February 21, 2008

RAMAPO SELECTED AS SOFTBALL FAVORITE
IN POLL OF LEAGUE'S HEAD COACHES

ROADRUNNERS SEEKING THEIR FIRST NJAC CROWN IN PROGRAM HISTORY

After finishing the 2007 season with a 33-10 overall record following an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament, Ramapo College has been selected as the 2008 preseason softball favorite in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. The Roadrunners will be seeking their first league title since the inception of softball as a NJAC championship sport back in 1983.
 
Ramapo was selected to finish first on four-of-the-ten ballots cast by the league’s head coaches. Under the direction of 10th-year head coach Ben Allen, the Roadrunners have posted an overall record of 259-109. Ramapo recorded a 15-3 record in the 2007 NJAC regular season for a second place finish. Allen’s squad returns four all-conference players from 2007 including senior right-handed pitcher Katie Norton, senior third baseman Lauren Cascino, junior first baseman Marilee Farmer, and junior catcher Kelly Schriber.
 
Montclair State University, which captured the 2007 NJAC regular season championship via a 16-2 conference record, was selected to place second and received a league-high five first place votes. The Red Hawks posted a 38-8 overall record in 2007 while earning an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament. 2007 NJAC Coach of Year Anita Kubicka has guided MSU to an overall record of 544-201-2 in her 17 seasons. Kubicka’s squad returns both the reigning NJAC Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year in junior shortstop Jennifer Jimenez and senior right-hander Carolyn McCrea respectively. The Red Hawks also return a trio of all-conference performers from 2007 including junior designated player Kelly Karp, junior third baseman Jackie Ferranti, and senior outfielder Maureen Shockley.
 
William Paterson University, which finished the 2007 season with a 24-15 overall record, placed third in the poll. Pioneers’ head coach Hallie Cohen has produced an overall coaching record of 538-321-3, including a mark of 343-176-2 in 13 seasons at William Paterson. The Pioneers, which placed fourth in the NJAC last season with a 10-8 league mark, return a pair of all-conference performers in junior catcher Meghan Reilly and senior right-handed pitcher Diana Schraer.

Rowan University, which finished the 2007 season with a 23-17 overall record, was selected to place fourth and received one first place vote. The Profs return four players from a 2007 squad which finished sixth in the NJAC with a 9-9 league mark including senior second baseman Lauren Navarro, senior third baseman Kristin Wallace, junior outfielder Kristina Brenner, and the 2007 NJAC Rookie of the Year in sophomore outfielder Heidi Smith. Profs’ head coach Kim Wilson has produced an overall coaching record of 406-184, including a mark of 342-127 in 11 seasons at Rowan.

Kean University, which earned a berth in the 2007 ECAC Division III Southern Tournament en route to a 24-15 overall record, was selected to place fifth. The Cougars return a trio of all-conference performers from 2007 including junior second baseman Sara Steinman, senior shortstop Johanna Hedler, and junior outfielder Jesse Bechanan. Under the leadership of ninth-year head coach Margie Acker, Kean has produced a 137-161-1 overall record.

The College of New Jersey, under the direction of 13th-year head coach Sally Miller, was selected to place sixth. Miller has led the Lions to a 330-143-2 overall record during her tenure, including a 16-16 mark in 2007. TCNJ returns a pair of all-league players from a 2007 squad which finished eighth in the NJAC with a 6-12 conference record in sophomore shortstop Ellen Seavers and sophomore outfielder Danielle Hagel.
 
The coaches’ dark horse selection, Richard Stockton College, which earned a berth in the 2007 NJAC Tournament via a fifth place finish with a 9-9 league mark, was selected to place seventh. The longest-tenured of all NJAC softball coaches in her 22nd season, Val Julien has led the Ospreys to a 338-385-2 overall record, including a mark of 24-14 in 2007. Stockton returns one all-conference performer from 2007 in senior third baseman Suzanna Gorczynski.

Two-time defending NJAC Champion Rutgers University-Camden, under the direction of new first-year head coach Brian Wolverton, was selected to place eighth. In 2007, the Scarlet Raptors captured their second consecutive NJAC Championship and their third league title in four years while earning the NJAC’s automatic qualification to the NCAA National Tournament. Rutgers-Camden returns a pair of all-conference players from its 2007 NJAC Championship squad in senior first baseman Kathleeen Dreitlein and junior right-handed pitcher Natalie Powell.

New Jersey City University, under the leadership of fifth-year head coach Bridgette Quimpo, was selected to place ninth. The Gothic Knights have posted an overall record of 49-99 under Quimpo, including a mark of 13-26 in 2007.  

Rutgers-Newark, under the direction of new first-year head coach Patty Clarke, was selected to place 10th. The Scarlet Raiders return one all-conference performer from a 2007 squad which finished 12-24 overall in sophomore left-handed pitcher Elena Morge.

Non-conference play in the NJAC will get underway on February 29 as Kean, Rowan, and Rutgers-Newark will travel to Virginia Beach, VA to compete in the Atlantic versus East Challenge hosted by Virginia Wesleyan College. NJAC league play begins 29 days later with the first conference contests scheduled for March 29.

The top six regular season finishers will advance to the double-elimination 2008 NJAC Championship Tournament which will begin at campus sites on Tuesday, April 29. All six of the participating teams will then travel to the site of the top-seed where the remainder of the tournament will be conducted from Friday, May 2 through Sunday, May 4. The winner of the NJAC Tournament receives the conference’s automatic qualification to the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament.