New Jersey Atlantic Conference

PITMAN--After capturing the NJAC championship and advancing to the finals of the NCAA Tournament Mahwah Regional in 2009, William Paterson University was selected as the 2010 preseason softball favorite in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. The Pioneers will be seeking their fifth league title since the inception of softball as a NJAC championship sport back in 1983.

 
William Paterson was selected to finish first on four-of-the-ten ballots cast by the league’s head coaches. The Pioneers posted a 35-9 overall record in 2009 and finished second in the conference regular season with a 13-5 league record. Second-seeded WPU claimed the NJAC crown by going 3-0 in the rain-shortened NJAC Tournament. Under the leadership of 16th year head coach Hallie Cohen, William Paterson has produced a 400-208-2 record, while Cohen’s career head coaching mark stands at 595-353-3. The Pioneers return a trio of all-conference performers from their NJAC championship squad including junior second baseman Lindsay Nadolny, junior pitcher Jenna Vitale, and senior outfielder Christina Zippler.

  
The College of New Jersey, which finished its 2009 campaign with a 24-17 overall record, was selected to finish second and received two first place votes. The Lions finished third in the 2009 NJAC regular season race with a 12-6 conference record. Under the direction of 15th-year head coach Sally Miller, TCNJ has produced an overall record of 380-177-2. Miller’s squad returns four all-conference players from 2009 in senior shortstop Ellen Seavers, sophomore pitcher Lauren Fitzsimmons, sophomore outfielder Crystal Lee, and junior first baseman Caitlyn Seamster.

Ramapo College, which finished the 2009 season with a 26-11 overall record, was selected to finish third and received three first place votes. Roadrunners’ head coach Ben Allen has produced an overall record of 317-132 in 11 seasons at Ramapo. The Roadrunners, who placed fourth in the NJAC last season with an 11-7 league mark, return five all-conference performers including junior pitcher Deanna Giordano, junior outfielder Brittney McKeon, senior outfielder Katie Donnelly, junior catcher Stephanie Malgeri, and sophomore designated player Danielle Rothenberger.

The defending NJAC regular season champion Rowan University Profs were selected to place fourth and received one first place vote. In 2009, Rowan placed first in the conference race with a 15-3 league record and earned an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament en route to finishing the season with a mark of 35-12 overall. 2009 NJAC Coach of the Year Kim Wilson has guided the Rowan program to a record of 408-150 during her 13 seasons in Glassboro, while improving her career head coaching record to 472-207. The Profs return five all-league performers from their 2009 NCAA squad including senior catcher Steph Taraschi, sophomore shortstop Ashley Minch, senior second baseman Jenna DiDonato, sophomore third baseman Julie Leskanic, and the 2009 NJAC Rookie of the Year in sophomore first baseman Nicki Veneziano.

Kean University, which earned a selection to the 2009 ECAC Metro Tournament en route to a 19-21 overall record, was selected to place fifth. The Cougars return a trio of all-conference performers from a team which finished firth in the 2009 NJAC regular season race, including senior outfielder Allison Lizzi, senior right-hander Cassie Shotwell, and senior designated player Allison Thibault. Under the leadership of 11th-year head coach Margie Acker, Kean has produced a 186-198-1 overall record.

 
Montclair State University, which earned a berth in the 2009 ECAC Metro Tournament after finishing as the runner up in the 2009 NJAC Tournament, was selected to finish sixth. The Red Hawks posted a 29-18 overall record in 2009 after finishing sixth in the NJAC regular season race. MSU head coach Anita Kubicka, who is entering her 20th season at the helm of the Red Hawks program, has produced an overall career head coaching mark of 616-225-2. Montclair State returns a trio of all-league outfielders from their NJAC runner-up squad including junior Leslie Gonzalez, sophomore Shannon Mozek, and senior Kelly Nance.

 
The coaches' dark horse selection, Rutgers University-Camden, which captured the 2009 ECAC Metro Tournament Championship en route to an overall record of 26-19, was selected to finish seventh. Third-year head coach Brian Wolverton has produced a career head coaching record of 34-47-1 at Camden. The Scarlet Raptors return a pair of all-league players from their ECAC championship squad including sophomore catcher Erika Drayton and senior third baseman Steph Skroski.

Richard Stockton, which earned a berth in the 2009 ECAC Metro Tournament en route to a 27-15 overall record in 2009, was selected to place eighth. The longest-tenured of all NJAC softball coaches in her 24th season, Val Julien has led the Ospreys to a 392-416-2 overall record in Pomona. Stockton returns a pair of all-conference performers from a squad which claimed seventh place in the 2009 NJAC regular season race, including senior first baseman Kelly Dodd and sophomore third baseman Joey Afflitto.  

New Jersey City University, which produced an overall record of 16-22 in 2009, was selected to place ninth. Under the leadership of seventh-year head coach Bridgette Quimpo, the Gothic Knights have produced an overall record of 83-143. NJCU returns one all-league player from its 2009 squad in junior infielder Danielle Delfino.

Rutgers-Newark, led by third-year head coach Patty Clarke, was selected to place 10th. The Scarlet Raiders finished 5-31 overall in 2009. 

Non-conference play in the NJAC will get underway on March 7 when TCNJ faces the University of Rochester in Orlando, FL. NJAC league play will begin 26 days later with the first conference contests scheduled for April 3.

 
The top six regular season finishers will advance to the double-elimination 2010 NJAC Championship Tournament which will begin at campus sites on Tuesday, May 4. 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 7 through Sunday, May 9. The winner of the NJAC Tournament receives the conference’s automatic qualification to the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament.