Softball

Kean Picked Fifth in NJAC Preseason Softball Poll

POMONA, N.J. (2/21/08) - The Kean University softball team has been selected to finish fifth in the New Jersey Athletic Conference preseason poll, as voted on by the league's 10 head coaches.  Ramapo College was selected as the preseason favorite, picked to finish first on 4-of-10 ballots.

The Cougars posted a 24-15 overall record last season, advancing to the championship round of the Eastern College Athletic Conference Southern Championships in 2007.  Within the conference, Kean finished 8-10 to place seventh overall, missing the NJAC playoffs by just one game. 

Kean returns a trio of all-conference honorees in senior shortstop Johanna Hedler (South Plainfield, N.J.) and juniors Sara Steinman (Springfield, N.J.) and Jesse Buchanan (Washington Twp., N.J.). 

A three-time all-NJAC selection, Hedler (pictured left) enters her senior season twice ranked in the top five of single season homeruns and is tied for second in career history in homeruns (11) and triples (8).  The four-year starter was one of three players with a team-high 43 hits last season, while her 31 runs, 11 doubles and three triples led the squad.  

In her first year playing intercollegiate softball, Steinman led the regulars in batting average (.377), slugging percentage (.649), and walks (27), while her seven homeruns broke the single season record.  Steinman also finished with 43 hits and was second in doubles (8). 

Buchanan (pictured right) led the NJAC in sacrifice bunts (9) and topped the team in batting average (.311) and hits (19) in conference games last season, as she started all 18 games in left field for the Cougars.  For the season, the switch-hitter led the squad in sacrifice hits (15) and stolen bases (7), was third in batting average (.328) and fourth in runs scored (20), while also finishing tied for first with 43 hits.

Seniors Kara Schultz (Clinton, N.J.) and Katie Hicks (Medford Lakes, N.J.) both return to the corners of the infield, while senior catcher Vicki Lanza (Edison, N.J.) brings veteran experience behind the plate. 

At third base, Schultz was a NJAC all-star in 2006 and finished second on the team in batting average (.333) and RBIs (24), third in homeruns (3), and fourth in hits (40) doubles (6).  Hicks (pictured left) had a breakout junior campaign at first base, as she started all 39 games, finishing tied for second in doubles (8), third in RBIs (20) and fifth in hits (33) with a .292 batting average. 

Lanza also started all 39 games last season, finishing with 27 hits, while making just three errors in 256 chances behind the plate. 

Senior Kristen Hennings (Jackson, N.J.) (pictured right) brings veteran experience to a young pitching staff, appearing in 53 career games with a 3.45 earned run average.

The top six regular season finishers will advance to the double-elimination 2008 NJAC Championship Tournament which will begin at campus sites on Tuesday, April 29. 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 2 through Sunday, May 4. The winner of the NJAC Tournament receives the conference's automatic qualification to the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament.

The Cougars open non-conference play on Friday, February 29, when they face Bates College and Messiah College at the Atlantic versus East Challenge hosted by Virginia Wesleyab College. 

2008 NJAC SOFTBALL PRESEASON POLL

(as voted on by the league's 10 head coaches - first place votes in parenthesis)

1. Ramapo (4)

2. Montclair State (5)

3. William Paterson

4. Rowan (1)

5. Kean

6. The College of New Jersey

7. Richard Stockton (dark horse)

8. Rutgers-Camden

9. New Jersey City

10. Rutgers-Newark