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COUGAR SOFTBALL RANKED 24TH IN NFCA DIVISION II TOP 25 PRESEASON POLL
1-29-09
CALDWELL,
N.J. - The Caldwell College softball team is ranked 24th in the National
Fastpitch Coaches Association Division II Top 25 Preseason Poll, the NFCA
announced. This is the fourth time in five years in the national preseason
poll for the Cougars, who were ranked 16th in the final poll of 2008 after
finishing with an overall record of 35-22. Last season Caldwell captured the
Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament and advanced to the NCAA
Division II Northeast Region Tournament.
Head coach Dean Johnson, who begins his 15th season, returns 11
players from last year's squad, led by senior second baseman Gina Capardi
(West Caldwell, NJ/Caldwell). Capardi, right, earned NFCA and Daktronics
first team all-American honors and was named the CACC Player of the Year
after batting .422 with 79 hits, seven home runs and 51 runs batted in.
Other first team all-CACC performers who return include juniors Danielle
Genovese (Livingston, NJ/Livingston) and Kyrie Timbrook (Los
Gatos, CA/Los Gatos), and sophomore Annie Forte (Toms River, NJ/Toms
River North). Sophomore pitcher Brittany Pulido (Ojai, CA/Nordhoff),
who made the all-CACC second team, was the Cougars' top pitcher a year ago,
turning in a record of 18-8 with an earned-run average of 2.10. Pitcher
Kristen de la Campa (Whitman, MA/Whitman Hanson), an all-CACC first team
performer in 2007, and infielder Kim Aguirre (Highland, CA/San
Gorgonio) are the team's other seniors.
This season the Cougars will face four teams who are ranked in the Division
II Preseason Poll: No. 7 C.W. Post (Apr. 22), No. 12 Kutztown (Apr. 5), No.
17 Georgian Court (Apr. 25) and No. 19 Central Missouri (Mar. 17).
Additionally, three other opponents received votes: Wayne State (Mar. 17),
Le Moyne (Mar. 14) and NYIT (Apr. 2). Caldwell plays Le Moyne, C.W. Post,
Central Missouri and Wayne State at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee,
Fla. C.W. Post, the defending Northeast Region champions, will come to
Caldwell for a non-conference doubleheader on Apr. 22.
The Cougars will begin the 2009 season with 10 games at the Rebel Spring
Games, beginning Mar. 14. The first home game is Mar. 22 against Wilmington
University at Caldwell Field.
NFCA Division II Top 25 Preseason Poll - Jan. 28
| Rank | Team | Record | Pts | Pvs |
| 1 | Lock Haven (6) | 49-8 | 388 | 3 |
| 2 | Humboldt State (10) | 57-18 | 374 | 1 |
| 3 | St. Edward's | 53-17 | 358 | 4 |
| 4 | Barry | 44-8 | 333 | 7 |
| 5 | Francis Marion | 39-16 | 332 | 5 |
| 6 | Ferris State | 35-18 | 331 | 5 |
| 7 | LIU-C.W. Post | 48-16 | 278 | 8 |
| 8 | Southeastern Oklahoma | 53-12 | 275 | 9 |
| 9 | Winona State | 38-15 | 254 | 15 |
| 10 | Tampa | 35-13 | 229 | 12 |
| 11 | North Georgia | 38-15 | 228 | 12 |
| 12 | Kutztown | 48-13 | 226 | 18 |
| 13 | Lewis | 38-18 | 177 | NR |
| 14 | Cal State Stanislaus | 31-23 | 164 | NR |
| 15 | Bloomsburg | 51-11 | 146 | 9 |
| 16 | St. Leo | 37-15 | 123 | 19 |
| 17 | Georgian Court | 39-16 | 120 | 25 |
| 18 | Colorado School of Mines | 38-19 | 117 | NR |
| 19 | Central Missouri | 36-22 | 112 | NR |
| 20 | Georgia College & State | 40-14 | 88 | NR |
| 21 | Angelo State | 48-12 | 85 | 17 |
| 22 | Alabama-Huntsville | 52-9 | 74 | 24 |
| 23 | Minnesota State Mankato | 42-16 | 67 | 21 |
| 24 | Caldwell College | 35-22 | 66 | 16 |
| 25 | Emporia State | 48-17 | 62 | 2 |
Others receiving votes:
Saginaw Valley 35, Hawaii Pacific 33, Western Oregon 24, Nebraska-Omaha
22, Wayne State (MI) 21, Cal State Dominguez Hills 16, Armstrong Atlantic
11, LeMoyne 10, ST. Mary's (TX) 5, Valdosta State 5, Indianapolis 4,
Arkansas Tech 3, Metro State 2, NYIT 1, West Virginia Wesleyan 1