March 9, 2010
The River Hawks are flying south for the spring and beginning March 12, UMass Lowell softball's 2010 season will officially be under way. The squad, selected ninth in the Northeast-10 Preseason Coaches' Poll, is ready to get the ball rolling on a promising season that lies ahead.
"We have been chomping at the bit to play," first-year head coach Sean Cotter said. "We have probably been ready for a few weeks now, but it's been nice to be outside on our own field for a bit before we kick the season off."
The squad, comprised mainly of underclassmen and coming off a 10-31-1 year in 2009, will rely on the experiences they gained last year and their enthusiasm to play to carry them through this season. Seniors Heather Ross (Waltham, MA) and Katelyn Hebert (Lowell, MA) bring irreplaceable passion and leadership to the River Hawks.
"We are pretty bottom heavy with freshmen and sophomores," Cotter said. "But Heather has taken on a global leadership role within the team and Katelyn brings a lot of energy and love of the game. They really lead by example with that."
Pitching
"Pitching can really be a strength for this team," Cotter said of his staff, returning three pitchers that saw significant playing time last year. "We hope to have a three-headed starting pitching monster in Elyssa Boris (Gardner, MA), Alyssa Bryan (Stoneham, MA) and Marissa Fiorentino (Tewksbury, MA), while Rachel Schafler (Floral Park, NY) as our relief specialist."
Boris comes off a strong freshman campaign, making 42 appearances, including 20 starts on the mound. Offensively, she had 34 hits including a pair of homeruns and tallied a team-best 24 RBI. Schafler is coming off her best year, earning a team-best 2.94 ERA in 22 appearances last year. She amassed a 2-1 record and pitched one complete game on a pair of starts. Fiorentino went 2-7 last year, making 10 starts on 19 appearances on the mound. She pitched just over 67 innings and held opponents to a .258 average with 57 strikeouts on the year.
"College softball starts in the circle and generally, your team is as good as your pitching," Cotter said. "I hope our pitchers are a strength of ours this season."
Infield
The infield will be full of experience, especially with the shortstop/second base duo of Stephanie Rollo (Dracut, MA) and Meagan Guy (Berlin, CT) leading the way, while newcomer Brianna Mahoney (Billerica, MA) promises to bring a new dimension to the River Hawks' arsenal of weapons.
"From an athletic view, I think Stephanie is the best at her position in the conference and Meagan is truly the leader of our infield. She is a calming influence that really knows the game," Cotter said. "Brianna is a real ballplayer that can do it all and has improved tremendously since the fall. I'm excited to watch her grow during the next four years."
Behind the plate, sophomore Lindsi Panarelli (Shrewsbury, MA) will see the bulk of the time, while Cotter has strong backup options in Kristi Kyzer (Acton, MA) a transfer from Bryant and freshman Katie Mazure (Burlington, MA).
Panarelli provides immense power for UMass Lowell, both defensively with a strong arm and quick release, and also at bat, as the sophomore nearly broke the school record with eight homeruns in her freshman year. Cotter notes she has become more disciplined at the plate and will look to improve on her strong rookie campaign.
Outfield
Cotter looks forward to the versatility and depth of his outfielders, led by Hebert in left field, who has the potential to help her team in all aspects of the game. She played in and started 36 contests and boasted a .911 fielding percentage and seven stolen bases on the year.
"Katelyn really is the whole package and exemplifies the versatility of our team," Cotter said. "She has played almost every position on the field for us during her year and we're hoping she can be injury-free this year and be a spark as our leadoff hitter."
Freshman Krista MacKenzie (Ipswich, MA) will look for a smooth transition into center field, while Cotter compliments her on her speed and range. One of two lefties on the squad, she is a dynamic addition at the plate and has strong running abilities, as well.
Starting off on the Right Foot
"Our first four days down in Florida will be tough," Cotter said. "We are playing some great programs in Bloomsburg, Saint Joseph's and Florida Southern and then as our trip progresses, we'll be playing some big regional competition in Philadelphia, Saint Thomas Aquinas and Bloomsburg."
The River Hawks will look to capitalize on the early opportunities they have against regional opponents, as their successes will help them tremendously as they work towards returning to the NCAA Tournament. The squad departs New England on Thursday, March 11 and will play 16 games during their nine-day trip, including trips to Florida Southern and Saint Leo while in the Sunshine State.
"We are playing more than we normally have in the past, but I don't think that will be a problem because of the depth of our team," Cotter said. "Playing 16 games in just over a week will be a test of that depth and I'm interested to see how we compete."
The young squad looks to see if its combination of enthusiasm, experience and excitement will bring them back to the postseason this year, beginning the campaign on March 12 at 1:30 p.m. against Saint Joseph's (Ind.) at the National Training Center in Clermont. They will then take on Bloomsburg at 3:30 p.m. and take off running from there. They open the season at home against Southern New Hampshire on April 7 with a doubleheader beginning at 3:00 p.m. on River View Field.
"Even though we lean on our two seniors for leadership, I think everyone on this team as a leadership role," Cotter said. "The maturity our squad shows throughout the year and how quickly our younger players `get it' will be in direct correlation with our success this year."
