Erin Gallagher

We are continuing our preview with another player to watch for Pitcher of the Year.

Erin Gallagher

Arguably the most decorated pitcher in St. Joseph's history, Erin Gallagher heads into her final season with two things missing: an Atlantic 10 Championship and Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year honors. Odds are that if she is able to get one of those two things, she will also get the other.

Gallagher comes into 2012, after a 2011 season that saw her lead the Hawks to the Atlantic 10 Championship game behind a 22-10 record with a 1.60 ERA and 215 SO in 214.2 IP. Gallagher has led the Hawks to unprecedented success, but she still has one item left on her agenda: an Atlantic 10 title.

Gallagher is known for her drop ball and change up and she will rely on those pitches once again in 2012. However the difference between another All-Conference recognition and Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year will come down to how successful her other pitches are, most notably her rise and curve.

The other key to Gallagher's success lies with the Hawks other pitcher: Taryn Ashway. Ashway was outstanding in relief at the A10 Tournament and if she can pitch that way the entire season, Gallagher will not have to throw as many innings in the circle.

Gallagher may not put up the flashy strikeout totals that Jen Mineau and Sara Plourde do, but she grits through and relies on her defense. Gallagher has the stuff to go head to head with both Plourde and Mineau on the field for the A10 title and for the Pitcher of the Year award.

Capri Catalano: Can she return to her freshman year form?

This is the first in a series of posts previewing the season and the individual awards in the Atlantic 10 in 2012. We will start by looking at Pitcher of the Year candidates.

The first player we will profile is Capri Catalano of Temple.

Catalano has transferred to Temple where she is a graduate student, after finishing her four years at USF. Catalano had an impressive start to her career at USF, going 17-1 with a 1.30 ERA, 6 saves, and 177 SO in 130 innings. That season was good enough for Catalano to be named the Big East Freshman of the Year. In that season, Catalano was 2-0 against Atlantic 10 teams with no runs allowed, 1 save, and 14 SO in 14.1 innings. Unfortunately, Catalano suffered a major injury to her right shoulder after her freshman season and has never been able to put up the same numbers. Catalano had to sit out the 2009 season, before returning to the circle in 2010 and 2011.

In 2010 and 2011, Catalano returned to the field, but she was not nearly as dominating, going 6-8 with 81 SO in 88.2 innings with a ERA just below 4.00. Catalano struggled in her two appearances vs. A10 schools, pitching 3.2 innings, allowing 6 runs with 5 of those being earned runs. It is safe to assume that she had not fully recovered from her shoulder injury during those two seasons.

There is no way to know whether Catalano will return to her 2008 form until she takes the field, but if she is able to the Atlantic 10 may see its most competitive regular season in conference history. Catalano would be able to give Temple a shutdown pitcher to go with its potent offense.

Charlotte receives a verbal from Brittany Mitchell

Brittany Mitchell (right)

Brittany Mitchell P/3B of the Virginia Legends Elite and Ursuline HS, formerly of the Rhode Island Thunder Gold has verballed to Charlotte.

Mitchell is an outstanding pickup for Coach Aimee DeVos and the 49ers and she will be a big part of 49ers softball over the coming years. Mitchell is an outstanding 3B, but she also possesses the ability to pitch as well. Mitchell will provide depth at multiple positions and could anchor Charlotte's lineup with her powerful bat.

Mitchell has played with numerous current and former Atlantic 10 players including Olivia Godin and Meghan Rico, while playing for the RI Thunder and Taylor Pirone at Ursuline HS.

Mitchell is part of a talented 2013 recruiting class for the 49ers that includes Beth Blackburn, Mackenzie Hauser, and Paige Wall.

Paige Wall verbals to Charlotte

Charlotte has received a verbal from Paige Wall of the Carolina Attitude and North Davidson HS. Wall is a 2013 middle infielder that figures to play a big role in the 49ers defense.

Wall is the latest member in a talented 2013 class that includes Beth Blackburn, Brittany Mitchell, and Mackenzie Hauser. This class will be counted on to do big things for the 49ers. Coach Aimee DeVos has done an impressive job with this recruiting class and the best part is that it is still growing. Over the coming months this class figures to grow even more.

Mackenzie Hauser has verballed to Charlotte

Mackenzie Hauser

Charlotte has received a verbal from 2013 pitcher Mackenzie Hauser of the Carolina Attitude and North Davidson HS.

Hauser is a talented pitcher for the Carolina Attitude and she is the third pitcher in Coach Aimee DeVos' 2013 recruiting class, joining Beth Blackburn and Brittany Mitchell. This 2013 class will be counted on to do big things for the 49ers, as they will need to replace Briana Gwaltney, Lindsey Holloman, Kalie Lang, and Chelsea Stamey.

Hauser and her teammate Paige Wall have committed to joining a 49ers program that has performed at a high level every since joining the Atlantic 10. Hauser will be counted on to continue the tradition.

Jacqueline Gheraldi has committed to St. Joseph's

Jacqueline Gheraldi of the New Jersey Intensity has committed to St. Joseph's and Coach Terri Adams. Gheraldi is a 2012 infielder for Kevin O'Donnell's squad.

Gheraldi has the ability to play either corner infield position or catcher. She will provide good depth for the Hawks and she has a great shot of cracking the lineup in a number of positions. She is the latest member of an impressive looking 2012 recruiting class, including Anna Lauterbach, Sarah Yoos, Brandi Harkness, Liz Mendez, and Christina Gonzalez. This class will be asked to replace arguably the most successful class in St. Joe's history: Bernadette Moran, Alaina Loguidice, Monica Aguilar, Erin Gallagher, and Lauren Pempleton.

Past Intensity players that have gone on to the A10 include Alex Stermel at Temple and McKinley Tretler at George Washington. Gheraldi also comes from an impressive Red Bank Catholic High School program. Red Bank has done an incredible job at producing D1 softball players, including Kaitlyn O'Donnell, Kristen Berger, Kristen Travers, and Samantha Bowlsbey.

Beth Blackburn verbals to Charlotte

Charlotte received its first 2013 verbal, as Beth Blackburn, pitcher for the Carolina Cardinals committed to the 49ers.

Blackburn is an outstanding athlete who will have an impact both in the circle and at the plate. Blackburn will give the 49ers a weapon that very few A10 teams have: a lefthanded pitcher. Coach Aimee DeVos will count on Blackburn to shut down A10 lineups littered with lefthanded hitters.

Blackburn is the second Cardinals player to commit to the 49ers, as Courtney Carroll just signed her NLI to attend Charlotte.

Blackburn also joins the small, but exclusive club of lefthanded pitchers in the Atlantic 10, which includes Alysha Isaacson of Dayton and Chelsey Pedley of George Washington.

2012 Atlantic 10 Championship

The is the first editorial in a while, but an important one

The 2012 Atlantic 10 Softball Championship will be held from May 9th-12th at the Billiken Sports Center in St. Louis, MO

This is the first time that the Atlantic 10 Tournament will be hosted by St. Louis. St. Louis joined the conference in 2006 and has been a consistent performer on the softball field since joining. The Billikens made appearances at the Atlantic 10 Championship from 2007-2010, including a title game appearance in 2007. The decision to award the tournament to St. Louis truly reflects the success that the Billikens have had since joining the A10.

Unfortunately, this blog has a couple qualms about the tournament being awarded to St. Louis. Going back to 2005, UMass, Fordham, and Charlotte have each hosted the Atlantic 10 Championship twice and deservedly so. In addition to having some of the most consistent performers on the field, these schools have shown a commitment to softball. These schools set the bar for the conference both in terms of facilities and coverage. Live audio, video, and statistics should be the standard coverage for home games and these schools have done so for a couple years. These schools also provide excellent social media and video updates/highlights. Charlotte and UMass have had the top facilities in the conference since 2006, both in terms of the playing surface and for spectators.

UMass Softball Complex

Here are some of the issues we have with St. Louis hosting:
St. Louis has been incredibly poor at covering home softball games. There were numerous times in the 2011 season, when there was no coverage of home games. They were not able to provide live statistics or even a Twitter feed, frankly that is unacceptable for a Division 1 Program in the Atlantic 10.

The Billiken Sports Center is not up to the standard of other facilities in the conference. This includes the playing surface, dugouts, and spectator seating. The Atlantic 10 Championship showcases the best softball that the conference has to offer and it is our feeling that it should be played at the conference's finest facilities. This is also not the type of facility that would be good for a television broadcast.

DL Phillips Complex

It would be possible to overlook this last issue if the other two did not exist: St. Louis is geographically removed from the rest of the conference. All Atlantic 10 teams must fly to St. Louis for the A10 Tournament, Dayton is the only team that could possibly drive and they are 6 hours away. This problem could also be highlighted even further if St. Louis does not make the A10 Tournament for the second straight season: attendance could be downright dreadful.

Here are the blog's thoughts on future A10 Tournament hosts:
UMass, Charlotte, and Fordham have all made the past 6 A10 tournaments and they each have excellent facilities. They have also put on excellent tournaments every time that they have hosted.

St. Joseph's has also been one of the consistent performers in the conference, including two finals in the past three years. However they did not have a field of its own so they were unable to host. That will change, as the Hawks are getting a new home field. If the new field is up to par, the Hawks would be a logical host for the tournament.

Dayton has an excellent facility and has been doing a much better job in terms of softball coverage. However, the biggest factor in hosting remains success on the field, which the Flyers showed in 2011, but they need to maintain that level for a few years, to be considered. The same applies to Temple as well.

UD Softball Stadium

Hopefully, this blog will be pleasantly surprised by the job St. Louis does hosting the 2012 Atlantic 10 Championship. However, we are quite skeptical at the moment, we will keep an eye on Billikens' softball coverage throughout the year and they need to improve things. For one, internet access should be a requirement among other things...

Here is a past post on Game Coverage

Christina Gonzalez signs with St. Joseph's

Occasionally, this blog misses the occasional signee, but we just caught this one in time for Christmas.

Christina Gonzalez IF of the NJ Inferno has signed with St. Joseph's. She joins an impressive Hawks recruiting class for 2012, which also includes Anna Lauterbach, Brandi Harkness, Liz Mendez, and Sarah Yoos. Coach Terri Adams has done a stellar job with this recruiting class.

The New Jersey Inferno is one of the top travel programs in the Northeast and it has been very kind to the Atlantic 10 over the years. Past Inferno players that have gone on to the Atlantic 10 include Taylor Pirone, Sam Pellechio, and the late Nicole Ayres to Fordham, Jen Hrycyna and Amanda Holst to George Washington, and Mary Pat Conville to La Salle.

Gonzalez should make an immediate impact for the Hawks with her stellar defense and her strong bat at the plate. Coach Adams scored a good one for St. Joe's.

A10 Softball Blog's Christmas List

Happy Holidays to all!

Here are some things that the Atlantic 10 Softball Blog would like for Christmas:

-Good weather: countless non-conference games were lost due to poor weather this past season, which in the opinion of this blog, ended up having a negative effect on the conference RPI. More importantly, nine conference games were lost due to weather, which impacted the Atlantic 10 tournament field, as the final spot was decided by one game. We would love to see every game played as scheduled this season.

-Good health:  the A10 was decimated by injuries last year, including injuries to 2010 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Katie Bettencourt and Kara Clauss, which kept them out of play at various points during last season. There were also other players who were affected by injuries throughout the season. 2012 should be one of the best seasons in A10 history and we would like to see all of the best players on the field.

-Luck: more often than not the better team gets the win in a softball game, but every now and then a good or bad break can decide the outcome. We would love to see the A10 teams have all the luck this season, especially against ranked and BCS opponents.

-Better coverage: some schools fell short in the game coverage department last year, so we are asking them to do better this year. Whether it is video, audio, live stats, live blog, twitter, etc. please provide something. We will do our best here at the A10 Softball Blog and we expect schools to do the same. There is great softball being played on the field, it would be nice to see great coverage along with it.

2012 Schedule

The 2012 Schedule has been updated and it now includes all games involving A10 teams (minus a few UMass ones, as the Minutewomen have not yet released their schedule. If you know any of the missing games please email atlantic10softball@gmail.com)

Here are some interesting notes about the 2012 schedule:

The A10 will be playing 5 games against teams that advanced to the WCWS
UMass vs. Alabama
Fordham Cal, Alabama, and Baylor
St. Louis vs. Missouri

There will be 2 games against teams that advanced to Super Regionals:
UMass vs. Tennessee
Fordham vs. Arizona

There will be  games against teams that advanced to Regionals (not including conference games against defending Atlantic 10 Champion Fordham):
Charlotte vs. SDSU, Long Beach State, BYU, Fresno State;
Dayton vs. Texas State
Fordham vs. East Carolina, Louisville, Long Beach State, UCLA, Illinois State, Iona (2), Western Michigan, Lehigh (2)
George Washington vs. Auburn, Fordham (non-conference game at an early season tournament)
La Salle vs. Liberty, Western Michigan
UMass vs. UAB (3), Louisville, Michigan, Georgia Tech, DePaul, Maryland (2), Chattanooga
Rhode Island vs. Georgia State, Maryland, Harvard (2)
St. Bonaventure vs. Bethune-Cookman (2)
St. Joseph's vs. BYU, Fresno State, SDSU
St. Louis vs. Jacksonville (2), Indiana, Missouri State, Louisville (2), Illinois State
Temple vs. Michigan, Western Michigan, Iona (2), Penn State (2), Sacred Heart

Teams that have the most games scheduled against A10 teams:
7 Mount. St. Mary's (4, St. Bonaventure, 2 George Washington, 1 Rhode Island)
7 Villanova (3 La Salle, 2 St. Joseph's, 2 Temple)
6 Ohio (2 Dayton, 2 St. Bonaventure, 2 St. Joseph's)
6 Princeton (2 La Salle, 2 Rhode Island, 2 Temple)
5 Binghamton (2 Fordham, 2 St. Bonaventure, 1 St. Louis)
5 Coastal Carolina (2 La Salle, 2 Temple, 1 George Washington)
5 Monmouth (2 La Salle, 2 Temple, 1 St. Joseph's)
5 Penn (2 St. Joseph's, 2 Temple, 1 La Salle)
5 USC Upstate (2 La Salle, 2 St. Bonaventure, 1 Dayton)
4 Appalachian State (2 Charlotte, 2 St. Bonaventure)
4 Boston College (2 UMass, 1 Charlotte, 1 St. Louis)
4 Buffalo (2 St. Louis, 1 George Washington, 1 St. Bonaventure)
4 Drexel (2 George Washington, 1 La Salle, 1 St. Joseph's)
4 Elon (2 Charlotte, 1 George Washington, 1 Rhode Island)
4 Fairfield (2 UMass, 2 Rhode Island)
4 George Mason (4 George Washington)
4 Hampton (2 Hampton, 2 La Salle)
4 Iona (2 Fordham, 2 Temple)
4 Louisville (2 St. Louis, 1 Fordham, 1 UMass)
4 James Madison (2 Fordham, 2 George Washington)
4 Pittsburgh (2 Fordham, 2 George Washington)
4 Presbyterian (2 Charlotte, 2 George Washington)
4 Robert Morris (1 George Washington, 1 Rhode Island, 1 St. Joseph's, 1 St. Louis)
4 UNC Greensboro (2 Charlotte, 1 Fordham, 1 St. Louis)
4 UMBC (2 La Salle, 1 George Washington, 1 Rhode Island)
4 Virginia (2 St. Joseph's, 2 Fordham)
3 Army (2 Temple, 1 George Washington)
3 Ball State (2 Dayton, 1 Temple)
3 Delaware (1 Charlotte, 1 La Salle, 1 St. Louis)
3 Detroit (2 Dayton, 1 St. Bonaventure)
3 Georgia Southern (2 La Salle, 1 George Washington)
3 Georgetown (2 George Washington, 1 Temple)
3 Hartford (2 Rhode Island, 1 UMass)
3 Illinois (3 UMass)
3 Maryland (2 UMass, 1 Rhode Island)
3 Niagara (2 St. Bonaventure, 1 Dayton)
3 Quinnipiac (2 UMass, 1 St. Joseph's)
3 Siena (1 Fordham, 1 Rhode Island, 1 George Washington)
3 Towson (1 Charlotte, 1 George Washington, 1 St. Joseph's)
3 UAB (3 UMass)
3 UConn (2 UMass, 1 Rhode Island)
3 Western Michigan (1 Fordham, 1 La Salle, 1 Temple)

A10 Recruiting Update

Things have been a little chaotic over the past few months...but here how the A10 currently looks in the recruiting department:

Atlantic 10 Recruiting

Charlotte
Name Position Travel Team YOG
Jessica Plemmons OF Carolina Attitude 2012
Courtney Carroll IF/OF Carolina Cardinals 2012

Dayton
Name Position Travel Team YOG
Kristin Bartlett IF Indiana Gold 2012
Emily Froment P Miami Xpress Gold 2012
Krista Gustafson C GA Knockouts 2012
Kennedy Haynes IF Indiana Gold 2012
Paige Rhodes 1B Lady Lasers White 2012
Madeline Simmonds IF Ohio Classics 2012

Fordham
Name Position Travel Team YOG
Allie Bradian SS NJ Gators 2012
Samantha Laird C NJ Inferno 2012
Morgan Eisenga P Sorcerers Blue 2012
Patti Maloney P MD Heartbreakers 2012

Claudia Law C LI Chargers 2012
Sydney Cannesa SS NJ Nightmare 2013

George Washington
Name Position Travel Team YOG
Meghan Rico P RI Thunder 2012

Morgan Matetic C/UT Pittsburgh Power 2012

Laura Thompson P/1B Georgia Elite 2012

Maura Murphy 2B/SS WA Ladyhawks 2012

Carlee Gray 1B CA Breeze 2012
Megan Linn SS Cal Lite 2013

La Salle
Name Position Travel Team YOG

Stacie DeNucci P/OF Philadelphia Spirit 2012

Gen Gaynor C NJ Outlaws 2012
Casey Lester OF San Jose Sting 2012
Alyssa Sims C/OF NJ Gators 2012

Massachusetts
Name Position Travel Team YOG

Olivia Godin C RI Thunder Gold 2012
Taylor Carbone P/IF Polar Crush 2012

Whitney Cooper 2B Arizona Storm 2012
Ashton Wince C Vienna Stars 2013
Tara Klee P Delco Chaos 2013

Rhode Island
Name Position Travel Team YOG
Taylor Archer C/IF RI Thunder Elite 2012
Olivia Hendricks SS NE Phoenix 2012
Emily Hendricks OF NE Phoenix 2012
Caitlin Kennedy P Sudden Impact LI 2012

St. Bonaventure
Name Position Travel Team YOG
Katie Sinclair 1B/C 2012
Alexis Sloat P Lady Mustangs 2012
Emily Belfield CF Lady Mustangs 2012

Emily McDonough SS Dutchess Debs 2012

Carly Bilchak P Ulster Fillies 2012

St. Joseph's
Name Position Travel Team YOG
Anna Lauterbach P Connellsville Cyclones 2012

Sarah Yoos SS Chaos Gold 2012
Brandi Harkness 3B Cal Lite 2012

Liz Mendez P West Windsor Wildcats 2012

Stephanie Chaiser C Crossfire 2013
Emily Rogers P Cal Lite 2013

St. Louis
Name Position Travel Team YOG
Elizabeth Everingham P/3B New Lenox Lightning 2012
Brianna Lore P/1B Legion of Doom 2012
Madeline Brungardt OF KC Zephyrs 2012
Ellie Huffman C/OF St. Louis Espirit 2012
Laney Kneib P/IF Mac-N-Seitz Naturals 2012
Olivia Roback IF Kanakee CC 2012

Temple
Name Position Travel Team YOG
Kelsey Dominik P/1B Philadelphia Spirit 2012
Leah Lucas OF SoCal Diamonds 2012

Tara Klee verbals to UMass

Tara Klee

UMass has received a 2013 verbal from Delco Chaos pitcher Tara Klee. She joins Ashton Wince in the Minutewomen's 2013 recruiting class.

Delco Chaos has been very nice to the A10, as of late with Jackie McBride and Emily Moran at La Salle, Bernadette Moran and Melissa Ruf at St. Joseph's with Sarah Yoos committed to join next year, and Melissa Robbins and Christine Schlicter went on to play at Temple.

This post also signals the return of regular postings to the blog. Stay tuned over the coming weeks...

Saint Louis Softball announce 2012 schedule

https://www.nmnathletics.com//pdf8/802044.pdf?ATCLID=205340908&SPSID=632592&SPID=93207&DB_OEM_ID=27200
ST. LOUIS - Saint Louis head softball coach Christy Connoyer has announced the Billikens' 2012 schedule, a 56-game slate that features eight 2011 NCAA Tournament qualifiers, eight conference champions, two teams ranked in the final National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top 25 poll and two others that received votes.
In addition, Saint Louis will host the Atlantic 10 Conference Championship at the Billiken Sports Center May 9-12. The top six teams in the final regular-season standings advance to the double-elimination tournament, the winner of which receives the A-10's automatic NCAA Tournament bid.
Among the 2011 NCAA Tournament qualifiers are defending Big 12 Conference champion Missouri, which advanced to the Women's College World Series for a third consecutive year and earned a No. 6 national ranking, and Missouri Valley Conference tournament champion Missouri State. The Billikens will face the Tigers and Bears, as well as Summit League regular-season champion UMKC and Southeast Missouri State, at the Missouri Breast Cancer Tournament.
The other six NCAA teams are Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season and tournament champion Fordham, Big Ten Conference champion Michigan (No. 17 NFCA), Atlantic Sun Conference regular-season and tournament champion Jacksonville (received votes NFCA), Missouri Valley regular-season champion Illinois State, Louisville (received votes NFCA) and Big Ten runner-up Indiana.
The Billikens open the season with tournament play on five consecutive weekends. Connoyer's team makes its debut Feb. 10-12 at the Jacksonville Tournament in Jacksonville, Fla., taking on Jacksonville (twice), Buffalo (twice), Virginia Tech and UNC Greensboro. The Florida Gulf Coast Tournament in Fort Myers, Fla., follows, with SLU set to face UT Martin, Florida Gulf Coast, Binghamton, Boston College and Delaware Feb. 17-19.
The Billikens then travel to Woodstock, Ga., to compete in Kennesaw State's Phyllis Rafter Memorial Feb. 24-26. SLU faces Campbell, Northeast Conference regular-season champion Robert Morris, Indiana, Kennesaw State and Central Arkansas. Following the Missouri Breast Cancer Tournament in Kansas City March 2-3, Saint Louis wraps up tournament play with perhaps its toughest test at Louisville's Red and Black Tournament March 10-11. The Bills square off against Louisville (twice), Michigan and Illinois State.
SLU plays a doubleheader at Indiana State March 13 before beginning a six-game home stand March 22 with a doubleheader against Wichita State. The A-10 schedule begins with single games against Rhode Island March 23-24 and a twinbill against perennial power Massachusetts March 25.
The Billikens play 11 of their next 13 games away from the BSC, beginning with an A-10 doubleheader against St. Bonaventure March 31. Following a home twinbill against Southern Illinois April 4, Saint Louis hits the road for doubleheaders at Dayton (April 7) and Evansville (April 11), single games at Fordham (April 13-14), a doubleheader at La Salle (April 15) and a single tilt at SIU Edwardsville (April 18).Charlotte comes to town for an April 21 doubleheader, and SIU Edwardsville visits the BSC for a single game April 25. The Billikens travel to Philadelphia for a second time in two weeks to play single contests at Temple April 27-28 and a doubleheader at Saint Joseph's April 29. The regular season concludes at home with doubleheaders against Southeast Missouri State May 1 and George Washington May 5.

Five Sign National Letters of Intent to Play Softball at GW

http://www.gwsports.com/sports/w-softbl/gewa-w-softbl-body.html

2013 Verbal for Fordham

Sydney Canessa SS of the NJ Nightmare (2013) has verballed to Fordham

GW Revamps Home Field as Part of a Team Building Exercise

http://www.gwsports.com/sports/w-softbl/spec-rel/110911aaa.html

St. Louis Verbals

2012 – OF – Madeline Brungardt -Zephyrs Gold
Brianna Lore 2012

Sisters Sign to Attend URI

http://www.woonsocketcall.com/node/3832

UMass Signs 3

http://www.umassathletics.com/sports/w-softbl/spec-rel/111111aae.html

Dayton Inks 6

http://www.daytonflyers.com/womens/softball/news/index.html?article_id=8275

Dayton Verbals

Emily Froment - P- verbal to Dayton
Madaline Simmonds, ss, Columbus Bishop Watterson - verbal to Dayton

Dominant Pitching Helps Dayton Close out Fall Slate

http://www.daytonflyers.com/womens/softball/news/index.html?article_id=8139

If you have any commitment news feel free to shoot an email off to atlantic10softball@gmail.com
All emails will be kept strictly confidential
If you would like to see a post on a recruit just send me some info

Dayton announces 2012 schedule

http://www.daytonflyers.com/womens/softball/news/index.html?article_id=8200

GW Softball earns academic awards

Softball earns academic awards
by Elizabeth Traynor

The Colonials saw eight student-athletes earn 2011 National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-America Scholar Athlete honors, and reported a combined 3.26 cumulative grade-point average to earn NFCA All-Academic Team accolades.
Katie Terrazas and Ali Waterman, 2011 graduates, seniors Jillian Stanley, Lauren Wilson and Amanda Zakeri, juniors Sandi Moynihan, also a Hatchet reporter, and Kristi Saporito and sophomore Chelsea Lenhart, were all named NFCA All-America Scholar Athletes. The award honors players who have posted a 3.50 grade-point average or higher during the 2010 to 2011 academic year.

“Any student who excels at the George Washington University has clearly accomplished something great,” head coach Stacey Schramm said. “To be able to manage the time needed to excel in both softball and the classroom is truly outstanding.”
The Colonials were just one of four Atlantic 10 programs to earn the recognition, joined by Rhode Island, Saint Joseph’s and Saint Louis.

Last season, under the leadership of then first-year coach Schramm, GW earned a 16-27-1 overall record, a 10-win improvement from the previous year. The Colonials will welcome seven rookies to the spring 2012 lineup, joining 16 letterwinners from last season.

Final GW Fall Stats

GW Fall Results

GW 11, Howard 3 (5 innings)
Maryland 3, GW 0 (8 innings)
GW 4, Mount St. Mary's 3
GW 7, UMBC 4
GW 9, Towson 1 (5 innings)
Delaware State 5, GW 4
GW 9, Delaware State 6
Maryland 4, GW 1

The Colonials also picked up a 2013 verbal from Megan Linn a SS/UT player from the Cal Lite (teammate w/ Harkness and Rogers of St. Joe's).

Saint Louis University softball named All Academic Team

ST. LOUIS - The National Fastpitch Coaches Association has recognized the Saint Louis University softball program as an All-Academic Team for the 2010-11 academic year, while six Billiken student-athletes have earned NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete honors.
Saint Louis' 3.285 grade point average was the best in the Atlantic 10 Conference in 2010-11. The Billikens ranked 46th nationally in team GPA.
In addition, Kristain Burger, Kerri Dockins, Rachel Faletto, Kelcie Matesa, Kristin Nicoletti and Caitlin Trevillyan were named to the All-America Scholar-Athlete list. To be included, a student-athlete must achieve at least a 3.5 GPA for the entire year."Our accomplishments in the classroom are a great source of pride for our program," head coach Christy Connoyer said. "From the time our student-athletes are recruits until they graduate, we emphasize to them the importance of academic achievement and the value of a Saint Louis University education. Earning the NFCA awards indicates they are taking full advantage of the wonderful educational opportunities they have at SLU."

Fall Scores

Please send emails with updated results to atlantic10softball@gmail.com


September 16
Fordham beat Albany 8-2
Fordham lost to Binghamton 6-5

September 17
UMass beat Sacred Heart 10-0
UMass tied Boston College 3-3
Lafayette @ Temple (Score Unknown)
Temple beat Iona 3-0
Charlotte lost to UNC Greensboro 10-9
Charlotte beat East Carolina 13-7
Fordham beat Syracuse 2-1
Fordham beat Cornell 10-0
St. Bonaventure beat St. Rose 12-0
St. Bonaventure beat Colgate 3-0
Dayton lost to Northern Kentucky 1-0
Dayton beat Cedarville 5-0

September 18
George Washington beat Howard 11-3
George Washington lost to Maryland 3-0
St. Louis @ SIUE (DH) Cancelled
St. Bonaventure lost to Marist 16-8
St. Bonaventure beat Marist 6-2
Dayton beat Findlay 7-3
Dayton beat Findlay 4-0
September 23


September 24
Holy Cross @ UMass (DH) Rained Out
Delaware @ Temple
Wagner @ Temple
Wingate @ Charlotte
St. Andrew's Presbyterian @ Charlotte
St. Louis @ College Reverse Tournament (Ferguson, MO)
St. Bonaventure lost to Niagara 4-3
St. Bonaventure beat Buffalo 4-1

September 25
St. Louis @ College Reverse Tournament (Ferguson, MO)
St. Bonaventure lost to Canisius 8-0
St. Bonaventure lost to Buffalo 
Fordham beat Army 7-3
Fordham beat Siena 9-0
St. Joseph's lost to Lehigh 2-1
St. Joseph's beat Seton Hall 7-1

September 30
Aiken Technical @ Charlotte (DH)
St. Joseph's lost to Villanova 1-0

October 1
Bryant @ UMass Rained Out
Temple vs. Drexel @ Rocci Pignoli City 6 Tournament (Philadelphia, PA)
Temple vs Penn @ Rocci Pignoli City 6 Tournament (Philadelphia, PA)
St. Joseph's beat La Salle 2-1
St. Louis @ SEMO
St. Louis vs Missouri State @ SEMO

October 2
Fordham beat Caldwell 5-4
Fordham beat Seton Hall 7-1 
Iona @ UMass (DH) Rained Out
Appalachian State @ Charlotte
Spartanburg Methodist @ Charlotte
Mount St. Mary's @ George Washington (DH)
St. Joseph's vs. TBA @ Rocci Pignoli City 6 Tournament (Philadelphia, PA)

October 8
George Washington vs. TBA @ Maryland Fall Tournament
George Washington vs. TBA @ Maryland Fall Tournament
Dayton vs. Ohio @ Ohio State
Dayton @ Ohio State
October 9
George Washington @ Maryland Fall Tournament
George Washington vs. TBA @ Maryland Fall Tournament
St. Joseph's @ Rutgers
St. Joseph's vs Monmouth @ Rutgers

Updates

Coaching:

Fordham has hired Melissa Inouye as an assistant coach. Inouye joins Coach Bridget Orchard's staff of Kyle Jamieson and Bob Baxter.

George Washington has hired Holly Farris as an assistant coach. Farris joins Coach Stacey Schramm's staff of Dan Sperl.

Commitments:

Emily Rogers, a 2013 pitcher for Cal Lite has verballed to St. Joseph's

Brianna Lore, a 2012 LHP/1B for Legion of Doom has verballed to St. Louis

Field Upgrades:

Renovations have continued on Fordham's Bahoshy Softball Field. Fordham's field is getting a complete makeover for the 2012 season.

Recap of the 1st Fall Weekend

Fall Scores

George Washington beat Howard 11-3 (5 innings)
WP-Heidi Penna

Notes: George Washington broke out the bats as they beat Howard 11-3 in 5 innings. Courtney Martin and Heidi Penna both saw action in the circle, combining to allow just 4 hits over 5 innings, while striking out 3. At the plate, the Colonials were led by freshman Victoria Valos who went 2-3 with 4 RBI, Chelsea Lenhart went 1-2 with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored, Lauren Wilson was 2-3 with a RBI, and Jordyn O'Donnell was 2-2 with 1 RBI. Autumn Taylor, Sandi Moynihan, and Samantha Dos Santos also added hits.

George Washington lost to Maryland 3-0 (8 innings)
WP-Kaitlin Schmeiser
LP-Kara Clauss

Notes: George Washington went toe to toe with NCAA Regional participant Maryland playing scoreless ball through 7 innings before Maryland broke through in the 8th. Kara Clauss did an excellent job in the circle, limiting the Terps to 7 hits. The Colonials picked up 3 hits in game, from Alex Thompson, Samantha Dos Santos, and Autumn Taylor. George Washington hitters also showed that they have keen eyes at the plate, picking up 8 walks.

Fordham beat Albany 8-2
WP-Jen Mineau

Notes: Jen Mineau was in dominant form once again striking out 9 batters in 5 innings, while allowing just one hit. Taylor Pirone threw the final two innings and picked up 4 strikeouts in her 1st appearance as a Ram. Fordham racked up 10 hits in the game with Chelsea Palumbo and Jamie LaBovick each tallying two.

Fordham lost to Binghamton 6-5
LP-Jen Mineau

Notes: The Rams battled back from a 4-3 deficit only to fall 6-5 on a walk off home run. Michelle Daubman made her debut in the circle for the Rams and Mineau closed the game out. Paige Ortiz hit a huge 2 run HR to put to give Fordham the lead heading into the bottom of the 7th and Michelle Daubman tallied a 2 run double in the 6th.

Fordham beat Syracuse 2-1
WP-Jen Mineau
LP-Jenna Caira

Notes: Jen Mineau turned it up a notch once again, dominating the Big East champion Orange, by striking out 13 and allowing just 2 walks. Chelsea Palumbo hit a solo HR, and Elise Fortier doubled in Brianna Turgeon after Turgeon hit a triple. Paige Ortiz and Gabby Luety had Fordham's other hits during the game.

Fordham beat Cornell 10-0
WP-Taylor Pirone

Notes: Taylor Pirone threw 4 scoreless innings before giving way to Michelle Daubman for the final 3, as the Rams offense came to life in this game. Fordham scored 10 runs on 10 hits, including 2 hits for Kayla Lombardo, Kat Van Benschoten, and Brianna Ciuffi.

Charlotte beat East Carolina 13-7
WP-Katie Watkins

Charlotte lost to UNC Greensboro 10-9
LP-Chelsea Lisikatos

St. Bonaventure beat St. Rose 12-0
WP-Jen Sansano

St. Bonaventure beat Colgate 3-0
WP-Jen Sansano

St. Bonaventure lost to Marist 16-8
LP-Diana Phalon

St. Bonaventure beat Marist 6-2
WP-Jen Sansano

Dayton lost to Northern Kentucky 1-0
LP-Sarah Wedel

Dayton beat Cedarville 5-0
WP-Kayla English

Dayton beat Findlay 7-3
WP-Kayla English

Dayton beat Findlay 4-0
WP-?

Temple vs Lafayette
Temple vs Iona

UMass vs Boston College
UMass vs Sacred Heart

St. Louis vs. SIUE was rained out

I don't have any scores or details from UMass or Temple
If you have details on those games or pictures please email atlantic10softball@gmail.com

Updates

Sorry for the dearth of updates lately...

If anyone would like to help out with postings please send an email to atlantic10softball@gmail.com
Otherwise expect postings once or twice a week until January.

Back to softball news:

Coaching
Fordham has hired Kyle Jamieson as its new assistant coach. Jamieson is an accomplished coach, who knows how to both win and develop talent. Coach Bridget Orchard made an outstanding hire and it is easy to see this hire paying dividends right away.

St. Louis has hired Pat Kies and Sarah Clynes as assistants. Clynes was an outstanding player for UIC, both in the circle and at the plate, so she will be able to help the Billikens in all aspects of the game. Kies comes to St. Louis from UMKC, which just had one of its best seasons in school history. Kies has proven he can help out a program and Coach Christy Connoyer is excited to have him on board. Both these young assistants should play a big role in shaping Billiken softball.

Former Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and St. Joe's great Brooke Darreff has joined Temple's staff as a graduate assistant. Coach DiPietro has definitely added a good one to his program.

Roster updates
Temple has picked up former USF Bull ace Capri Catalano. Catalano was the Big East Freshman of the Year in 2008, going 17-1 her freshman year with a 1.40 ERA and 176 SO in 129.2 IP. She then lost her entire sophomore season due to injury and is still looking to regain the form of her freshman season. In 2010, she was 3-5 with a 3.78 ERA and 50 SO in 50 IP and last season she went 2-3 with a 3.62 ERA and 31 SO in 38.2 IP. She will be a true shutdown pitcher for the Owls and if she can return to her freshman year form...let's just say it will be a very exciting year in the A10.

Freshmen:
Here are some freshmen that the blog missed.
Erica Willis, an outfielder for Fordham
Natalie Mariano, an outfielder for Dayton
Traneya White, an outfielder for St. Joseph's
Taylor McGorry, an infielder for St. Joseph's

Commitments

Carlee Gray

George Washington has picked up a verbal from Carlee Gray of the Cal Breeze travel team and Elk Grove HS. Gray swings a powerful bats and she can play either corner infield position. Elk Grove has been one of the top high school programs in the country producing numerous college players. Gray is an outstanding pickup and Coach Stacey Schramm has really put together an outstanding 2012 recruiting class.

If you have knowledge of any commitments please email atlantic10softball@gmail.com








Scheduling news
The NFCA Leadoff Classic has released its schedule and the teams participating in the tournament. UMass will be attending the tournament along with Boston University, DePaul, Georgia Tech, Hofstra, Illinois, Illinois State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Michigan, Mississippi State, Tennessee, USF, and Winthrop. The Minutewomen will be facing Tennessee, Michigan, DePaul, Illinois, and Georgia Tech at the tournament. It will be a very tough stretch of games, but it will definitely pay dividends come tournament time.

The USF Under Armour Showcase has released its schedule and Fordham will be playing Wisconsin-Green Bay, Cleveland State, Rutgers, Northern Iowa, and Western Michigan, while Temple will be playing Central Michigan, Cleveland State, East Tennessee State, Western Michigan, and Wisconsin-Green Bay. In addition, both Fordham and Temple will have exhibitions against the Dutch National team.

The USF Tournament on March 16-18 has also released its schedule and UMass will be playing UNC Wilmington, Northern Colorado, Chattanooga, Illinois, and Florida Gulf Coast.

And finally fall ball starts this weekend for A10 teams, so please send in scores, pictures, etc. and they will be posted.

Ashton Wince verbals to UMass

UMass coach Elaine Sortino picked up her first 2013 verbal from Vienna Stars Gold catcher Ashton Wince.

Wince is a talented catcher from Manassas, VA, where she attends Paul VI high school. She has earned numerous accolades playing for Paul VI, including being named All State as a freshman and sophomore. Wince has also been featured on Spy Softball for her play in travel ball. Wince swings a very powerful bat, while also having an extremely strong arm behind the dish. Wince's game evokes comparisons with former Minutewomen All-American KJ Kelley.

Wince and the Vienna Stars had an outstanding 2011 season, going all the way to ASA Gold Nationals. She batted second for the Stars, as they managed to go 1-2. Wince showed she can get it done against top competition, hitting .375 at the tournament.

Wince is a very nice pickup for the Minutewomen and it will be exciting to see what other players join her in UMass' 2013 recruiting class.

Past Vienna Stars who have headed to the A10, include Julia Kastner to Temple this season.

Liz Mendez verbals to St. Joseph's

Liz Mendez

Coach Terri Adams picked up another verbal for her 2012 recruiting class in Liz Mendez. Mendez is a pitcher for the West Windsor Wildcats travel team and West Windsor Plainsboro South High School.

Mendez is a talented pitcher that will definitely make an impact for the Hawks in the circle. She led her county to the title at the Carpenter Cup this summer after coming all the way through the loser's bracket. Mendez is also a talented hitter and she could also see some significant action at the plate for St. Joseph's.

Mendez is the second pitcher in the Hawks' 2012 recruiting class joining Anna Lauterbach, the position players in St. Joseph's class are Sarah Yoos and Brandi Harkness. This is already a talented class and one that may grow even more in the coming weeks.

Gen Gaynor verbals to La Salle

Gen Gaynor

Coach Brianne Brown picked up a verbal from Gen Gaynor, a 2012 catcher for the NJ Outlaws.

Gaynor will most likely be counted on to replace Shannon Skomorucha who has started since she set foot on campus. Gaynor is a talented defensive catcher and Coach Brown will look for her to gun down speedy opponents on the bases. Gaynor comes from a talented family as her sister Keli currently plays for Pittsburgh.

Gaynor joins Stacie DeNucci in La Salle's recruiting class of 2012.

Courtney Carroll verbals to Charlotte

Courtney Carroll

Charlotte has picked up a verbal from Courtney Carroll, a middle infielder of the Carolina Cardinals.

Carroll was the number two hitter for the Cardinals this summer and she is quite the pickup for Coach Aimee DeVos. Carroll is a speedy defensive shortstop that should be fixture at the top of the 49ers' lineup once she starts play at the DL Phillips Complex. Carroll can do it all at the plate: power, speed, and average and she was named Central Piedmont Conference Player of the Year for her play at West Forsyth High School.

Carroll joins Jessica Plemmons in Charlotte's class of 2012.

Katy Hackett and Emily Jeffery wrap up play at the European Cup

Former Charlotte aces Katy Hackett and Emily Jeffery finished up action at the European Cup.

Emily Jeffery and the Afterburners finished with a 2-5 record at the tournament, but they did manage a win over the eventual tournament champions: Tex Town Tigers. Jeffery finished the tournament with a 2-3 record, 1.80 ERA and 39 SO in 35 IP. Jeffery threw a one-hit shutout in the Afterburners 1-0 win over the Tex Town Tigers, including 9 SO against a lineup that hit .303 at the European Cup and was not shut out in any other game.

Katy Hackett and the Wesseling Vermins also finished with a 2-5 record at the European Cup. The Vermins finished with victories over Skovde BSK and the Afterburners. Hackett finished the tournament with a 2-2 record and a 3.56 ERA with 12 SO in 19.2 IP.

Congrats to Katy and Emily on completing their first season of European softball!

Jess Zeilman transfers to Temple

Jess Zeilman

Former Hofstra infielder Jess Zeilman is transferring to Temple. Zeilman will be a sophomore in 2012 and she will be a great addition to a strong Temple squad.

Zeilman played well for Hofstra when she was given the opportunity, as she played in 27 games, while starting 5 of those games. The majority of her appearances came as a pinch runner, but in limited at-bats Zeilman did hit .267 for the Pride, driving in 6 runs on the year.

Zeilman will make an immediate impact on Temple's lineup both offensively and defensively. Coach Joe DiPietro is building a very deep and talented squad for the 2012 season and they will look to build on last season's 4th place finish in the standings.

Zeilman's move to Temple is the exact opposite of one of her former teammates at Hofstra. Jess Hirschbuhl transferred from Temple to Hofstra after playing one year for the Owls.

News and notes

Chelsea Plimpton

Former Fordham standout Chelsea Plimpton will be joining the coaching staff at St. Lawrence University, where she will serve as a graduate assistant coach. However the story doesn't end there, as one of the pitchers that she will work with, will be her sister Kyle.

St. Bonaventure welcomes former Hartford head coach Todd Randall to the coaching staff, following the retirement of long time assistant Dave Matz. Randall is no stranger to the St. Bonaventure program, as he served as the Bonnies' head coach from 1993-1996.

St. Louis' assistant coach in 2011, Katie Wagner will not be returning in 2012 and the Billikens will likely announce a replacement soon.

Fordham assistants Emily Friedman and Brealand Edwards will not be returning in 2012 either. Both coaches played a key role in the Rams' success on pitching defense.

La Salle coach Brianne Brown has announced the addition of Mike Fegely to the Explorers' coaching staff in 2012. Fegely has extensive experience in travel and high school ball and coach Brown is glad to have him join her staff.

Dayton's fall schedule

Kathleen Maloof

Dayton advanced to the A10 tournament for the first time since 2000 and this year the Flyers will look to build on that success, as they look to establish themselves in the upper echelon of programs in the Atlantic 10. Coach Cara LaPlaca has set an 8 game slate for her team this fall.

September 17th vs. Northern Kentucky vs. Cedarville
September 18th vs. Findlay (DH)
October 1st vs. Rio Grande
October 2nd vs. Dayton Alumni
October 8th @ Ohio State Charity Classic

Dayton returns a very talented squad for the 2012 season, including Lauren Nacke and Kathleen Maloof who had outstanding 2011 seasons. Nacke and Maloof will lead the team on offense along with two talented sophomores in Rachel Archer and Alysha Isaacson. In the circle, Isaacson and Sarah Wedel and they will once again be counted on for significant innings.

The Flyers have a talented incoming class for the 2012 season and a couple players to keep an eye on this year are Kayla English and Leah Sitter.

Now only fall schedules are needed from Rhode Island and La Salle

Check out the pages on the Atlantic 10 Softball Blog

At the top of the blog, just below the title (Atlantic 10 Softball) there are four tabs, three of which are pages and the fourth is a tab to return to the home page of the blog.

Under the Atlantic 10 Recruiting Tab signees, verbals, and any others commitments can be found. Players are listed by year of graduation and their positions and travel teams are also listed. This page is constantly updated throughout the year.

The 2012 Schedule Tab includes the games and tournaments that Atlantic 10 teams are scheduled and to attend  and host in the spring of 2012. This listing is far from complete, but it includes as much information that's available. With regard to the tournaments, most schedules have not been set yet, so the other teams are listed in italics for the moment. Quite a few tournaments do not have completed fields at the moment.

The 2011 Fall Schedule Tab has all the fall games that Atlantic 10 teams are scheduled to play. So far every teams schedule is up there with the exception of Dayton, La Salle, and Rhode Island. Some opponents have not been announced yet, but when they are the page will be updated. The plan is to update this page with scores every weekend, if possible.

If anyone has any information to update one of these page please email atlantic10softball@gmail.com

UMass' 2011 fall schedule

Katie Bettencourt

UMass had a bit of a rough year in 2011, finishing third at the A10 tournament, failing to advance to NCAA regionals for the first time since 1994, as well dealing with a multitude of injuries, so the Minutewomen are ready to move forward from last year. UMass will play a seven game slate this fall and they will play every game at home.

September 17th vs Sacred Heart vs Boston College

September 24th vs Holy Cross (DH)

October 1st vs Bryant vs Quinnipiac

October 2nd vs Iona (DH)

UMass graduated just two players from 2011 and an impressive recruiting class is coming in, so it would not be a surprise to see the Minutewomen return to their dominating ways. All three pitchers return in the circle for UMass led by Sara Plourde. Caroline Raymond and Lindsey Webster will look to bounce back from injuries that kept them out of the circle for most of last season. On offense, leading hitter Cyndil Matthew returns along with Webster and the Minutewomen will get a huge boost from 2010 A10 co-Player of the Year Katie Bettencourt. 

Coach Elaine Sortino brought in an excellent freshmen class and do not be surprised if a number of them are in the starting lineup by the end of the year. Quianna Diaz-Patterson is definitely one to keep an eye on, as she may be the fastest player on a team that already includes some pretty fast players. 

Chelsey Pedley has signed with George Washington

Chelsey Pedley

George Washington's aggressive recruiting has continued with the signing of left-handed pitcher Chelsey Pedley of Jacksonville, FL. Pedley signed earlier this year (though it just came to the attention of this blog, even though we try to be perfect sometimes we miss things) and she is a part of Coach Stacey Schramm's first incoming class.

Pedley will join a Colonials' pitching staff that includes Kara Clauss, Heidi Penna, and Courtney Martin. Pedley will provide a unique look, as there are a lot of lefty hitters in the A10 and very few southpaw pitchers, in fact Alysha Isaacson of Dayton and Jayshree Narendran of Rhode Island were the only left handed pitchers last year.

Pedley pitches for the Florida Select travel team, which recently wrapped up play at the 18A Nationals in Normal, IL, where they finished tied for 49th with a 2-2 record.

Pedley and the rest of the George Washington incoming freshmen class: Kaitlyn O'Shea, Victoria Valos, Samantha Dos Santos, Becca Garlinger, McKinley Tretler, and Alexandria Thompson will play a big role in shaping the direction of this program moving forward.