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.

Emily Jeffery and Katy Hackett at the European Cup!

Wesseling Vermins (Katy Hackett is top row all the way on the right)

Former Charlotte standouts Emily Jeffery and Katy Hackett have been competing at the 2011 European Cup in Enschede, Netherlands.

Jeffery is throwing for the Afterburners of Belgium, while Hackett has been throwing for the Wesseling Vermins of Germany. So far, Jeffery is 0-2 with a 3.28 ERA and 13 SO in 10.2 innings. The Afterburners' offense has been somewhat nonexistent, as they have not scored a single run for Jeffery in the circle.

 The Vermins have fared a little better and currently Katy Hackett is 1-1 with a 3.68 ERA and 9 SO in 13.1 IP. The Vermins are 1-2 at the moment, but they have already matched up against the two top teams in the pool.

Here is the website for the tournament, which has live stats and video streaming to follow the action of these two 49ers

Temple's 2011 fall schedule

Stephanie Pasquale

Coach Joe DiPietro advanced to the A10 tournament for the 1st time and he comes into the 2012 season looking for an even better finish. The Owls will be tested right away this fall with a 6 game schedule against local opponents.

September 17th Under Armour Fall Classic vs Lafayette and Iona
September 24th Under Armour Invitational vs Delaware and Wagner
October 1st Rocci Pignoli Memorial City 6 Tournament vs Drexel and Penn @Philadelphia, PA

Temple graduated just one senior in 2011: Kristen Marris though she was the Owls' all-everything in the circle and at the plate. Most of the Temple offense does return and it was one of the best in the conference. Stephanie Pasquale, Christina Sykora, and Sarah Prezioso are all back after stellar seasons in 2011.

Temple also welcomes a talented freshmen class including Jess Mahoney and Julia Kastner who are two players to keep an eye on.

Fall schedules are still needed from Dayton, La Salle, UMass, and Rhode Island. If you have any information please email atlantic10softball@gmail.com

Charlotte's fall schedule

Kalie Lang

Charlotte had a great run in 2011, falling just short in a long extra inning battle in the A10 tournament. Coach DeVos will be testing her freshmen right away with an 8 game slate, including a matchup with NCAA regionals participant East Carolina

September 17th UNC Greenboro and East Carolina @UNC Greenboro
September 24th Wingate and St. Andrews Presbyterian
September 30th Aiken Technical College
October 2nd Appalachian State and Spartanburg Methodist JC


The 49ers lost some stars from that team, but they also welcome back a strong core of players that is once again hungry for a conference title. In addition, Charlotte has brought in one of the largest and most talented freshmen class in school history.

The 49ers' offense will be led by the powerful bats of Briana Gwaltney and Kalie Lang and in the circle by Lang and Katie Watkins. Coach Aimee DeVos will be counting on freshmen to make a big impact, a few to keep an eye on are Jackie Kleinsmith, Alex Rogers, and Natalie Capone.

George Washington's 2011 fall schedule

Chelsea Lenhart

George Washington is coming off one of its best seasons in school history and Coach Stacey Schramm has the Colonials set to play an 8 game slate this fall.

September 18th vs. Maryland
October 2nd vs. Mount St. Mary's
October 8th @Maryland Fall Tournament
October 9th @Maryland Fall Tournament

The Colonials are looking to return to the A10 tournament for the 1st time since 2007 and after the success of last year, they are shooting for more in 2012. George Washington lost just two seniors from last year's squad and the Colonials have a large freshmen class coming in. Needless to say, excitement is in the air in Washington D.C. and at the Mount Vernon Softball Complex.

Returnees Kara Clauss and Chelsea Lenhart will lead the squad into 2012, after both had stellar 2011 seasons. George Washington will welcome a large freshman class, which comes from all around the country and includes players from California, Florida, North Carolina, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Fall schedules are still needed from Charlotte, Dayton, La Salle, UMass, Rhode Island, and Temple. If you have any information please send an email to atlantic10softball@gmail.com

Stephanie Chaiser verbals to St. Joseph's

Stephanie Chaiser

The A10 has its first verbal from a 2013 recruit! Stephanie Chaiser from Archbishop McCarthy HS in Florida. Chaiser is a catcher and plays travel for Crossfire, which just wrapped up a solid performance at Premier's 16U Nationals. Chaiser showed that she can get it done against the best, hitting .467 with 3 HR and 11 RBI.

Chaiser could be a real special player for Coach Terri Adams and the Hawks. Chaiser picked St. Joseph's after also considering Atlantic Sun Champion Jacksonville, Big Ten member Michigan State, and Middle Tennessee State.

It will be interesting to see who picks up the next 2013 verbal

Updates

If anyone has any information, a possible story, commitment, human interest story, pictures, scores, etc. please email atlantic10softball@gmail.com 

This blog is always looking for new and updated information and every little bit helps. This blog's policy is that all sources remain anonymous for the purpose of serving all parties involved. Commitments, scheduling news, and transfers are sensitive subjects by nature and they are also very important subjects on this blog.

Fall ball is right around the corner so everyone can look forward to more posts. Scores and updates from fall games would be very much appreciated.

As always feel free to follow the Atlantic 10 Softball Blog on Twitter and Like us on Facebook

St. Joseph's 2011 fall schedule

Erin Gallagher

St. Joseph's returns after having quite possibly its best season in program history. The Hawks are on the rise and this fall season will allow its talented freshmen class get used to the college game.

September 23rd Carole Weil Tournament @Allentown, PA
September 24th Carole Weil Tournament @Allentown, PA
September 30th City 6 Tournament @Philadelphia, PA
October 1st City 6 Tournament @Philadelphia, PA
October 2nd City 6 Tournament @Philadelphia, PA
October 9th Rutgers Play-Day

The Hawks will be returning 17 players from last year and the 2012 season could be a real special one. St. Joseph's ended 2011 with its 2nd runner up finish at the A10 tournament in the past three years, now they are looking to win their 1st championship.

St. Joseph's is loaded in 2012, led in the circle by Erin Gallagher and Taryn Ashway who have the potential to be the top 1-2 combo in the conference. At the plate, Dana Parks, Monica Aguilar, and Bernadette Moran all return. They will be joined by some talented newcomers and two to keep an eye on are Lauren Rendon and Melissa Ruf.

Fordham's 2011 fall schedule

Nicole Callahan

Fordham is the defending Atlantic 10 Champion for the first time in program history and they are hoping to keep the momentum going with a strong fall campaign.

September 16th BAGSAI Fall Classic @Binghamton, NY
September 17th BASAI Fall Classic @Binghamton, NY
September 25th Army Round Robin
October 1st New Jersey Pride Tournament @Newark, NJ

The Rams are going to have to replace a very talented senior class from 2011, but they have some great talent returning and coming in for the 2012 season. Jen Mineau is back in the circle and Jamie LaBovick and Nicole Callahan return at the plate.

Fordham is going to need big contributions from its incoming class and this fall schedule will be the first chance for the newcomers to crack the lineup. A couple freshmen to keep an eye on are Taylor Pirone, Brianna Turgeon, and Paige Ortiz.

St. Louis' fall schedule

Jessica Buschjost

St. Louis will play an 8 game slate this fall in preparation for the upcoming 2012 season. The Billikens missed the A10 Tournament for just the 2nd time since joining the conference last season and they are going to look to send a message right away that last year was a fluke.

September 18th vs Kirkwood and SIUE @SIUE
September 24th College Reverse Tournament @Ferguson, MO
September 25th College Reverse Tournament @Freguson, MO
October 1st SEMO Round Robin vs SEMO and Missouri State

The 2012 season is of special importance for St. Louis as they will be hosting the A10 tournament this season (a topic which will be addressed at another time)

The Billikens return their top three pitchers from last year in Hannah Huebbe, Kelcie Matesa, and Julian Austin and some talented offensive players including Jessica Buschjost and Rachel Faletto.

2011 St. Bonaventure fall schedule

Jen Sansano

St. Bonaventure will play an 8 game slate this fall in preparation for this spring, in addition to the Bonnies annual alumni game.

September 10th The 9th Annual St. Bonaventure Alumni Game
September 17th BAGSAI Fall Classic
September 18th Marist and Colgate @Marist
September 24th Nan Harvey Classic vs Buffalo and Niagara @Amherst, NY
September 25th Nan Harvey Classic vs Canisius and TBA @Amherst, NY

The Bonnies are looking to return to the A10 tournament in 2012 and a strong fall season could help propel them towards that. St. Bonaventure lost just two players to graduation from 2011 and they have some talented players returning. Jen Sansano, Brooke Frey, Ashley Snider, and Jessenia Andujar are a few Bonnies to keep an eye on.

News and notes

La Salle has officially announced its freshmen class for this season: Alicia Aughton, Kristin Travers, Linnette Seidler, and Alyssa Bitsimis.

St. Bonaventure may be updating its softball facilities in the future! Due to St. Bonaventure unique northern location, a turf field would make the most sense, funds permitting.

St. Joseph's has released its 2012 schedule though its tournament games still need to be finalized. It is a good looking schedule for a team with a lot of returning players and it gives the Hawks a shot at an at-large bid if they perform well.

The Brakettes won the 3rd Annual Women's Major Softball Championship in Stratford, CT this past weekend. Former UMass great Brandice Balschmiter shared the award for outstanding pitcher with LSU's Rachele Fico and incoming Fordham freshman Brianna Turgeon was named the top defensive player in the tournament.

Brandice Balschmiter

Other A10 players to compete in the tournament include, Juliette D'Ambrosio of St. Joseph's played for the New York Raiders, Christine Della Vecchia of UMass played for the Shoreline Sting, and Denise Denis, Carly Normandin, and Sara Plourde of UMass all played for the Brakettes.

The Atlantic 10 at ASA Gold and Premier Nationals

If any players were missed please send an email to atlantic10softball@gmail.com

ASA Gold

Fordham

Paige Ortiz 3B Houston Power went 1-5 with 2 RBI in bracket play and 1-2 with a HR in pool play

UMass

Whitney Cooper 2B AZ Storm went 0-6

Rhode Island

Cara Martin P Conklin Raiders went 0-3 at the plate and pitched 2 innings without allowing a run

St. Joseph's

Lauren Rendon C/OF Mizuno Pride went 2-10 with 2 RBI in bracket play and 1-2 with a RBI in pool play

Temple

Julia Kastner OF/SS Vienna Stars went 3-6 during bracket play, 1-4 during pool play, and she pitched one scoreless inning in pool play.

Premier

Charlotte

Jackie Kleinsmith C Cal Raiders went 3-12 in bracket play with 2 RBI and 1-4 during pool play.

Hayley Lewis OF Lady Lightning went 1-4 in bracket play and 1-1 during pool play.

Fordham

Taylor Pirone P NJ Inferno went 0-2 with a 1.45 ERA and 5 SO in 9.2 innings during bracket play to go along with an RBI double at the plate and she finished with a 4.67 ERA in 6 innings with 2 SO

Morgan Eisenga P Chaos (Pick up player, normally throws for Sorcerer Blue) did not record a decision in the circle, but had an ERA of 1.75 in 4 innings of bracket play with 5 SO and 1.91 in 3.2 innings of pool play with 4 SO.

Samantha Laird C NJ Inferno went 2-5 with a RBI during bracket play and 1-4 with a run scored during pool play

George Washington

Victoria Valos SS Jets Gold went 0-3 during bracket play and 0-2 during pool play with a RBI.

Laura Thompson P Georgia Elite hit 3-9 with a HR and 3 RBI during bracket play, 3-6 during pool play with 1 RBI, and she pitched 0.2 innings, allowing 2 ER.

Maura Murphy 2B Washington Ladyhawks went 3-9 with a 2B and RBI during bracket play and 0-5 during pool play.

UMass

Mikayla Panko CF White Sox Academy hit .286 with 2 hits in 7 AB during pool play and bracket play, while also adding one RBI in bracket play.

St. Joseph's

Melissa Ruf OF Chaos Gold went 2-7 during bracket play and 2-8 in pool play with 3 RBI

Sarah Yoos SS Chaos Gold went 1-8 during bracket play and 2-7 in pool play with 3 RBI and 3 runs scored.

Brandi Harkness 3B Cal Lite (16U-3rd place) went 5-22 in bracket play with a HR and 4 RBI and 1-8 during pool play with a HR and 2 RBI.

St. Louis

Elizabeth Everingham P/3B New Lenox Lightning went 1-6 during bracket play with a HR and 2 RBI and 3-9 during pool play with a HR and 3 RBI, while also pitching one scoreless inning.

Temple

Leah Lucas OF Socal Diamonds went 0-3 during bracket play 2-5 during pool play with 2 HR and 3 RBI