AMCC SB Preseason Poll

2009 SOFTBALL
PRESEASON COACHES' POLL

COACHES PICK PENN STATE BEHREND
TO REPEAT AS SOFTBALL CHAMPS

Defending champion Penn State Behrend is the coaches' choice to win their fourth AMCC championship. The Behrend Lions earned seven of 10 first place votes. Frostburg State, the 2008 tournament runners-up, are expected to challenge in the #2 spot, while last season's regular season champion Medaille College was ranked third.

Pitt-Greensburg senior third base player Kelly Welsh (Pittsburgh, PA/Oakland Catholic) gets the nod as Preseason Player of the Year. A two-time All-AMCC first team selection, Welsh posted a league-best .500 batting average in 2008 along with a .923 slugging percentage and .567 on base percentage, leading the conference in those categories as well. She hit 5 home runs with 20 RBI and 48 total bases.

Penn St. Behrend's Julie Koman (McKees Rocks, PA/Montour HS) was selected as the Preseason Pitcher of the Year. The senior righthander is a three-time first team all-conference selection. She was a key component of Behrend Lions' AMCC championship seasons in 2006 and 2008. In 2008 Koman led the league in all major pitching statistics, finishing the year with a 1.60 ERA with 156 strikeouts in 161.2 innings pitched, and was nationally ranked in wins and hits allowed. She posted a record of 20-6 while completing 14 games.

This season the conference welcomes Franciscan University of Steubenville to its ranks; the Barons are entering year two of NCAA provisional membership. The AMCC kicks off conference play on Saturday, March 21, and the championship will be May 1-3 at the site of the top seed. The winner of the tournament will receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

AMCC
SOFTBALL POLL
Preseason Rankings*

1 - Penn State Behrend (3)
2 - Frostburg State (5)
3 - Medaille (1)
4 - Pitt-Bradford (4)
5 - Pitt-Greensburg (6)
6 - Mount Aloysius (6)
7 - La Roche (8)
8- Penn State Altoona (10)
9 - Hilbert (9)
10 - Franciscan (N/A)

* Number in parentheses is order of regular season finish in 2008

Preseason Player of the Year
KELLY WELSH
Pitt-Greensburg

Preseason Pitcher of the Year
JULIE KOMAN
Penn State Behrend

FRANCISCAN UNIVERSITY Head Coach Amanda Gutowski (2nd year) 2008: 0-24 overall
SR INF Kourtney Runyan (Greeley, CO/Greeley West)...No information available. SO P/INF Lara Plumlee (Long Beach, CA/Milikan)...No information available.
FROSTBURG STATE UNIVERSITY Head Coach Wes Landrum (4th year) 2008: 9-9 AMCC, 21-22 overall
JR P Katelyn Coffey (Middletown, MD/Middletown)...Second team All-AMCC pitcher last season...won 16 games and had an ERA of 2.15...struck out 125 while walking only 25...posted a school-record six shutouts...AMCC Pitcher of the Week twice last season. SO OF Brooke Tapman (Pocomoke, MD/Pocomoke)...Second team All-AMCC outfielder in 2008...led the Bobcats in batting (.364), hits (41), doubles (11), RBI’s (35) and stolen bases (13)...tied for second with 6 home runs...AMCC Player of the Week (4/21).
HILBERT COLLEGE Head Coach Kerry Levett (3rd year) 2008: 3-15 AMCC, 9-27 overall
JR 2B Rachel Parker (Hamburg, NY/Hamburg)...2008 first team all-conference...hit .424 with 17 doubles, 3 homeruns and 31 RBI...led the Hawks with 78 total bases, a .661 slugging percentage and .465 on-base percentage. SR SS Kelly Goodwin (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls)...Hit .421 last season with 11 doubles, 2 triples and 24 RBI...posted a .545 slugging percentage and .454 on base percentage...started all 36 games for the Hawks.
LA ROCHE COLLEGE Head Coach Orie Gentile (13th year) 2008: 6-12 AMCC, 13-23 overall
SR SS Vanessa Inks (Gibsonia, PA/Pine-Richland)...Led the Hawks with a .404 batting average, 46 hits, 30 RBI and 30 runs scored in 2008...boasted a .934 fielding percentage with 61 put-outs and 52 assists. JR 1B Kayla Strittmater (Irwin, PA/Penn Trafford)...Hit a strong .315 last season on 35 hits (6 doubles, 2 triples and 3 home runs)...defensive stalwart with a .952 fielding percentage and 175 put-outs.
MEDAILLE COLLEGE Head Coach Robyn Ventura (7th Year) 2008: 16-2 AMCC, 21-17 overall
JR P Amanda Westling (Dunkirk, NY/Dunkirk)...First team all-conference selection last season...16-9 win-loss record...struck out 147...also batted .263.
MOUNT ALOYSIUS COLLEGE Head Coach Carl Teeter (2nd year) 2008: 8-10 AMCC, 17-19 overall
SO SS Jena Isenberg (Martinsburg, PA/Central)...AMCC honorable mention selection as a freshman...ranked #2 in homeruns (9) and RBI (43) in the conference...Batted .312 and scored 24 runs. SO CF Andie O'Neal (Fishertown, PA/Chestnut Ridge)...First team all-conference in 2008...hit .367, scoring 27 runs on 44 hits...drove in 23 runs...went 7 for 7 in stolen base attempts.
PENN STATE ALTOONA Head Coach Nikki Runzo (2nd year) 2008: 2-16 AMCC, 5-30 overall
JR C Kara Myers (Millheim, PA/Penns Valley)...Started 33 games last season...recorded 32 hits, 14 RBI and 3 home runs in 107 at-bats with a .346 batting average...posted a .969 fielding percentage. FR 3B Erin Cline (Murrysville, PA/Franklin)...Regional four-year letter-winner...2 year captain...named all-section in 2005, 2006 and 2008...moving from catcher to play third base for the Lions.
PENN STATE BEHREND Head Coach Stacy Pondo (6th year) 2008: 13-5 AMCC, 33-14 overall
SR P Julie Koman (McKees Rocks, PA/Montour HS)...Three-time first team All-AMCC…led the league in all major pitching statistics…finished the year with a 1.60ERA, 161.2 innings pitched, 156 strikeouts, and a record of 20-6 while completing 14 games…member of Chi Sigma Alpha…nationally ranked in wins and hits allowed… majoring in marketing. SR 2B Nikki Kaschauer (South Park, PA/South Park)...Second team all-conference in 2008...led the team with a .405 batting average… started last season with a 20 game hit steak…led AMCC in hits with 60…2008 stats included a .963 fielding average, 34 runs, 7 doubles, 5 triples, and 34 RBI…majoring in communications.
PITT-BRADFORD Head Coach Tina Phillips (6th year) 2008: 10-8 AMCC, 13-19 overall
SR SS LeeAnn Kramer (Perkasie, PA/Penn Ridge)...First team All-AMCC in 2007 and 2008...hit .400 for the Panthers last season, scoring 19 runs and recording 29 RBI...also smacked 9 doubles and 2 home runs. SR CF Michelle Kushner (McKees Rocks, PA/Sto-Rox)...2008 Conference Co-Player of the Year...three-time all-conference selection... NFCA Second Team All-American...hit .422 with 15 doubles and 2 home runs...recorded 25 RBI and 28 runs scored.
PITT-GREENSBURG Head Coach Dana Munchinski (3rd year) 2008: 8-10 AMCC, 8-14 overall
SR 3B Kelly Welsh (Pittsburgh, PA/Oakland Catholic)...Two-time All-AMCC first team selection...posted a league-best .500 batting average in 2008 along with a .923 slugging percentage and .567 on base percentage...hit 5 HR with 20 RBI and 48 total bases...struck out just once all season. JR 2B Lindsay Littler (Pittsburgh, PA/West Allegheny)...Hit .431 last season with a .638 slugging percentage...also drove in 12 runs and scored 21.