2)
A duo of freshmen infielders in Amy DeAngelo (Oneonta, NY/Oneonta) and Ashley Fryer (Poughkeepsie, NY/F.D. Roosevelt) highlight the rest of the incoming class. DeAngelo is listed as a third baseman who was a three-sport athlete in high school. Fryer has the ability to play up the middle and helped F.D. Roosevelt capture the MHAL softball championship a year ago.

Schedule
The Golden Knights have 10 non-conference games and 28 more NE-10 affairs on their slate for 2008. The season kicks off in Florida when Saint Rose plays 10-games over a six-day span beginning Monday, March 3 when it meets West Virginia Wesleyan at 9:00 am, which precedes a 1:00 pm contest versus Northwood. The Golden Knights will follow with four doubleheaders over the next five days, the final coming on Saturday, March 8 against Indianapolis and Ashland.

When Saint Rose returns home, a steady diet of conference games will remain on the schedule. The Golden Knights begin league action on Saturday, March 29 at Saint Anselm and meet Southern New Hampshire in a twin-bill the very next day. A big home series is expected Saturday, April 19 when Bryant, who received votes in the NFCA National Preseason Poll, visits RGSL Park in Rotterdam for a 1:00 pm double-dip.

Quoting head coach Jessica Ross: “I think we are going to surprise a lot of teams this year. One of our goals is to be playing in the NE-10 Tournament. One thing that I have emphasized from day one is that if we play within ourselves and play our game, we can beat any team in this league on any given day. We have a lot of veteran leadership on this team and we believe we deserve to be in the top-eight.”

Summation
All in all, this year’s club has the potential to make its ascent through the NE-10 in large part due to the combination of Calahan and Chesebrough. Both players have the necessary components to keep opposing lineups in check, but to that end will do so in different manners. The Golden Knights, who were picked to finish ninth in the NE-10 Preseason Coaches Poll, must wake up the bats as an early lead could be all the aforementioned duo needs to put teams away. The key to a possible postseason run will inevitably be fueled by the club’s ability to put pressure on its opponents with timely hitting, careful attention to the nuances of the game that do not show up in the box score, and speed on the base paths.