Marist Preseason Choice To Win MAAC Softball
MAAC Sports
EDISON, N.J. – The Marist College softball team has been picked as the preseason favorite to win the 2014 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship, according to a vote of the league’s head coaches.
The Red Foxes received 110 points in the poll as the choice to successfully defend their softball championship, followed by projected runnerup Fairfield with 105 points, which narrowly edged third-place Monmouth with 104 points. Picked to finish fourth was Siena, with 80 points, followed by fifth-place Canisius with 67 points, sixth-place Iona with 64 points, seventh-place Quinnipiac with 58 points and eighth-place Niagara with 57 points. Rounding out the poll were ninth place Manhattan with 46 points, 10th place Rider with 22 points and 11th place Saint Peter’s with 13 points.
Fairfield’s senior shortstop/catcher Lauren Liseth and Marist’s Nicole Cheek were selected as preseason Co-Players of the Year. Liseth was the MAAC’s Player of the Year in 2013 when she hit a league leading .389 with seven homers and 36 RBIs. She led the MAAC with 15 doubles, was second in triples with five, and third in both total bases (95) and runs scored (40). Cheek was last year’s Rookie of the Year after leading the MAAC with 15 homers, 52 RBI and 122 total bases. Cheek, a sophomore, was also second in the MAAC with 64 hits, and second in runs scored with 43.
Liseth was named to the preseason All-MAAC team as the catcher, and Cheek was selected at both outfielder and designated player. Vanessa Cardoza of Monmouth, Robin Kennery of Canisius, Kristen Filicia of Fairfield and Paige Lloyd of Siena were selected to the Preseason Team as infielders. Cheek was joined in the outfield by Eileen McCann of Iona, Sammy Ruffolo of Fairfield, Courtney Solt of Quinnipiac and Kehli Washington of Rider. Alyssa Zahka of Marist and Elena Bowman of Manhattan were selected as utility players, while Jennifer Sansano of Niagara and Jessika-Jo Sandrini were chosen as pitchers.
|
MAAC Preseason Softball Poll
Order of finish
|
Points
|
|
1. Marist
|
110
|
|
2. Fairfield
|
105
|
|
3. Monmouth
|
104
|
|
4. Siena
|
80
|
|
5. Canisius
|
67
|
|
6. Iona
|
64
|
|
7. Quinnipiac
|
58
|
|
8. Niagara
|
57
|
|
9. Manhattan
|
46
|
|
10. Rider
|
22
|
|
11. Saint Peter’s
|
13
|
|
MAAC Preseason Team
|
|
|
C – Lauren Liseth
|
Fairfield
|
|
INF – Vanessa Cardoza
|
Monmouth
|
|
INF – Robin Kennery
|
Canisius
|
|
INF – Kristen Filicia
|
Fairfield
|
|
INF – Paige Lloyd
|
Siena
|
|
OF – Nicole Cheek
|
Marist
|
|
OF – Eileen McCann
|
Iona
|
|
OF – Sammy Ruffolo
|
Fairfield
|
|
OF – Courtney Solt
|
Quinnipiac
|
|
OF – Kehli Washington
|
Rider
|
|
DP – Nicole Cheek
|
Marist
|
|
UT – Alyssa Zahka
|
Marist
|
|
UT – Elena Bowman
|
Manhattan
|
|
P – Jennifer Sansano
|
Niagara
|
|
P – Jessika -Jo Sandrini
|
Siena
|
| |
|
|
MAAC Preseason Poll -- Preseason Co Players of the Year
|
|
|
Lauren Liseth
|
Fairfield
|
|
Nicole Cheek
|
Marist
|