Ithaca, Alfred Share Top Spot in E8 Softball Preseason Poll
Heading into the 2015 season, the Empire 8 coaches are split upon who will earn the conference championship, as both 2014 conference victor Ithaca College and Alfred University received three first-place votes to total 44 points overall in the Empire 8 Softball Preseason Poll.
Stevens Institute of Technology, picked third with 36 points, and Utica College, who tallied 32 points for fourth, both received one first-place vote.
St. John Fisher College (28 points) placed fifth in the poll, followed by Elmira College (sixth with 20 points), Nazareth College (seventh, 13 points) and Houghton College (eighth, seven points).
Rounding up the talent
T1. Ithaca College
Ithaca is coming off its third Empire 8 Championship title in five years and fourth appearance in the NCAA Division III Softball Championship over the same span. While 2014 Player of the Year Sydney Folk and Tournament MVP Sam Bender both graduated, the Bombers shouldn’t lack veteran leadership with 11 returning upperclassmen. Junior Casey Gavin is back at first base after garnering NFCA Third Team All-Region and ECAC Second Team accolades. She hit .371 over 38 starts at first base, which ranked second behind Folk. She also ranked second in slugging percentage (.505) and on-base percentage (.442), while tallying a perfect 5-for-5 stolen base attempts. Ithaca has hired Folk as a first-year assistant coach.
T1. Alfred University
The Saxons are back after falling in the Empire 8 Championship to top-seeded Ithaca and earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Championship in the 2014 campaign. Alfred is the only Empire 8 school that enters the season ranked among national competitors, receiving three votes in the NFCA Division III Preseason Poll released on Jan. 28. The Saxons return eight starters from a team that went 29-12 last season and finished third in the Empire 8 with a 7-5 conference record. Senior Alison Wickwire is back to take the mound after going 14-7 in 25 appearances (22 starts) with a 2.35 ERA, four shutouts and 118 strikeouts. The senior batted .367 with 36 hits, 13 runs and 28 RBI. Alfred has hired Nicole Pagano as a second graduate assistant.
3. Stevens Institute of Technology
Third-place selection Stevens returns Pitcher of the Year Kayla Berardi, Rookie of the Year Jessica Rees, as well as Coach of the Year Erika Mehalick. Berardi recorded a 1.12 ERA with a 19-9 record in 31 appearances. In her freshman campaign, Rees hit .355 with 12 doubles and two triples in 39 games. In addition, the Ducks are slated to return four First Team All-Conference players from a 2014 squad that recorded the best season in the school’s history with a 30-13 overall record and 8-4 conference record.
4. Utica College
Utica qualified for the 2014 Empire 8 Championship as the fourth seed after going 6-6 in conference play and 22-12 overall. The Pioneers return Second Team All-Conference selection senior outfielder Christy Traglia who recorded a .352 batting average, 27 runs and five doubles. Utica also welcomes back Second Team All-Conference first baseman Courtney Fitzgerald and pitcher Erica Colucci.
5. St. John Fisher College
Fifth-place selection St. John Fisher is expected to produce a similar campaign, where the Cardinals went 5-7 in conference play and 20-12 overall for fifth place in the Empire 8. The Cardinals graduated just one senior, welcoming back the bulk of their roster. Halie Schoff was one of Fisher’s most reliable pitchers after posting an 11-5 record, a 3.69 ERA and 38 strikeouts. Meghan Burns, a .374 hitter last year, led Fisher in numerous offensive categories, including hits (43), doubles (13), RBI (28) and runs (31) as the leadoff. Fisher has added its third assistant coach in Nina Korn, who will specialize in hitting for the Cardinals.
6. Elmira College
Despite a 1-5 start to the 2014 season, Elmira concluded the year with a 17-15 overall record and 5-7 in conference play. The Soaring Eagles went onto the postseason as the third seed in the ECAC Metro-Upstate tournament, where they went 2-2, falling to eventual champion Stockton College. The 2014 team also set a new school record for most home runs in a single game, as the Soaring Eagles belted four home runs against Alfred University. Elmira welcomes Gillian Gravel as an assistant coach and operations assistant.
7. Nazareth College
Nazareth, the seventh-place selection, graduated five seniors after the 2014 season, where the Golden Flyers went 3-9 in the Empire 8 and 9-21 overall. Catcher Sophia Rhoades is back for her final season. Rhoades led the Golden Flyers in batting average (.355), doubles (6), triples (1), RBI (21) and slugging percentage (.579) in the 2014 campaign. Carly Pike, an All-Conference Honorable Mention selection, will help pace the offense after batting .286 with a team-best 16 runs, 18 RBI and four home runs in 2014. Mary Greco returns to the mound after posting a 3.08 ERA, 2-3 record and just six walks.
8. Houghton College
Houghton is set for its first year where conference play counts. In 2014, the Highlanders went 1-33 overall with their only win against Rochester Institute of Technology. Senior Morgan York returns after posting the team’s second-best batting average (.216) with five doubles. York appeared on the mound 16 times (10 starts) and accumulated 48 strikeouts. Houghton has hired Brianna Allen to fill as the assistant softball coach as well as the facilities marketing and schedule coordinator. Allen, a Rochester native, played two years of Division I softball at Niagara University.
Dates to remember
Houghton is the first Empire 8 team to open the 2015 season with a doubleheader as part of its Spring Break trip to Clermont, Fla. Conference competition begins Friday March 27 with St. John Fisher visiting East Avenue rival Nazareth and Houghton taking on host Alfred. The Empire 8 Championship is set for Friday May 1 through Saturday May 2 at the top seed’s home field.
2015 Empire 8 Softball Preseason Coaches Poll
T1. Ithaca College (3 first-place votes) 44 points
T1. Alfred University (3) 44
3. Stevens Institute of Technology (1) 36
4. Utica College (1) 32
5. St. John Fisher College 28
6. Elmira College 20
7. Nazareth College 13
8. Houghton College 7