Softball Tabbed Third in NJAC Coaches Preseason Poll
Pitman, N.J. (2/15/12) – The Kean University softball team has been tabbed to finish third in the recently released New Jersey Athletic Conference softball coaches preseason poll.
Kean claimed its second consecutive NJAC Championship in 2011 and received two first place votes. One year after becoming the first NJAC team in any sport to claim a conference tournament championship as a fifth-seed (in 2010), the Cougars became the first NJAC softball team to claim the conference crown as the sixth seed, producing four tournament wins to claim back-to-back NJAC titles and trips to the NCAA Tournament.
Now in her 13th year as the leader of the Cougar program, head coach Margie Acker has produced a 232-242-1 overall record, including consecutive conference crowns in 2010 and 2011. Kean returns a trio of all-league players from its 2011 NJAC Championship squad, including junior second baseman Katie Schuh, sophomore outfielder Sandra Binkiewicz, and junior third baseman Courtney Melchionna.
Kean opens the 2012 season on Friday, March 2nd when they travel to Virginia Wesleyan College for the Beach Blast Tournament.
2012 NJAC COACHES PRESEASON POLL RESULTS
(first-place votes in parenthesis)
1. Rowan (2)
2. The College of New Jersey (3)
3. Kean (2)
4. Montclair State (3)
5. William Paterson
6. Ramapo
7. Richard Stockton
8. Rutgers-Camden
9. Rutgers-Newark (dark horse)
10. New Jersey City
