2011 Softball Previews

Although Bethany, which has won 59 games in the last two seasons, set a new school-record for victories by going 35-15 last year, the campaign had a disappointing end. The Bison lost in both the PAC and ECAC Tournament championship games. That feeling of coming up just short has fueled the program to make some changes under long-time head coach Jan Forsty, who won her 600^th career game last spring.

“The whole theme of our preseason is to work harder than anyone else and we have been working extremely hard,” said Forsty. “We’ve finished second (in the PAC) the last two years and that’s not good enough. So we’ve changed what we do in practice, worked more on conditioning and are trying whatever we can to move from second to first place.”

The strength of the team may lie in the pitching staff, where two starters are back and a third returner is having a big preseason. Sophomore Emily Jump led the conference with a 23-10 record last year, while also posting a 1.77 ERA in over 182 innings pitched to earn First Team All-PAC honors. Senior Cortney Newland returns for her third year as a starter after going 12-5 a season ago.

The eye opener in preseason so far is sophomore Heidi Soriano, who had a save and 2.17 ERA in five appearances last year, but Forsty says she is ready to log more innings this year. Injuries have hampered sophomore Dee Gamble and freshman Lauren Wiegman, but they are expected to provide depth when healthy.

“Pitching should be one of our strong points this year because of the experience returning,” said Forsty. “Cortney is a senior who is very knowledgeable and is throwing very well. Emily is back after an all-conference season and is still looking to improve. The big surprise is Heidi, who worked very hard in the off-season to get better and gives us a strong third pitcher. Dee and Lauren have both been on the shelf because of injuries, so haven’t had a chance to see what they can do yet.”

Replacing four-year starter and All-Region selection Bridgette Fauth behind the plate could take up to five players. Sophomore Liz Kletzli, an Honorable Mention All-PAC choice last year after batting .352 with 34 RBIs, is the lone veteran to return. Four freshmen are also vying for time behind the dish, including Kristina Massie, Laure Biroschak, Mindy Bierhals and Ashlee Needy (Chicago, Ill./Marist).

At second base, Bethany does bring back senior Chelsea Butler who hit .312 and scored 36 runs last season, but she may slide over to play shortstop this year. Sophomore Kaitlyn Pitchok, who missed all of last year because of injury, is also contending for time at shortstop. A trio of freshmen in the mix for time behind the plate could also come out to play in the middle infield, including Massie, Needy and Bierhals.

“We have started referring to our catcher-second base-shortstop situation as a Bermuda Triangle,” said Forsty. “Whoever starts at catcher may be determined who is playing shortstop and who we start the second base may depend on who we need behind the plate. So we will be playing a lot of different combinations early to see what works for us.

“We will likely go with a catcher-by-committee, due to the difficulty of replacing Bridgette,” said Forsty. “Liz, who can also play third, is the only returning player who played the position for us last year. We also have Kristina, Laura, Mindy and Ashlee who can play. All are good catchers and we will give them all a shot to see which one in game conditions can step up to the front.

“We do have Chelsea returning to play second, but she may also play some shortstop for us,” said Forsty. “Kaitlyn is coming back from an injury and also figures at shortstop, while Kristina, Ashlee and Mindy can all play at second as well. We will not have a shortage of options and the competition is bringing out the best in everyone.”

The corner infield spots are a little easier to manage for the Bison coaches. Holding down third base is senior and four-year starter Andrea Thomas, who batted .362 and drove in 35 runs last year to earn First Team All-PAC accolades. When she’s not catching, Kletzli will back her up. Over at first base, Jump, who hit .373 with seven doubles and 13 RBI as a freshman, will start when she’s not in the circle. The other at-bats will go to freshmen Brenna Anderson, Marissa Beech and Wiegman.

“Third base will be Andrea, who is coming off a big year and we except another from her this year, with Liz as the back-up,” said Forsty. “At first base, we will start Emily when she’s not pitching. She showed last year we need to keep her bat in the line-up and she is one of our better defensive players. Brenna will likely split the other time, while Marissa and Lauren, once she’s healthy, may see time as well.”

In the outfield, Bethany returns four players who saw significant time last year. In right field, sophomore Maria Vallone is back after setting a new single-season record with 62 hits and batting .425 to earn First Team All-PAC and All-Region. In center is expected to be sophomore Alison Powell, who started 32 games last year and hit three doubles and a team-best four triples.

Left field will be handled by a pair of returners in senior Cortney Lax, who has played in 102 career games, and sophomore Angie Varhula, who hit .284 as a freshman. Also in the mix for time is senior Allie Fluharty and freshmen Ariel Carrington and Candace Pacheco.

“Maria had a big freshman year and is back as our right fielder,” said Forsty. “Alison is expected to be the mainstay in center and left field will be handled by a committee as well with Angie and Cortney splitting time until someone steps up. Ariel, Allie and Candace are also in competition for playing time.”

The goal in front of the Bison for this year is obvious and that is to erase the disappointment of losing in the PAC title game each of the last years. But to make that step and return to NCAAs means winning the crucial games, which has eluded BC recently. Forsty is hoping the experience of coming up short the last two years, as well as the hard work the team is putting in now, will push Bethany back to the top.

“Obviously our goal is to win PACs and take the next step back into NCAA Regional play,” said Forsty. “But to get there, we have to learn to win the big games, which have been a big problem in the past. We’re working hard and doing everything we can mentally and physically at this point to prepare and will continue to teach and learn as we go through the season. If we want to reach our goals this year, we have to show we’re capable of winning the games we need at the end.”

The Chatham University women’s softball team has high hopes this season under first year head coach Bethany Bachman. The Cougars look to become a tough contender in the President’s Athletic Conference (PAC) with 10 returning veterans as well as seven new faces to the roster, all of whom are hoping to improve on last year’s seven-win season.

The outfield for the Cougars has plenty of depth this year. Leading this group is Barb Petty - the only senior member of the team. Last season, Petty started 30 games and will be looked to as an anchor not only for the outfield, but for the rest of the team. Bachman hopes that she will continue to lead by example in the outfield and expects her to end her already successful career on a high note.

The other outfield veterans that make up the Cougars’ roster are also looking to make an impact this season. Abby Brennan, Elise Zavadak, Julia Eck, Anais Popojas are among these members.

Olivia Traini also looks to secure a starting spot in the line-up this season, while also competing for the designated hitter position. Brennan brings a lot of intelligence while Zavadak bring a great amount of athletic ability. Eck will look to play somewhere in the outfield when she is not pitching. Although a rookie this season, Popajas is poised and dedicated to making a large impact her first season both in the field as well as at the plate for Chatham.

The infield this season will be lead by Natalie Vazquez at the shortstop position. Vazquez hit .314 last year and had a solid year in the field. Kate Murgi looks to provide stability at second base while also adding some power to the batting line-up.

Alex Miklos will continue to hold down the first base position defensively as well as continue to be a presence for the Cougars at the plate. Jenn Stefano and Ashley Lamb look to play both catcher and third base this season and make an immediate impact on the success of the team in each of their first years. Brielle Gaurrich, a transfer to Chatham this year, will also be in the mix for the catcher and third base positions with Stefano and Lamb.
Dawson Bancroft-Short, a junior this season, will also be relied upon to bring her speed, athleticism, and aggressiveness to the plate as a utility player.

The pitching staff this season will include Eck, a returning sophomore, who looks to build on her team high four wins and 3.75 ERA from last year. Junior Robin Greenberg will also add depth to the pitching line-up with her experience and movement. Jenna Dunlay and Anne Marie Brncack will join the roster as first year members and hope to bolster this pitching staff as well as compete for starts and innings.

“Overall, the team is poised to surprise some opponents this year. I am very excited to get things rolling – I think these young women have worked very hard in the off-season and are ready to prove what they can do in the PAC this year,” Bachman states.

The Cougars home opener is scheduled for March 16th against Carlow University at 3 pm and 5 pm.

Expectations can be a funny thing when it comes to athletics. Sometimes when you least expect success, it somehow finds its way to the forefront. Conversely, high expectations can sometimes lead to heartache. In the case of the 2011 Geneva College softball team, the expectations for success are on the rise following a most improbable season a year ago. After losing several key components from the 2009 team, the expectations for success were not extremely high a year ago. All that changed when a sophomore hurler took the ball for the first time in Florida and the rest as they say, was history. Julie DiLonardo was past the pitching torch for the Golden Tornadoes and after only a handful of appearances in her freshman campaign burst onto the scene last year and began rewriting the Geneva record book.

“From her first appearance in Florida, it became evident that we had something special.” said head coach Van Zanic. “Julie was at times dominant and the rest of our team gained confidence when she was in the circle.” At season’s end, DiLonardo had tied the school record for wins in a season with 21 and had rewritten the single season strikeout record with 154. While DiLonardo was getting things done in the circle, many of her teammates were providing offensive and defensive support. Adriane Blake will be front and center in her senior season this spring. A year ago, the junior shortstop led the team with her .380 batting average, six home runs and 43 RBI’s. Meanwhile, Martha Adams, who will move back to the outfield this spring, hit a solid .351 with a team best 42 runs scored.

“We have a very solid core of players returning this season,” says Zanic. “Perhaps the most exciting aspect of our team will be the depth. We have the largest roster in team history and we have at least two players that can contribute at every position. We have never enjoyed that type of luxury. It makes my job a bit more difficult, but it’s a good problem to have.”

In addition to Blake, Geneva’s 2011 roster features seniors Samantha Bautista, Anjelica Marsh, Leanne Abate and Ariel Lilly. Each should make significant contributions in the upcoming campaign. While Marsh is returning from a season ending injury, Abate hit .309 with 24 RBI’s and Bautista hit .275 with 20 runs knocked in a year ago. “We will be relying heavily on our seniors for production and leadership throughout the season. Each of them brings some very special qualities to the table.”

Geneva finished the 2010 season with an overall record of 23-17 and fell just one game shy of advancing to its third NCCAA national tournament. As the 2011 season begins, the Golden Tornadoes will be looking for that elusive bid to another national tournament. To do so, it will need to tackle another difficult schedule. Playing several NCAA national qualifiers to start the season in Florida, the Golden Tornadoes will then face a challenging PAC schedule throughout the spring. “We really try to play the best competition we can outside of our conference,” says Zanic. “Our trip to Florida is a true barometer as to where our team is and where we need to go once we get up north. We feel as though what we do within the conference should be our main focus and the only way to prepare for those challenges is to play the best competition you can find to start the season.”

The Golden Tornadoes will welcome more than a handful of new faces to the program in 2011. A total of ten freshmen will be making their collegiate debuts this spring with many of them looking to make immediate contributions. “We will be relying on several of our newcomers to step in a make an immediate impact for our program. It can be a bit nerve racking to put a lot of faith in young players but it can also be very rewarding. We are looking forward to a new challenge in 2011.”

As Geneva prepares for its final year as a NCAA Division III provisional member, it will be gearing up to be a full member of the PAC and Division III in 2012. “We are certainly very anxious to have the chance to compete for a conference title,” says Zanic. “But those issues are down the road. Right now our focus is getting this senior class to an NCCAA national tournament before they graduate. This group has been with us for four years and they deserve an opportunity to play on the national stage. W e have come up short the last couple of years and we will be using that motivation in 2011.”

Geneva had won at least 25 games per season for five straight years before posting just 23 victories a year ago. The motivation of a national tournament appearance along with the desire to get back to the standard of winning that has been set for Geneva softball should be the driving force for a core group of players returning this year.

With a record breaking pitcher, a core of talented upperclassmen and a record number of newcomers, the ingredients are in place for a successful campaign in 2011. The Golden Tornadoes will look to continue their success on the field just one year away from full NCAA Division III participation.

Saint Vincent enters its first year of full membership and eligibility in NCAA Division-III and the Presidents’ Athletic Conference, coinciding with the return of eight position players and two starting pitchers for the Bearcat softballers.

Despite a roster comprised entirely of underclassmen, including eight freshmen, the 2010 edition of the Bearcats finished 18-15, with the 18 victories the second most in program history. With nearly the entire lineup back, expectations are high entering the 2011 campaign.

The Bearcat pitching staff looks to be anchored by sophomore lefty Shauna Hetrick, who turned in a dazzling 2010 campaign, setting a new school record with 126 strikeouts, while going 11-8 with an even 3.00 ERA. She threw two shutouts and posted four saves, while she completed 17 of her 20 starts on the year.

Hetrick’s classmate, Emily Lauterbach, also returns, after going 7-7 a year ago with 56 strikeouts and a 4.06 ERA. Joining the two returnees is sophomore Alyssa Grossman, who transferred from Division-II West Virginia Wesleyan after enjoying a stellar career at perennial power Hempfield High School. While the hard-throwing righty will complement the pitching staff, Grossman is also slated to see time in the outfield, as she is adept at both corner spots.

The Bearcat infield will be anchored by junior Emily Petrowsky. Last season, she earned All-PAC Coaches Honors after finishing third in the league in home runs with eight, establishing a new single-season school record. She also led the team with 23 RBIs and racked seven doubles, posting a slugging percentage of .581.

At third base, sophomore Lynn Buffoni returns after making 27 starts in 2010, while she will be pushed by freshman Lindsey Daniels, a two-sport standout who was an All-PAC soccer selection in the fall.

First base duties look to be shared by Lauterbach and sophomore Maria Adams. Adams, who is also slated to see considerable time behind the plate, was a third PAC Coaches Honors recipient last season, after leading the Bearcats in batting average (.337), hits (35), doubles (8), and stolen bases (7), while driving in 16 RBIs and scoring 18 runs. Lauterbach made 21 appearances at first a season ago, and looks to improve her offensive production after going 5-for-49 at the dish.

At second base, sophomore Shannon Hite returns, after hitting .261 (23-for-88) with seven RBIs and 19 runs scored. Hite also saw considerable time in right field as a freshman, which should allow freshmen Becky Deane and Megan Regula to also see time at second base.

The outfield looks to be led by senior Leanna Seminsky, who has been the team’s full-time starter in center in each of the past three seasons. She has manned the leadoff spot in the order throughout her career, and is the team’s active leader with 92 career hits. Last year, she hit .280 (26-for-93), with seven doubles and seven RBIs, while scoring 17 runs.

In leftfield, sophomore Sam Schumaker returns, after starting 33 games as a freshman, batting .269 (28-for-104) with a homer, six doubles, and team-high four triples.

The duo of Hite and Grossman are tentatively slated to share the duties in right, while freshman Katy Muffley is also challenging for time.

Senior Kerstin Makowski has been riddled by season-ending injuries in each of the past two seasons, but when healthy, she has proven to be a valuable utility player, as she’s equally adept in both corner outfield spots as well as shortstop, second, and third. A solid contact hitter, she is also one of the speedier Bearcats on the basepaths.

Behind the plate, Adams will be joined by senior Brittany Caracci, who has been praised for her handling of the pitching staff throughout her career. Last season, she made 24 appearances and 18 starts, seeing time at both catcher and DP.

After playing a six-game exhibition schedule in Florida in the final week of February, the Bearcats will open up the northern portion of the 2011 schedule on March 15^th, with a home doubleheader against Pitt-Greensburg. The Bearcats, who won six of their final seven games against PAC competition in 2010, will open up conference play on April 2^nd, hosting a twinbill with Waynesburg University.

This upcoming softball season comes with a different side of heightened anticipation than Thiel has had in the previous six years that head coach Amy Schafer has been at the helm of this program.

For a team that is coupled with a plethora of veteran players as well as some new faces, this added excitement and anticipation for the season to get underway comes from a variety of reasons.

Coming off of a very successful 2009-2010 season where the Tomcats not only tied the 1999 team record for wins in a season with 19, but also landed themselves a spot in the President’s Athletic Conference tournament, Thiel will again look for another tournament appearance and hopefully a PAC title. To do this, the veteran team that is returning a large portion of their starting lineup, will look towards the leadership of its five seniors in Emily Batiz, Jackie Belsito, Laura Davin, Danielle Dwyer, Amy Muscarella and Melissa Rankin.

Of the senior class, Rankin, a catcher, leads the pack as she is returning as an All-PAC First Team selection from last season. Although she has been named as an All-PAC honoree in all three of her years playing, this was the first time Rankin was chosen to first team honors. Not only are her efforts behind the plate crucial to the Tomcats success thus far, but the offensive powerhouse also landed herself among the top ten players in the conference in six different offensive categories. In addition to leading the conference in doubles with 15, Rankin also ended the year with a .380 batting average and had 17 RBIs along with 27 runs scored.

Following closely behind Rankin are fellow seniors Davin (center fielder) and Batiz (pitcher) with their All-PAC Second Team honors. Combining Davin’s exemplary play in the field and at the plate with the lefty pitching ace, Batiz – who had 83 strikeouts last year and currently ranks in Thiel’s top four for single season strikeout totals – will both serve as key elements to the Lady Tomcats’ success.

Another pitching ace, junior Kristen Moreland, is also returning as an All-PAC Second Team selection after she finished out last year with nine wins, a 3.05 ERA and a team-leading 103.1 innings pitched.

In addition to the returning experience, Thiel has the opportunity to do pre-season practices in something other than a gym. With the installment of the Rissell-Schreyer Dome in the fall, the Lady Tomcats are taking full advantage of all the room there is as well as the fact that they are practicing on turf. Coach Schafer describes the many advantages to the dome, “We are so much further along this preseason because of the use of our new dome. The outfield has especially benefited from it. You can only hit a fly ball so high in a gymnasium, but in the dome it's game-like. The balls get up as high and far as they would in a real game. The girls absolutely love it. It's better for the infield too because of the ground surface. We haven't used anything but hard game balls since January, and that's so beneficial to the infielders.”

Another benefit Thiel has to utilize is their new assistant coach in former teammate and recent graduate, Stephanie Smith. Coach Smith, who ended her senior season with a fielding percentage of .867 and a batting average of .292 while playing in all 37 games, will look to aid the Lady Tomcats with her knowledge and experience as a player from the collegiate level. Not only has being on the other side of the chalk allowed her to pick up on scenarios that she did not notice as a player, but also Coach Smith has a very hopeful outlook on the team for this season. She explains, “Any coach wants to see their program grow and be successful, and I absolutely want that for Thiel's program. Coming out of this program myself, I want them to be even more successful in their accomplishments this year. This group of girls truly deserves to be the best, athletically and academically. They are one of the best team's I have ever been around. We have set the standards high for this year, and I know these girls are going to surpass everyone's expectations by a mile.”

Taking those into account and adding to the fact that Thiel is returning with a year of playoff experience under their belts, the team will look to mesh the seven newcomers with the 11 returning letterwinners in hopes of achieving a PAC title come May.

In the words of head coach, Amy Schafer, “Motivation and determination is what it’s going to take. We will have to take one game at a time throughout our season, and we have already talked about that. Each little win is going to make these girls play harder and harder because they want to be back in that tournament this year. They want to win it. We have a really strong team this year that includes some veteran seniors all the way down to some very talented freshmen. I’m really excited to see what these girls are going to do this year. If they believe in themselves as much as we believe in them, nothing and nobody is going to stop them.”

Thomas More College and third-year head coach Lindsay Bramhall look to three-peat as Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) champions with a young squad as the Saints return five letterwinners, including three position starters and starting two pitchers that finished from a team that went 22-20 last season and advance to its second straight NCAA Tournament.

Offensively, the Saints return four of their top nine hitters from last season as junior first baseman Brittany Wegman, senior infielder Amanda Minor, senior pitcher Dana Bors and junior outfielder Angie Sandmann all return.

Last season, Wegman, the PAC Player of the Year, led the team in batting with a .481 average as she had 50 hits, including 17 doubles and 11 homerun with 36 runs batted-in. Minor batted .372 with 48 hits, including six doubles, one triple and one homerun with 28 RBI. Bors batted .328 with 40 hits, including five double and one homerun to go with 31 RBI. Sandmann hit .256 in 2010 and had 31 hits, including three doubles.

In the pitching circle the Saints return both of their pitchers from last season in Bors and Ladenburger. Bors had a 14-10 record with a 1.82 earned run average as she pitched 146 innings and had 126 strikeouts. Ladenburger had a 4-4 record last season with a 5.75 ERA in 52.1 innings of work with 24 stirkouts.

The Saints open the 2011 campaign when they head south for 10 games at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Florida from March 7-12. Thomas More then travel to Wilmington, Ohio on March 17 to play Wilmington College.

The Waynesburg University Yellow Jackets return to the diamond in 2011 under the leadership of third-year head softball coach Lou Giachetti after a 13-19 2010 season, which included a 6-8 record in the PAC.

With six position starters back and a big, talented freshman class making up this year’s roster, expectations are high for this year’s squad. The biggest reason for optimism this spring is senior pitcher Amanda Baughman.

Baughman was the only Yellow Jacket to start all 32 games last spring and was awarded second team All-PAC honors after a junior season in which she led the Jackets in 10 offensive categories and five pitching categories. Baughman made 22 appearances, 21 of which were starts, in the circle for the Jackets, while going 11-10 with a 3.88 ERA. She struck out 129 batters, second-best in the PAC, over a team-high 139.1 innings.

She is also Waynesburg’s top returning hitter. She placed fourth in the PAC with a .402 batting average and tallied a team-best five home runs, seven doubles and 22 runs batted in while also scoring 13 runs and ended the year with a .500 on-base percentage.

Senior Kristen Lautenschlager returns after a season as the team’s number-two starter. She made nine starts and garnered PAC Pitcher of the Week honors after tossing her first collegiate complete game and giving up only two hits, walking one batter and striking out four more for her first complete game shutout.

Sophomore catcher Lizz Bombara is back behind the plate after a freshman season in which she hit .259 with two doubles, two triples, one home run and 12 RBI’s. Senior Tonya Tanner also returns and will push Bombara for starting time.

The left side of the infield returns junior third baseman Samantha Volponi, who made 27 starts at the hot corner, while sophomore Rachael Moon hit .341 with three doubles and two triples in limited action due to injury at shortstop. Lautenschlager finished with a team-high 49 assists and will compete for starts at shortstop.

The Jacket outfield will be filled with familiar faces, as all three starters return from a year ago. Senior Nicole Forte made 17 starts in left field, while fellow senior Amber Pivik hit three home runs in 29 games in center. Junior Brittany Lyle will look to stave off several challengers for the starting right field job after she started 22 games there this past spring.

The Jackets were a staggering 10-1 when leading in the second, fourth and sixth innings, a testament to the team’s ability to put games away when getting an early lead. Waynesburg also proved to be one of the most patient teams in the conference at the plate, as was evident by their 119 walks, the second highest total in the conference.

The Jackets will open their season at the Rebel Games in sunny Kissimmee, Fla., where they will play 10 games over the course of the five day-trip, beginning with Emmanuel College on March 6.

Returning to its winning ways was pivotal for the Westminster College softball team last year. Now, the Titans are ready to use their experience and take it to the next level in 2011.

After five straight winning seasons from 2004-2008, the Titans went through some growing pains and endured a 17-21-1 season in 2009. Last year, Westminster was back amongst the elite of the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) with a 25-16 record and a 10-4 mark in the PAC.

"The fact is that we were able to win more of the close games last year," said 14th-year head coach Jan Reddinger. "We had a hard time doing that the previous year. That comes with experience. The maturity level was much higher and I fully expect that to continue with this year's team."

The Titans won five games by one run including three PAC games by scores of 1-0 or 2-1. Westminster also finished the regular season winning 11 out of 14 games. Despite finishing in third place in the league standings, the Titans entered the final weekend of the season still alive for the top seed in the conference tournament. Westminster then posted a 1-2 record in the PAC Tournament, losing to eventual champion Thomas More, 5-2, and tournament host Bethany, 3-0.

"We were right there," Reddinger said. "We missed an opportunity, but we played really well at the end of the season. We expect the same this year. We believe we should be there every year."

The Titans enter the 2011 season with some considerable talent. Of the 13 returning letter-winners, six are returning starters and three are pitchers. Not only that, Westminster welcomes back all four players who were named first team all-PAC including two ECAC Division III South All-Stars and two NFCA All-Central Region selections.

A pair of three-year starters lead the list of returning players in senior third baseman/pitcher Lis Schulz and senior shortstop/catcher Ashley Beltz. Both players were named first-team all-PAC, while Schulz received a third-team nod for all-region and Beltz was voted team MVP and earned a spot on the ECAC South All-Star team.

Schulz batted .327 (37-113) and led the team with nine doubles while ranking third with 25 RBI. As a pitcher, Schulz led the PAC with a 1.30 ERA and the opposing batting average against her was the second-lowest in the league at .211. Schulz posted a 12-4 record in 17 starts and 19 appearances over 102.1 innings with nine complete games and three shutouts.

Beltz ranked third in the PAC with a .406 batting average (52-128) and was one of four players on the team to start all 41 games. In addition to batting average and hits, Beltz led the team with 34 runs, ranked second with eight doubles, and fourth with 24 RBI.

Beltz will likely play more at catcher than shortstop in 2011 because of the emergence of sophomore shortstop/designated hitter Katie Hughes. Hughes was named first team all-PAC, second team all-region and a second team ECAC South All-Star.

Hughes batted .379 (36-95), second on the team and seventh in the PAC, while starting 38 of 40 games played. She clubbed five doubles, one triple and three home runs to go with 28 RBI, the latter ranking second on the team. Her team-high .465 on-base percentage ranked fourth in the conference and she also drew a team-high 17 walks.

The other first team all-PAC player returning is sophomore outfielder Brittany Gamble. Gamble batted .341 (43-126), third-best on the team, while ranking second with 31 runs and leading the Titans with 12 stolen bases and seven sacrifice hits as the team's lead-off hitter.

Senior second baseman DiAndra DiBacco was named second team all-PAC in 2008. She is a three-year starter who has started all 113 games of her career.

The other returning starter is sophomore Chelsea Brown, who made 38 starts in 2010, 12 as a pitcher with a 2.85 ERA and a 5-6 record.

Westminster will use its experience as it attempts to win its first PAC title since 2005 and its first-ever berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs.

"Knowing what it takes to win and not just showing up to win is what it's going to take to get us to the next level," said Reddinger.