The Haverford College softball team opens its 2011 campaign with the annual spring break trip. This time the Fords will head West to Tucson, Arizona. A look at their upcoming opponents:
Pitt-Bradford: The Panthers finished 19-20 overall last spring but posted a third-place record of 16-4 in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference. The team was eliminated form the AMCC tournament after losses to La Roche College and Penn State-Altoona … 2010 AMCC Newcomer of the Year Sarah Angeletti is back for the Panthers after posting a .430 batting average and .491 on-base percentage during her freshman season. She led the team in home runs (10) and RBI (37) while in the batters box, and in ERA (2.74) and wins (15) from the pitcher's circle … The Panthers take on the Fords once each on Sun. and Mon.
Saint Mary's (Minn.) University: The Cardinals finished fifth in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference last season with a 13-9 record. Their overall mark was 16-24 … Seniors Kellie Simons (.353) and Katy Gannon (.338) return for their final years with the team. Both earned all-MIAC honors last spring while Simons was voted third-team all-Midwest region.
Wheaton (Ill.) College: The Thunder were 21-19 overall but just 5-9 in the Collegiate Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, missing out on the league playoffs with a seventh-place finish … Senior center fielder Katie Iser (.333) returns for Wheaton in 2011 as will outfielder/utility player Lesley Guenard (.322). Both earned first-team all-conference honors in 2010 … The Thunder were picked to finish sixth in the 2011 CCIW preseason coaches' poll … Haverford is set to play Wheaton in the late game Mon. night.
Rockhurst (Mo.) University: The Division II Hawks have already opened their 2011 season and are 0-4 heading into their trip to Arizona … Last spring Rockhurst finished with a 4-24 record (11-33 overall) in the Great Lakes Valley Conference which left the Hawks looking up from the bottom in the 15-team league … Leslie Fundek batted .313 last season but has opened 2011 on a tear hitting .700 (7-for-10) over the initial four games on the schedule … The Fords and Hawks will meet for a morning game Wed.
Waldorf (Iowa) College: The NAIA Warriors closed out the season two years ago with a trip to the NAIA national tournament after capturing the 2009 Midwest Collegiate Conference tournament. Last spring Waldorf was fourth in the final conference standings with a 12-9 mark and finished 16-22 overall. The squad was bounced from the league tournament after losses to Mount Mercy University and William Penn University … Top returners in 2011 look to be seniors Andrea Blanchard (IF) and Melissa Vance (OF), and junior Katie Bredlow. All three were named all-conference after the 2010 season … Waldorf has been picked third in the 2011 MWCC preseason coaches' poll … An early afternoon game under the hot Arizona sun awaits the Fords and Warriors Wed.
Coe (Iowa) College: The Kohawks were 25-16 overall last season and 9-7 within the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference … Junior Ashlee Simon is one of the top players returning for Coe after a sophomore season in which she earned second-team all-conference and all-Midwest region honors … The final day of games for the Fords opens with a Thu. afternoon outing against the Kohawks.
Oneonta (N.Y.) State: The Red Dragons posted their third consecutive 20-win season last spring with a 21-17 record. They finished in a tie for second in the final State University of New York Athletic Conference regular season standings … Junior Jillian Serraro (IF/P) batted .349 with 23 RBI last season and owned a 1.75 ERA from the pitcher's circle in earning third-team all-region and SUNYAC all-tournament team honors. Fellow junior Jessica Bartalsky (P) led the team with an 11-7 record and posted a 2.77 ERA … Oneonta and Haverford meet up late in the afternoon Thu. for the Fords' final game of the Arizona trip.