Fairfield Picked First in 2013 MAAC Softball Preseason Poll
MAAC Sports
Edison, N.J. - Fairfield University has been picked as the preseason favorite to win the 2013 MAAC Softball Championship, according to a poll voted on by the league's head coaches.
The Stags finished with 72 points in the poll, while Marist College finished second (69). Canisius College and Siena College tied for third place with 61 points apiece. Iona College took fifth place (41), followed by Niagara University (33), Manhattan College (31), Rider University (24) and Saint Peter's University (13).
Siena senior shortstop Shannon Jones was chosen as the 2013 MAAC Softball Preseason Player of the Year. Jones, the 2012 MAAC Softball Co-Player of the Year, led the MAAC in several categories last year, including batting (.434), slugging percentage (.836), runs scored (46), hits (66), runs batted in (43), doubles (15), home runs (14) and total bases (127). In 50 games played last year for the Saints, she also fielded 152 putouts and assisted on 52 more for a .979 fielding percentage.
Joining Jones on the Preseason Team All-MAAC Team is teammate Jessika-Jo Sandrini at utility. Fairfield's Lauren Liseth is the catcher, while Fairfield's Kristen Filicia and Marist's Danielle Koltz and Alyssa Zahka each earned a spot in the infield. In the outfield are Fairfield's Sammy Ruffolo along with Iona's Eileen McCann and Jodi Petersen. The pitching corps includes Jen Consaul from Canisius, Rebecca Trott from Fairfield and Emily Osterhaus from Marist. Rider's Allysen Breeden rounds out the squad as the designated player.
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2013 MAAC Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll
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2013 MAAC Softball Preseason Team
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1.
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Fairfield
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72
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Lauren Liseth
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Catcher
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Fairfield
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2.
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Marist
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69
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Kristen Filicia
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Infield
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Fairfield
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3.
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Canisius
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61
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Danielle Koltz
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Infield
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Marist
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Siena
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61
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Alyssa Zahka
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Infield
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Marist
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5.
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Iona
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41
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Shannon Jones
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Infield
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Siena
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6.
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Niagara
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33
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Sammy Ruffolo
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Outfield
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Fairfield
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7.
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Manhattan
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31
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Eileen McCann
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Outfield
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Iona
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8.
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Rider
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24
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Jodi Petersen
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Outfield
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Iona
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9.
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Saint Peter's
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13
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Allysen Breeden
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Designated Player
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Rider
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Jessika-Jo Sandrini
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Utility
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Siena
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Jen Consaul
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Pitcher
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Canisius
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Rebecca Trott
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Pitcher
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Fairfield
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Emily Osterhaus
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Pitcher
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Marist
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2013 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year: Shannon Jones, Siena
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