2012 SEASON BEGINS: Seattle University begins the 2012 season in Honolulu, Hawaii facing host-team, Hawaii, UMKC, and DePaul this weekend. The Redhawks have 47 games scheduled for the 2012 season, only 12 home games and 35 games on the road. Visiting Seattle U this season will be British Columbia, North Dakota, Utah Valley, and Northern Colorado. The Redhawks will travel to four different tournaments in Hawaii, Moraga, Calif., Boise, Idaho, and to face cross-town rivals Washington at their home. Seattle U also travels to Loyola Marymount, Idaho State, Weber State, Portland State, and Oregon this season.
RETURNERS TO WATCH FOR: Sophomore Sarah Petosa is also expected to have another strong year. In 2011, she started 45 of 46 games and led the Redhawks in runs (30) and stolen bases (11), and finished second in hits (38) and on-base percentage (38.3 percent). She finished the year with a .286 batting average, but reached upwards of .300 during the season. Junior Allegra Wilde and senior Hannah Klein will serve as the team's two captains this season. Wilde was named All-Conference and Academic All-District VIII First-Team last season, starting all 46 games for the team, and leading the Redhawks in hits (49), doubles (12), RBIs (30), home runs (3, tied), and on-base percentage (38.6 percent). Klein started and played in 43 games in 2011, finishing second on the team in doubles (7) and RBIs (17).
NEW FACES: The Redhawks add seven new freshmen to their roster for the 2012 season, many of which will see significant playing time to begin the season. Of note, Mandy Sugita has won the starting pitching spot to begin the season and Bubba Morrow will start at catcher. Other freshmen include Jenny Hurst, Erin Crowley, Ashley DeVaere, Kaydi Kochi, and Lisa Maulden. The team also added three transfer students, Becca Cable (Pierce CC), Rogin Hardy (Bellevue College), and Briar Stanley (Florida State).
SCOUTING HAWAII: Hawaii finished the 2011 season with a 37-18 record and a 14-7 Western Athletic Conference record. Head coach Bob Coolen enters his 21st season leading the team and is the only coach to have led UH to the NCAA Tournament. He has a 754-446-1 record during his career at Hawaii. The Rainbow Wahine return several stars from last season including two-time WAC Pitcher of the Year, Stephanie Ricketts, and two-time WAC Player of the Year, Jessica Iwata. Ricketts earned a place on the pre-season All-WAC team and Iwata was recently named to the Top 50 Watch List for the 2012 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. Senior Alex Aguirre and junior Kelly Majam will also be key to the success of the team in 2012. Hawaii adds seven freshmen to the team this season, including Stacy Rosengren, Jordan Burton, Lauren Parnaby, Austin Wilkerson, Kayla Wartner, Leisha Li'ili'i, and Keiko Sugihara.
SCOUTING UMKC: The University of Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos were recently chosen to finish first in the 2012 Summit League pre-season poll. Among the team's leaders will be senior Kaelene Curry, who was the Summit League Player of the Year as well as First Team All-League Selection last season. Senior Kelly Fischer also received First Team All-League as well as All-Summit League Tournament team honors in 2011. Other stars will include junior Emily Ott (2011 All-Summit League Tournament Team), senior Anna Sokolik, and junior Deanna Friese (2011 Summit League Pitcher of the Year). The Kangaroos added seven freshmen this season - Caitlin Christopher, Lea Diaz, Kristi Lee, Marlee Maples, Kaley Patterson, Cinda Ramos, Bri Wyatt - and one transfer, junior Tara Wolf. Coach Meredith Smith enters her sixth season as head of the UKMC softball program, guiding the program to a school record 38 overall wins and 18 conference wins last season, earning her the honor of Summit League Coach of the Year.
SCOUTING DEPAUL:
The DePaul Blue Demons finished with a 41-15 overall record and a 19-2 Big East conference record last season and were picked to finish first in the conference in the preseason poll for 2012. The team received votes in both preseason polls this year, finishing No. 25 at the end of last season in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 preseason poll. DePaul returns several outstanding players including Kirsten Verdun, Samantha Dodd, Megan Coronado, Allie Braden, and Lynsey Ciezki. The team welcomes six new freshmen - Amanda Mener, Brittany Boesel, Mary Connolly, Paige Peterson, Ali Lenti, and Staci Bonezek. Hall of Fame coach Eugene Lenti enters his 31st season as head of the Blue Demons. He is the fifth winningest coach in the nation with a career record of 1,102-527-6. He has led DePaul to the NCAA Tournament in 14 of the last 15 years and his coaching staff has been named Big East Coaching Staff of the Year in three of the past five years.