Marist Chosen as Preseason Favorites to Win Softball
MAAC Sports
Edison, NJ – The Marist College Red Foxes 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 11 head coaches.
2014 MAAC regular season champions, Marist College, finished its 2014 campaign with a 16-4 league record and 27-24 overall mark. The Red Foxes finished a perfect 10-0 at home in conference play during the 2014 season and ended the regular season on a seven game winning streak heading into the MAAC Championship.
Junior catcher Elena Bowman of Manhattan College was selected as the 2015 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year. The San Mateo, California native, was voted to the 2014 All-MAAC Second Team at the catcher position after leading the league and ranking 75th nationally, with 13 home runs. Bowman finished the season tied for second in the conference with 43 RBIs and was also named to the 2014 All-Championship team. As a freshman in 2013, she was selected to the All-MAAC First Team, All-Northeast Region First Team, and ECAC All-Stars First Team as a utility player.
Marist received five first place votes and 113 total points in the poll. 2014 MAAC Champions, Iona College, finished second in the poll with 108 points and received four first place votes. Monmouth University picked up 86 votes for a third place spot in the polls, while 2014 MAAC Championship runner-ups, Manhattan College, earned one first place vote and 82 total points. Rounding out the top five was Siena College, which finished with 80 votes and the final first place vote, while Fairfield University placed right outside of the top five earning 79 points. Finishing in a close seventh and eighth were Quinnipiac University (49) and Canisius College (48). Rounding out the poll were Niagara University with 34 votes, Rider University receiving 28 votes, and Saint Peter’s getting 19 votes.
The preseason All-MAAC team consists of Bowman at the catcher position. In the infield are Kristen Turner of Iona, Kyrsten Van Natta of Marist, Vanessa Cardoza and Rachel Shotzbarger of Monmouth, Nikki Barba of Quinnipiac, and Stephanie Viggiano of Siena. Canisius’ Jessica Berzins, Fairfield’s Lauren Filicia and Sammy Ruffolo, and Marist’s Maureen Duddy and Taylor Kuzma make up the outfield. The designated player is Jordan Paolucci of Quinnipiac and the utility player is Jenn Vazquez of Manhattan. Selected as the pitchers are Iona’s Carly Argyle and Monmouth’s Sydney Underhill.
Preseason Coaches' Poll
|
1.
|
Marist
|
113
|
|
2.
|
Iona
|
108
|
|
3.
|
Monmouth
|
86
|
|
4.
|
Manhattan
|
82
|
|
5.
|
Siena
|
80
|
|
6.
|
Fairfield
|
79
|
|
7.
|
Quinnipiac
|
49
|
|
8.
|
Canisius
|
48
|
|
9.
|
Niagara
|
34
|
|
10.
|
Rider
|
28
|
|
11.
|
Saint Peter’s
|
19
|
Preseason All-MAAC Team
|
Elena Bowman
|
Catcher
|
Manhattan
|
|
Kristen Turner
|
INF
|
Iona
|
|
Kyrsten Van Natta
|
INF
|
Marist
|
|
Vanessa Cardoza
|
INF
|
Monmouth
|
|
Rachel Shotzbarger
|
INF
|
Monmouth
|
|
Nikki Barba
|
INF
|
Quinnipiac
|
|
Stephanie Viggiano
|
INF
|
Siena
|
|
Jessica Berzins
|
OF
|
Canisius
|
|
Lauren Filicia
|
OF
|
Fairfield
|
|
Sammy Ruffolo
|
OF
|
Fairfield
|
|
Maureen Duddy
|
OF
|
Marist
|
|
Taylor Kuzma
|
OF
|
Marist
|
|
Jordan Paolucci
|
DP
|
Quinnipiac
|
|
Jenn Vazquez
|
UT
|
Manhattan
|
|
Carly Argyle
|
P
|
Iona
|
|
Sydney Underhill
|
P
|
Monmouth
|
Preseason Player of the Year
|
Elena Bowman
|
Catcher
|
Manhattan
|