Season Preview: Charlotte

2011 Charlotte 49ers

Charlotte 49ers
Record (A10 Play): 40-18 (15-5)
Coach (Record): Aimee Devos, 17th
Returning Starters: Kendra McCall OF, Whitney Williams OF, Tenaya Tucker C, Briana Gwaltney 1B, Lindsey Holloman 3B, Natalyn Blanton DP, Lorena Vela 2B, Katy Hackett P
Other Returnees: Chelsea Stamey IF, Brittany Brinkley IF, Carol Buchan OF, Virginia Prince IF, Nikki Gayle OF
Key Losses: Emily Jeffery P, Serena Smith CF, Keri Palma SS
Newcomers: Kalie Lang P/1B, Chelsea Ingersoll C/IF, Jalisa Rock IF, Katie Watkins P
Outlook:
The coaches in the A10 clearly have a higher expectation of this squad than I do, as they picked Charlotte to finish 3rd. However, I am not sure this squad is nearly as good as last year's. Frankly, without Emily Jeffery Charlotte has no shutdown pitcher in the circle and they will need an impressive output from their offense to be in the same category as UMass, Fordham, and St. Joseph's. From last year's performance, frankly I am not expecting a top 4 finish out of this year's squad. Coach DeVos has gotten the squad to the A10 tournament each year Charlotte has been in the A10, but this year will definitely be her toughest.

Katy Hackett

In the circle, the 49ers need to replace one of their all time greats in Jeffery, who ended her career as the school's career strikeouts. She is not the sort of pitcher that comes around often. Jeffery's loss was also compounded by the fact that highly touted freshman Tess Swing left the team after fall ball. Coach DeVos went to work and was able to bring Kalie Lang, a sophomore transfer from Northwest Florida State College. Lang will join the lone returnee, Katy Hackett in the circle. Hackett is a very experienced senior pitcher, but it seems as though the scouting report is out on her; she has not been able to replicate her freshman year performance. Hackett is crafty pitcher who is not going to blow the ball by anyone in terms of speed, instead she relies on her movement and he changeup to keep batters off balance. In addition to Lang, freshman Katie Watkins also joins the 49ers. Watkins, Lang, and Hackett will be a true staff this year and they will all need to bring their A game for the 49ers to be successful in 2011.

Kendra McCall

The Charlotte offense starts with the speed at the top of the order in Whitney Williams and Kendra McCall. Williams and McCall both hit over 0.300 in 2010 and combined for 58 SB. They get the lineup going for the 49ers, but hopefully they will have some power behind them. Serena Smith and her 7 HR and 51 RBI are gone leaving a serious power void in the 49ers' lineup. Tenaya Tucker and Briana Gwaltney are back to provide some power, but the 49ers are going to need more than that. The 49ers' 0.272 BA was adequate, however the 24 HR that Charlotte had is not going to cut it in 2011. Charlotte needs more powerful bats to counter the big bats of Fordham and UMass. The Charlotte offense is good, but will it be good enough without Emily Jeffery in the circle.

On defense, the 49ers are a quality defensive squad, they will need to replace Keri Palma at SS and Serena Smith in CF, but they have some good  fielders returning. Lindsey Holloman had a solid season at 3B and Briana Gwaltney should also be back at 1B, the middle infield may be a little inexperienced, but I expect Charlotte to have a solid defense out on the field. It also doesn't hurt that Charlotte is out on the field more than any other team in the A10 due to their convenient geographic location.

Schedule:
Coach Aimee DeVos loves some home-cooking and the 49ers will play 13 straight games at home before doing some light regional travel. The 49ers open up A10 with UMass so we should find out right away how Charlotte will fare in 2011. The UMass series should serve as a barometer for Charlotte, but the Rhode Island DH should inform us of just how good they are. Charlotte may be battling with URI for one of those final A10 tournament berths and every win is going to be critical this year. Charlotte needs to make the A10 tournament this year since they are hosting it. It would be a big embarrassment if they could not make the tournament. Charlotte may be in for a rude awakening come conference play as their non conference schedule is one of the weakest in the A10 some of the highlights include matchups with North Carolina and Iona. Frankly, the 49ers need to have a tougher schedule. They wasted a golden opportunity to fight for an at-large bid last year by not scheduling tough games. Emily Jeffery could have gotten them there, but instead the 49ers picked up 40 wins against a weak schedule, including 6 combined losses to UMass and Fordham. This team could surprise me, but I am not expecting a top 4 finish.

Season Preview: St. Louis

St. Louis Billikens
Record (A10 Play): 30-26-1 (12-7-1)
Coach (Record): Christy Connoyer, 1st (0-0)
Returning Starters: Kristin Nicoletti OF, Tori Holland OF, Kelly Flanagan IF,Caitlin Trevillyan OF, Laura Bohning 2B, Alyson Brand C, Rachel Faletto 3B, Jessica Buschjost OF, Kelcie Matesa P, Hannah Huebbe P
Other Returnees: Liz Jones C/UT, Kerri Dockins 2B, Kristain Burger 1B, Erin Cejka 1B
Key Losses: Nicki Jost C, Brittany Schmidt SS, Rachel O'Connell OF
Newcomers: Julian Austin P, Kelsey Biggs IF, Caitlin Santefort P/1B, Jessica Van Nostrand SS

Outlook:

Kristin Nicoletti

Former Coach John Conway hit the road to go to St. Leo University after being fed up with the lack of funding available to his squad. Conway transformed this squad into a contender in the A10, but the administration showed him little love, so he decided to hit the road. Coach Christy Connoyer comes in after serving as an assistant coach at SIU for many year. She inherits a quality squad in 2011 that may be the best in program history. Coach Conway created a squad built for speed and quite a bit of that speed is back in 2011. Coach Connoyer should continue this aggressive style of play, as it has served SLU very well.

For the Billikens, it all starts at the plate with speed and power. St. Louis is a very efficient team at the plate, making the most of the runners they get on base. They only hit 0.250 as a team last year, but with 50 HR and 114 SB the Billikens were able to score 234 runs. Kristin Nicoletti is the table setter for St. Louis, leading the squad with a 0.348 BA with 3 HR, 24 RBI, and 40 SB. Nicoletti was a nightmare for A10 pitchers and catchers alike. Also returning for SLU is last year's HR leader Caitlin Trevillyan and she will once again be called on to hit in the speedsters at the top of the order. Tori Holland and Kelly Flanagan are also back and they will be counted on once again in 2011. It is reasonable to expect that the pitching for SLU will improve in 2011, but if the Billikens want to make some noise in 2011, they need to improve offensively.

Both starting pitchers are back for St. Louis in 2011 and they will be joined by two freshmen pitchers. Kelcie Matesa is a hard throwing pitcher who led the Billikens in strikeouts in 2010, who improved by leaps and bounds from her freshman campaign. Maybe part of the reason for her improvement in 2010, was that she was joined by Hannah Huebbe. Huebbe offers a very different look in the circle, as she does not throw quite as fast as Matesa, but she does possess an outstanding changeup. Huebbe and Matesa will be pushed even more in 2011, as they will be joined by freshmen Julian Austin and Caitlin Santefort. This will be the best group of pitching St. Louis has had since joining the A10 and it should show in the results. The best part about having four pitchers is that it will create a competitive environment which will push pitchers to perform well.

Kelcie Matesa

Hannah Huebbe

The Billikens were a solid defensive squad in 2010, which is impressive considering the lack of continuity in the lineup. Just about everyone on last year's team saw action in the starting lineup that is something that I am not expecting Coach Connoyer to continue this season. I fully expect her to put the best lineup on the field every game and I do not see her varying the lineup to the same degree that Coach Conway did. There is so much potential for this squad in 2011, but the theme for them needs to be taking care of business. The need to win the games that they are expected to.

Schedule:
While it is tougher than previous editions, St. Louis' schedule is built to produce wins, not an at-large bid. There are some tough games with Missouri, Radford, Lipscomb, and San Diego State that will give the Billikens a good idea of what to expect against UMass, Fordham, and St. Joseph's. I think St. Louis could have scheduled even tougher in 2011, but they have to take care of business. This schedule sets St. Louis up to have an even better season than last year. One of the best things is that all four Billiken pitchers will be back again next year. In A10 play, St. Louis will see Fordham and St. Joseph's at home, but they will have to hit the road to face UMass and Charlotte. The two series with Charlotte and St. Joseph's will be absolutely crucial for St. Louis this year. If the Billikens can take care of business, finishing 3rd or 4th in A10 play is a very realistic possibility.

Season Preview: St. Joseph's

St. Joseph's Hawks
Record (A10 Play): 29-18 (11-7)
Coach (Record): Terri Adams, 5th (88-86)
Returning Starters: Bernadette Moran 2B/SS, Dana Parks OF, Monica Aguilar 3B, Laura Cardone OF, Deanna Stinner IF, Rochelle Christman C/UT, Alaina Loguidice 1B/3B, Erin Gallagher P, Taryn Ashway P
Other Returnees: Taylor Korpita OF/C, Juliette D'Ambrosio C/DP, Annabelle Cunningham UT, Christine Bednar OF, Dana Bieniek SS/IF, Lauren Pembleton P
Key Losses: Brooke Darreff C
Newcomers: Maria Ficca OF/C, Morgan Earling IF/C, Briana Sasala OF, Lindsey Williams IF/OF

Outlook:

Erin Gallagher

The St. Joseph's Hawks may be the most intriguing team in the conference in 2011. Everyone around the country knows about Sara Plourde and UMass and Jen Mineau and Fordham, now it's time for them to learn about that other junior pitcher in the A10, Erin Gallagher of St. Joe's. She does not throw as hard as Plourde or Mineau and her movement does not compare either, but she is a battler and she wins. Gallagher throws a heavy drop ball and she relies on that and her changeup to force ground balls and record strikeouts. Gallagher finished 2010 with a 1.42 ERA and a school record win total of 24 to go with 9 losses, and 242 SO in 236 IP. Gallagher kept the Hawks in most ballgames, as her offense hit only 0.245 last season, fortunately she held opponents to a 0.182 clip. As Erin Gallagher goes in 2011, so do the Hawks and if my hunch is correct that could be pretty far.


Gallagher will once again see the lion's share of work in the circle, but she will once again have some help. Taryn Ashway is back for her Sophomore season and if she can develop like Gallagher did, watch out A10. Ashway is a hard thrower with a wonderful changeup and I think another year with Coach Adams will make her an even better pitcher. If St. Joe's can count on Ashway for wins, it will result in a much fresher Gallagher. Gallagher and Ashway will get some more help in the circle, as Lauren Pembleton is back from an injury in 2010. Pempleton provides a much different look in the circle, as she does not have quite the same speed, but she does possess a nice changeup. She will be brought in to give opponents a different look.

Bernadette Moran

Monica Aguilar

If the Hawks want to see their season go beyond the A10 tournament, it will come down to the offense. The good news is that the Hawks lose only one starter from last year, but it was a pretty important one in former A10 player of the year Brooke Darreff. Darreff's 0.313 BA with 9 HR and 31 RBI are gone so the rest of the lineup will need to step it up. St. Joe's returns Bernadette Moran at the top of the lineup and she is very versatile at the plate and is capable of slapping or hitting away. Moran, along with Dana Parks and Laura Cardone are a fast trio of lefties who can create havoc for opposing defenses. It would be nice to see Coach Adams run them a little more, if you have the speed you might as well use it.The power in the lineup is provided by Monica Aguilar, but the Hawks are going to need some more pop. I see no reason why the Hawks should hit 0.245 again with just 25 HR.

St. Joe's may have lost one starter from 2010, but they gained another back from 2009 in Dana Bienek. The Hawks will have experience all around the field except for behind the plate, where they may have to rely on a couple of freshmen. Maria Ficca and Morgan Earling should challenge for playing time behind the plate and they will hopefully add some pop to the lineup. The Hawks are a solid fielding team with good pitching, this season will all come down to the bats.
Schedule:
The Hawks will open down at Coastal Carolina, before heading to UNC for matchups with the Tar Heels and NC State. After that St. Joe's will head down to Clearwater for a 10-day stretch and they will face some quality teams in Maryland, ECU, and FIU. If they can manage a decent record through non conference play an at-large bid might not be unreasonable. In conference play, the Hawks will host UMass and Charlotte, but they will have to hit the road to face Fordham and St. Louis. Even better for the Hawks is that the games against UMass and Fordham will be DHs, meaning they may not have to deal with two games against Sara Plourde or Jen Mineau.

The best news for the Hawks is that they will finally have their own field after this year.

ESPN Preseason All-Americans

Sara Plourde

Jen Mineau

ESPN posted its list of Preseason All-Americans for 2011 and the A10 has two pitchers who made the list

Jen Mineau was named to the first team and Sara Plourde was named to the second team.

In addition, Graham Hays named both UMass and Fordham as sleeper teams for 2011. Maybe this will be the year to see the Atlantic 10 in OKC

Season Preview: Rhode Island

Rhode Island Rams
Record (A10 Play): 19-35 (8-12)
Coach (Record): Erin Layton, 3rd
Returning Starters: Nicole Massoni C, Brittany Julich, Erika Szymanksi IF/P, Kelly Coker IF, Courtney Prendergast SS, Amanda Sbei SS, Alison Hartzell P, Jayshree Narendran P
Other Returnees: Amie Archambault C, Jhokania DeLos Santos IF, Ashley Hutchins UT, Stacy Stanovich P
Key Losses: Leah DiBussolo 1B, Melissa Wilson OF, Jackie Kampmeier UT
Newcomers: Cassie Baker P, Sam Bedore P, Stacey Fox C, Amy Gleason IF, Charlotte Conaway IF, Sam Marks OF, Shelby Marquis OF, Jocelyn Mattison IF, Melissa Parente IF, Fallon Scorpio IF

Outlook:
After falling the very bottom of the A10, the Rams came roaring back in 2010, making the A10 tournament for the first time since their runner-up finish in 2002. URI is a very young squad with just 3 seniors, but only one who  saw significant action. The Rams must replace three quality contributors from last year, but Coach Layton has brought in a large freshmen class. URI is a scrappy squad and really fights in every game, in 2011 they must continue to do so.

The Rams return ace Alison Hartzell in the circle, who has had two solid seasons in the circle finishing 0.500 both years, now it's time for her to do even better. She is once again joined by crafty lefty Jayshree Narendran. Narendran really needs to work on her consistency in the circle, as she is all over the place at times. If she can hone her control she can be a force to be reckoned with. Erika Szymanski returns for her Sophomore season after a solid freshman year, but it will be interesting to see whether she focuses more on her hitting at the plate. Coach Layton has brought in Maine Gatorade Player of the Year in Sam Bedore and Cassie Baker from down the road in RI. I am expecting Coach Layton to really utilize her staff this year to give opponents different looks.

Jayshree Narendran

At the plate, Nicole Massoni and her powerful bat are back for another season to lead the Rams at the plate. She has the potential to put up even greater numbers if her teammates can get on in front of her. Brittany Julich is the other lone returning 0.300 hitter from 2010 and she will once again be counted on to contribute at the plate. Erika Szymanksi is also back to add some pop at the plate and she will be counted on to provide some protection at the plate for Massoni. This large incoming class will hopefully add some speed and power at the plate, as the Rams look to improve on their 2010 marks of 0.254 BA with 32 HR, but only 19 SB. Just like Temple those SB numbers must improve.

Erika Szymanski

The Rams also have some work to do on defense, as they only had a fielding percentage of 0.955. This is a young squad, but with the experience gained from last year, I think we will see a much better defensive squad in 2011. URI needs to be on top of its game defensively, as the pitchers the Rams have will not lead the conference in strikeouts. I can see freshman Jocelyn Mattison making a big impact this year with the Rams both on defense at one of the infield corner positions and at the plate. The Rams have a large, young, roster and could repeat last year's success or have a slight dropoff.

Schedule:
The Rams will start their season off with a bang opening at Louisiana-Lafayette, which will be a tough matchup for the Rams, but one that should make this team better. URI will also have its hands full with games against Arkansas and Penn State. However for the Rams it is all going to come down to how they perform in conference play most notably against Temple, St. Bonaventure, Dayton, La Salle, George Washington, and Charlotte. For Rhode Island to make the A10 tournament, they will need to win as many of those games as possible. Right now it is really tough to predict where the Rams will end up.

Season Preview: Temple

Temple Owls
Record (A10 Play): 19-30 (8-12)
Coach (Record): Joe DiPietro, 3rd (121-226)
Returning Starters: Kristen Marris OF/P, Christina Sykora OF, Ali Robinson OF, Rachel Knable 3B/2B, Kayla Cook C/1B, Samantha Schoell OF, Crystal Nyman P,
Other Returnees: Gina Sciarrone 1B/DH, Melissa Robbins OF, Alysse Pujol OF, Meagan Marley SS/2B
Key Losses: Danielle Fagan SS, Michelle Lerner, Krystle Metzler C
Newcomers: Brooklin White P/1B, Kylie Kristovich P, Devynne Nelons 3B, Sarah Prezioso 3B, Stephanie Pasquale C/1B, Daniele Raneri OF, Kate Roth OF

Outlook:
Once again Coach DiPietro fell a game short of the A10 tournament, this year he may finally make it in. The Owls return most of last year's squad and Coach DiPietro has brought in a large freshmen class. Temple is looking to get over the hump and re-assert itself in the A10. 2010 and the injuries are behind them and the future is looking very bright for Temple.

Crystal Nyman

In the circle, Temple will have the most depth they have seen in a long time. Kristen Marris is back in the circle along with Crystal Nyman and they will have a little more help than last year. Marris was the workhouse at the end of the year, when Nyman went down with an injury. She will likely be the ace in 2011, but she will not have to carry the same sort of load. Kylie Kristovich and Brooklin White join the Owls and they will definitely see some quality innings in the circle as well. If both freshmen can contribute in the circle and Nyman  can bounce back from her injury the Owls are in good shape in the circle. They do not have the shutdown pitching of UMass, Fordham, or St. Joseph's, but the circle should no longer be an area of great concern.

Kristen Marris

Marris is not only the leader in the circle, but also at the plate. She gets things started in the leadoff spot and she is a true triple threat at the plate. I would like to see Marris run a bit more on the bases and that goes for the rest of the Owls as well. 12 stolen bases is a completely unacceptable number for a team, Marris should have that number on her own. Temple needs to be more efficient moving runners over both with SB and sacrifices, as the Owls did not show a great deal of power at the plate. Danielle Fagan and her big bat are gone, but Temple brought in a big bat in freshman Stephanie Pasquale who was an absolute force at the plate in New Jersey. My guess is that she will be in the lineup right away.

Temple was a very average team in 2010, on offense, defense, and in the circle. The best thing about this 2011 team is that they will have great competition this year for playing time. This freshmen class will push the upperclassmen returnees and the Owls should be much improved at the plate. Christina Sykora, Ali Robinson, and Rachel Knable all return and have solid bats. 2011 is going to be an exciting year with this young squad and the Owls should be in a good position for one of the final two spots in the A10 tournament.

Schedule:
Coach DiPietro really stepped it up with the schedule this year, including matchups with Missouri, Illinois, Louisiana-Lafayette, UNC, and a couple of games with Illinois State. That should really get his squad ready for A10 showdowns with UMass and Fordham. By exposing this young squad to tough competition earlier they will be well prepared for conference showdowns. Finishing 5th would be a great season for the Owls, I am not sure they have the firepower to crack the top 4, but I definitely expect to see Temple down in Charlotte this year.

Season Preview: St. Bonaventure

St. Bonaventure Bonnies
Record (A10 Play): 13-27 (7-11)
Coach (Record): Mike Threehouse, 15th (213-355)
Returning Starters: Brooke Frey C, Kara Morenus C/3B, Jessenia Andujar OF, Maureen Wells 1B, Kristin Sullivan OF, Hali Enderby OF, Ashley Nowak 3B, Erin Nargi P
Other Returnees: Diana Phalon P/UT, Danielle Frye SS/3B, Brittany Storch C/2B, Jill Murphy 1B/P, Katie Taylor 2B/OF, Shelly Seeger OF
Key Losses: Sherri Thompson P, Stephanie Narde SS
Newcomers: Jen Sansano P, Ashley Snider SS, Christine Watson OF, Lindsay Stowell OF, Kaci Strong IF/P

Outlook:

Hali Enderby

From 2006-2009 the A10 was dominated by a tall pitcher from western New York, this season St. Bonaventure has brought in a tall pitcher with quite a bit of hype from western New York and she will be tested right away. St. Bonaventure's last two ace pitchers (Sherri Thompson and Christine Kelleher) have shattered the Bonnies' record book, it will be interesting to see if the trend can continue with Jen Sansano. She is going to have her work cut out for her as the A10 is going to be very strong in 2011. Two big keys for the Bonnies in the circle will be how many innings she sees and how well the other Bonnie pitchers perform. Sherri Thompson did enough by herself to get the Bonnies into the A10 tournament, but the support from the rest of the team wasn't always there and the Bonnies finished a game shy. In 2011, Coach Threehouse will need to count on Erin Nargi and Diana Phalon, and Kaci Strong for quality innings in the circle. If that happens, all the pieces are in place for an A10 tournament appearance.

One of the positives for St. Bonaventure in 2011, is that all but one starter returns from last year. They will however need to step up their offensive performance, as the Bonnies hit just 0.218 as a team with 17 HR that BA was 266th out of 279 teams in Division 1. I think the Bonnies have been working hard and will be much improved at the plate. It says a lot about the resiliency of the team that despite the offensive struggles they came within a game of the A10 tournament. Brooke Frey leads the way at the plate hitting a respectable 0.292 in 2010 with 8 HR and 30 RBI. I think sophomore Jessenia Andujar is going to build on a solid freshman campaign and provide a solid bat in the Bonnies' order. If she can get some help at the plate the Bonnies are in a good spot for an A10 tournament berth. Freshman Ashley Snider will be tested right away as a starting freshman SS, thankfully she has some experience around her in the infield.

Brooke Frey

The Bonnies, despite hitting only 0.218 showed a great deal of patience at the plate drawing 135 BB compared to the 101 that they allowed. I would like to see the strikeout total drop a little a the plate, as St. Bonaventure struck out a little over once per inning. The defense of the Bonnies was definitely a strong point in 2010, which is a credit to the team and coaching staff considering the weather conditions in Olean. Brooke Frey did a solid job of cutting down runners trying to run, but she may be able to do better. I think 2011 will be a much better season than 2010 was.

Schedule:
I give a lot of credit to the players of St. Bonaventure and Coach Threehouse for heading to Hawaii this year. The Bonnies are towards the bottom of the A10 in terms of funding, but it is nice to see the team work really hard for a once in a lifetime trip. Last year's schedule wasn't tough enough, but this year St. Bonaventure will go up against Hawaii a WCWS team from last season. It will definitely be a learning experience for the Bonnies, but it will also give them a good idea of what to expect against UMass and Fordham. I want to see SBU to schedule like this every year (not to Hawaii, but in terms of seeing quality opponents). The A10 schedule is interesting to say the least, I have no idea why the A10 scheduled four home games in March for SBU, not the smartest idea especially with the weather of western NY. If the games are played as scheduled St. Bonaventure will host crucial series against La Salle, Dayton, and Temple and will hit the road to take on George Washington and Rhode Island. Depending on the offense's output and Jen Sansano's effectiveness the Bonnies could finish anywhere from 5th to 9th. I am leaning more towards that final A10 tournament berth.

Season Preview: Dayton

Dayton Flyers
Record (A10 Play): 18-36-1 (6-14)
Coach (Record): Cara LaPlaca, 4th (51-103-1)
Returning Starters: Kathleen Maloof OF, Brandy Brown IF, Lauren Nacke IF, Alicia Nichols OF, Carlyn Harlow IF, Emily Stegeman IF, Courtney Kutsulis C/IF, Sarah Wedel P, Amanda Daly P
Other Returnees: Shelby Pohlman OF, Megan Barrett OF
Key Losses: Molly Meyer OF, Raime Cronkhite C/OF, Megan Lee C/OF, Eva Rappe P
Newcomers: Rachel Archer OF, Alysha Isaacson P, Kelsi Seidlitz P/OF, Dana Trotta IF, Jordan Jennings IF, Jenna Lopes IF, Kasi Vazquez C

Outlook: The Flyers have been in quite the drought in A10 play, as they have not made the A10 tournament since they had Conference Pitcher of the Year Sara Hatcher. The Flyers finished 2 games out last year, but they never seemed to be in the running for that final spot. It may not be any easier this year, as the Flyers need to replace Molly Meyer, who was a staple in the Flyers' order over her career. The good thing for the Flyers is they  return Kathleen Maloof their top hitter at the plate and Sarah Wedel and Amanda Daly in the circle. Coach LaPlaca brought in maybe the largest and most talented class in her time at Dayton and they will need to bee as good as advertised.

Lauren Nacke

For Dayton, they need a solid performance out of their staff including their top two performers ERA wise: Sarah Wedel and Amanda Daly. Wedel and Daly are not going to be huge strikeout pitchers, but they can be effective with a solid defense behind them. The Flyers also bring in two freshmen pitchers in LHP Alysha Isaacson and RHP Kelsi Seidlitz giving them a diverse staff. Coach LaPlaca is known for using her staff  and Dayton pitchers rarely throw complete games. She will need the freshmen pitchers to contribute right away, as the Flyers could be facing an uphill battle for that final A10 Tournament spot.

Dayton was in the middle of the road offensively in 2010, but the Flyers will need to do even better in 2011. Dayton tries to make the most of the runners they get on base as the Flyers attempted 89 steals (converting 69 of them) in 2010. Another contributing factor to that was the lack of power that Dayton showed hitting just 28 HR. Lauren Nacke and her powerful bat are back once again, but I would like to see the rest of the lineup show more power. Nacke, Maloof, and Brandy Brown will lead the offense, but Dayton must find a new table setter to replace Molly Meyer.  

Brandy Brown

Coach LaPlaca transformed Dayton into a solid defensive team her first two years, but last year they regressed finishing towards the bottom of the conference in fielding percentage. I fully expect Dayton to be a solid fielding team again in 2011. The Flyers must keep the ball in the field of play (45 HR allowed) and cut down runners trying to steal (opponents were 84-104 in SB).

Schedule:
Dayton will not be challenging for an at-large with its schedule, but hopefully it will prepare the squad for A10 play. The Flyers will be heading down to North Carolina twice before heading to a tournament at NCAA participant Texas Tech. I think the Flyers need to go 0.500 in nonconference play before the first A10 games.  Dayton needs to start strong in conference play. Dayton will be on the road for crucial matchups against St. Bonaventure, Temple, George Washington, and La Salle, but they do get URI at home. The final spot in the A10 tournament is most likely going to come down to these teams, which will put an added importance on every game. Dayton is going to have some nice home cooking in 2011 with 22 games scheduled for the newly renovated UD Softball Stadium. In the end, the Flyers will be in the hunt for that final spot, but I am not sure 2011 will be the year to end the drought.

UD Softball Stadium

Season Preview: George Washington

George Washington Colonials
Last Year's Record (A10 Play): 6-39 (3-17)
Coach (Record): Stacey Schramm, 1st (113-119-2)
Returning Starters: Lauren Wilson OF, Jordyn O'Donnell SS, Sandi Moynihan 1B, Katie Terrazas SS, Autumn Taylor OF, Julie Orlandi 2B, Tara Fogarty C, Jillian Stanley C, Kristi Saporito C, Kara Clauss P, Heidi Penna P
Other Returnees: Ali Waterman OF, Jamie Yaniga OF, Amanda Zakeri OF, Ali Pardo P
Key Losses: Elisa Van Kirk DP, Amanda Holst OF, Elaine Nescio P
Newcomers: Lacey Cook IF, Chelsea Curcio C/UT, Chelsea Lenhart OF, Courtney Martin P, Alexandra Del Prete OF

Katie Terrazas

Outlook: Well for starters, it will be hard for the Colonials to be any worse than last year, when they went 6-39 overall and 3-17 in A10 play. Coach Kim Staehle left to pursue other interests and George Washington hired Stacey Schramm from Queens in Charlotte. Coach Schramm is going to have her work cut out for her, the Colonials have many issues in 2010, but first and foremost they struggled at the plate, hitting a paltry 0.175 BA with 9 HR, 48 RBI, and 22 SB. These power numbers were dwarfed by Erin Fisher and Beckah Wiggins of Fordham. Things were a little better in the circle, as Kara Clauss went 5-21 with a 4.63 ERA and 110.1 IP with 84 SO, but the Colonials still finished last in pitching, as well as hitting and defense.

Heidi Penna

Clauss (below on the left) should see the majority of innings in the circle, Heidi Penna and freshman Courtney Martin also figure to see starts. Ali Pardo may also see some action. Elaine Nescio is gone after one season, but I am expecting this Colonials' pitching to improve in spite of this. Clauss is a more than capable pitcher, but the success of the team may come down to how well Martin and Penna perform, as an offensive explosion is not likely from this squad.

The top returnees on offense are Lauren Wilson (0.226 BA) and Jordyn O'Donnell (0.198 BA). Wilson had the top BA of any Colonial last year, hopefully Coach Schramm can improve this offensive output. The Colonials do return 9 players who saw a significant number of starts in 2010. The experience is there, now the improvement needs to come. Lacey Cook, Chelsea Curcio, and Chelsea Lenhart figure to see some significant playing team. Playing time for the Colonials is going to come down to who gets it done at the plate. I fully expect GW to finish with a BA above 0.200 this year. This squad should not finish with the 2nd worst team batting average in the nation; there is definitely some talent on this team. I expect that we will see some of that come through this year.

Schedule:
The Colonials are not up against the toughest slate in 2011, which should result in a few more wins. Non conference highlights include match-ups against Cornell and Iona. In conference play, GW hosts St. Bonaventure, but must travel to La Salle, Dayton, and Rhode Island. If George Washington is going to improve its win total it will come from beating these teams. The Colonials should pick up more wins in 2011, but they may not pick up enough to escape the cellar of the A10.

Kara Clauss

Season Preview: La Salle

La Salle Explorers
Last Year's Record (A10 Play): 13-30 (2-18)
Coach (Record): Brianne Brown, 3rd Season (22-59)
Returning Starters: Ali Shepherd SS, Heather Brabazon OF, Liz Reed 2B/OF, Brianna DiTomasso OF, Shannon Skmorucha C, DJ Guinn P/DP, Laura Beth McCreesh P
Other Returnees: Rebecca Turygan 2B, Tristan Musho C, Kristen Paoletti P, Megan Codagnone OF
Key Losses: Gina Massaro P/DP, Mary Pat Conville 3B, Erica Vile OF/SS, Angelia Bisbiglia 1B, Laura Gallagher OF
Newcomers: Megan Hodgson UT, Jackie McBride 3B, Kati Cooper C/OF, Jamie Dellinger OF, Danielle Cullen 2B/OF, Emily Moran UT

Outlook:
2011 in all likelihood could be very similar to 2010 for the Explorers. Coach Brianne Brown must replace Gina Massaro and Mary Pat Conville who were absolute stalwarts in the lineup for all of their years at La Salle. In addition to losing Massaro and Conville, La Salle must also replace 3 other starters, which will be no easy task.

DJ Guinn

The Explorers return the most experience in the circle, where DJ Guinn, Laura Beth McCreesh, and Kristen Paoletti will see most of the work. Guinn has improved each year and should the majority of work in the circle. Guinn throws a heavy ball and is the closest thing La Salle has to a shutdown pitcher with 84 SO in 91 innings. Guinn is also one of the top returning hitters in terms of both average and HR (despite limited AB) so she will play a big role for La Salle this year. Laura McCreesh is a 5th year senior who has had her ups and downs in the circle. In 2008, McCreesh had an outstanding campaign going 11-6 with a 2.45 ERA and at the plate she hit 0.305 with 5 HR and 26 RBI. In 2009 and 2010, she dealt with an injury which saw her production and playing time decrease. If McCreesh can return to her 2008 form La Salle could possibly be a sleeper team in the A10. Kristen Paoletti is the 3rd Explorer pitcher and she should see some action as well both at the plate and in the circle.

At the plate, the Explorers will need some big improvements from returnees and some big contributions from freshmen. Mary Pat Conville and Gina Massaro were the only two La Salle hitters to hit above 0.300 and along with fellow alum Erica Vile, they were the only Explorers to hit above 0.174 in Atlantic 10 play. It may come down to the previously mentioned pitchers (McCreesh and Guinn) to lead the way at the plate. Ali Shepherd is the top returnee on offense and she should have another solid campaign in 2011. Beyond her however, the offense is a giant question mark. Shannon Skomorucha and Liz Reed have shown flashes of power, but they will need to show more than that this season. Last year, La Salle hit 0.237 with 22 HR and 16 SB that number must improve if La Salle wants to avoid the bottom.

Ali Shepherd

La Salle has an intriguing freshmen class and it is really Coach Brown's first true class. A10 fans may recognize the name Moran, as La Salle freshman Emily Moran is the younger sister of St. Joseph's standout Bernadette Moran. If she can perform like her sister La Salle may have a good one on its hands. Jackie McBride comes into 2011, as the prohibitive favorite to take over 3B from the graduated Conville. Beyond these two it is hard to project, but this is a very diverse and talented freshmen class and one that will get to play right away.

In 2010, La Salle finished 7th or 8th in offense, defense, and pitching, but they could not translate that to finishing 7th or 8th in terms of wins. La Salle is going to need some career years from almost the entire team to make the A10 tournament. I do however believe the Explorers will avoid last place in 2011.

Schedule:
In a rather pleasant surprise, La Salle has upgraded its schedule for 2011. The Explorers will head down south three times, highlighted by the USF Under Armour Showcase, which will see La Salle matched up against NCAA Regional participants Nebraska, Radford, and Boston University. La Salle will have to go on the road to face UMass and Fordham, but they get Dayton and George Washington at home, two series that will be crucial to the Explorers postseason chances.

Two A10 Teams are currently receiving votes in the Top 25 Polls

UMass and Fordham enter the 2011 season after great campaigns in 2010. Both schools advanced to the A10 Championship before making it to NCAA Regionals.

The NCAA top two strikeout pitchers are back for another year in Jen Mineau of Fordham and Sara Plourde of UMass. The national pollsters had some different thoughts than the A10 Coaches did...

USA TODAY/NFCA Division I softball poll

Jan. 24, 2011 — preseason poll

Rank	School (first-place votes)	2010 record	Points	Last year's final poll
1	UCLA (27)	50-11	738	1
2	Arizona (3)	52-14	715	2
3	Georgia	50-13	669	3
4	Tennessee	49-15	645	4
5	Florida	49-10	607	6
6	Alabama	52-11	588	9
7	Missouri	51-13	564	8
8	Hawaii	50-15	500	7
9	Oklahoma	47-12	488	11
10	Washington	50-9	475	5
11	Michigan	49-8	445	10
12	California	44-19	413	13
13	Arizona State	44-17	403	12
14	Oregon	36-21	387	14
15	Texas	43-15	286	18
16	BYU	46-13	269	15
17	La.-Lafayette	45-18	248	16
18	Georgia Tech	51-11	231	17
19	LSU	45-16	219	19
20	Stanford	37-19	209	21
21	Texas A&M	44-16	170	20
22	Ohio State	39-14	100	22
23	Oklahoma State	44-16	83	23
24	Illinois	45-18	69	25
25	North Carolina	42-20	51	24

Others receiving votes: Fresno State 31, Hofstra 29, Florida State 22, Fordham 13, DePaul 12, Nebraska 9, Lipscomb 8, Radford 7, Florida International 7, Kentucky 7, Louisville 6, Notre Dame 6, Texas Tech 4, East Carolina 4, Massachusetts 3, Auburn 3, San Diego State 1, Long Island 1, Illinois State 1, Northwestern 1.
The USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 poll is voted on by 30 NCAA Division I head coaches, one representing each conference

ESPN.COM/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25
(Records through January 25, 2011)
    TEAM                                   PTS   PVS
    ----                                   ---   ---
 1. ARIZONA (9)                            488     2
 2. UCLA (10)                              462     1
 3. ALABAMA (1)                            420     8
 4. GEORGIA                                405     4
 5. FLORIDA                                389     6
 6. OKLAHOMA                               382    10
 7. TENNESSEE                              367     3
 8. MICHIGAN                               353    11
 9. MISSOURI                               340     9
10. ARIZONA ST                             309    13
11. WASHINGTON                             299     5
12. CALIFORNIA                             266    12
13. HAWAII                                 252     7
14. OREGON                                 229    14
15. TEXAS                                  217    19
16. LSU                                    208    18
17. GEORGIA TECH                           179    16
18. STANFORD                               165    24
19. TEXAS A&M                              121    22
20. BYU                                     96    15
21. UL LAFAYETTE                            80    17
22. OKLAHOMA ST                             71    23
23. FLORIDA ST                              61    NR
24. (tie) ILLINOIS                          56    21
24. (tie) OHIO ST                           56    24
Dropped Out: No. 20 NORTH CAROLINA
Others Receiving Votes: FORDHAM 41, SAN DIEGO ST 30, 
MASSACHUSETTS 29, NOTRE DAME 22, NORTH CAROLINA 13, 
NORTHWESTERN 11, OREGON ST 11, DEPAUL 10, FRESNO ST 9, 
HOFSTRA 9, KENTUCKY 8, LOUISVILLE 8, LIPSCOMB 7, RADFORD 7, 
FLORIDA INTL 5, TEXAS TECH 4, EAST CAROLINA 2, SYRACUSE 2, 
MARYLAND 1.