2011 Record (A10 Play): 31-16 (10-4)
Returning Position Players: Maria Ficca OF, Brianna Sasala OF, Morgan Earling IF/C, Juliette D'Ambrosio IF/C, Dana Parks OF, Annabelle Cunningham UT, Deanna Stinner IF, Rochelle Christman C/UT, Shannon Kramer IF/OF, Christine Bednar OF, Bernadette Moran 2B, Alaina Loguidice 1B, Monica Aguilar 3B
Returning Pitchers: Erin Gallagher, Taryn Ashway, Lauren Pembleton
Losses: Dana Bieniek SS, Laura Cardone OF
Newcomers: Melissa Ruf OF, Traneya White OF, Nicole Palase OF/IF, Taylor McGorry IF, Lauren Rendon C/OF
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| Erin Gallagher |
Pitching: This is one of the biggest areas of strength for the Hawks as they return all three pitchers from last year, including Erin Gallagher. Gallagher already holds most of St. Joseph's single season records in the circle and she is poised to break even more this season, hopefully en route to an Atlantic 10 Championship. Gallagher had a great 2011 season, going 22-10 with a 1.60 ERA and 215 SO in 214.2 IP. Coach Terri Adams is going to be counting on her for a similar season again in 2012. Gallagher will be joined once again by Taryn Ashway who was 7-6 with a 2.52 ERA and 63 SO last season. Ashway really came on strong at the end of last season at the Atlantic 10 Tournament, throwing 14.1 innings with 13 SO, while allowing just 2 runs. If she can pick up from where she left off last season, the Hawks could have a scary duo in the circle. Lauren Pempleton also returns in the circle and she was 2-0 with a 3.96 ERA and 25 SO in 35.1 IP in 2011. She picked up a huge victory for the Hawks at North Carolina and she figures to see even more innings in 2012.
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| Lauren Pembleton |
Catching: The Hawks return all three catchers from last season in Rochelle Christman, Morgan Earling, and Juliette D'Ambrosio and they add a talented freshman to that group in Lauren Rendon. Last year, Christman hit .241 with 5 HR, and 27 RBI for the Hawks. Coach Adams is going to look to her to provide a big bat once again in St. Joseph's lineup. Morgan Earling also saw a fair bit of time in the Hawks lineup as a freshman and she hit .132 with 1 HR and 5 RBI. Juliette D'Ambrosio hit .143 for the Hawks last year when she got in the lineup. Lauren Rendon is a talented freshman out of California and she figures to push these three returnees for playing time right away and it would not be a surprise if she ended up starting on opening day.
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| Alaina Loguidice |
Infielders: Starting shortstop Dana Bieniek is gone after anchoring the Hawks infield in her senior season, but luckily for Coach Adams, everyone else is back. Highlighting the group of returnees is Monica Aguilar. Aguilar is one of the most feared hitters in the conference and she had an outstanding season in 2011, going .391 with 52 hits, 7 HR, 42 RBI, and 8 SB. She will once again be counted on to anchor the Hawks lineup and be its top run producer. Also back is Bernadette Moran at second base, after she hit .296 with 44 hits, 2 HR, and 22 RBI. Moran will find herself near the top of the Hawks order again in 2012 and she will look to get on base and move runners over for the big bats behind her, including Aguilar. Alaina Loguidice is back for her senior season at first base, after a 2011 season, which saw her hit .228 with 23 hits, 1 HR, and 4 RBI. Loguidice turned it on at the end of last season en route to being named to the Atlantic 10 All Tournament Team, so the Hawks will be expecting even bigger things from her in 2012. The big question mark for the Hawks in the infield is shortstop. A number of different Hawks could fill that position, but some contenders for the position include Deanna Stinner, Nicole Palase, and Christman. Christman was the starting shortstop in 2010, so it is very realistic that she could return there in 2012. Stinner was the Hawks designated player last season, while dealing with a shoulder injury, but she still managed to hit .241 with 22 hits, 0 HR, and 14 RBI. Stinner could also see time in the outfield for the Hawks.
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| Deanna Stinner |
Outfield: In the Hawks outfield, it all starts with leadoff hitter and center fielder Dana Parks. Parks had an outstanding sophomore season, hitting .435 with 67 hits, 0 HR, 11 RBI, and 20 SB. Parks really gets things going with her speed and when she gets on, the Hawks' offense is set in motion. Shannon Kramer also returns for the Hawks in the outfield and she will be counted on to provide protection in the lineup for Aguilar. Kramer hit .263 with 31 hits, 2 HR, and 23 RBI. The last spot in the outfield could be filled by any number of players, including returnees Maria Ficca, Melissa Ruf, Traneya White, or Brianna Sasala. The Hawks will have a lot of competition in the outfield, as they have a number of players who could start.
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| Dana Parks |
Schedule: The Hawks' schedule will give them some tough games in 2012 and it should give them good preparation for conference play. St. Joseph's opens up at Campbell before really getting into the meat of its schedule at Virginia and San Diego. The Hawks will be tested by games against Virginia, BYU, Fresno State, and San Diego State. St. Joseph's stretch of 9 games in California will go a long way to determining whether the Hawks can earn an at-large bid in 2012. The Atlantic 10 portion of the Hawks' will give them 12 games at home (did we mention they finally have a home!) including matchups against Fordham, Temple, and St. Louis. St. Joseph's will have to head Charlotte, Dayton, and UMass for difficult road trips. The Hawks' schedule will give them a shot at an at-large bid, but it will all come down to how they execute on the field.
Postseason prognosis: The Hawks are coming off once of their best seasons in school history and they are now looking to take it to the next level in 2012, by winning their first ever Atlantic 10 title. St. Joseph's is going to finish somewhere between 1st and 3rd this season, as they just have too much talent to finish anywhere else. It is going to be an absolute dogfight between St. Joseph's, Fordham, and UMass this year, which is going to leave no margin of error for any of the teams. The Hawks also have enough talent to earn an at-large bid, so they will need to bring it every game and as they will not be able to afford any let downs or off days if they want to make it to Regionals.
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