HAVERFORD, Pa. – Returning to the postseason for the third consecutive season, the Haverford College softball team was well represented on the conference's postseason award listings. Haverford claimed 15 different awards from the Centennial Conference. The Fords had a conference-best seven student-athletes named to the academic honor roll and five all-conference selections, on top of the Centennial Conference Rookie of the Year, Centennial Conference Coach of the Year, and a representative on the Centennial Conference All-Sportsmanship Team.
The coaches around the Centennial Conference agreed that to see some of the top talent in the Centennial Conference, fans had to look no further than the Haverford infield. Four players – catcher Kristin Tatum, first baseman Dayle Comerford, second baseman Jill Schnall, and third baseman Jessica Koshinski – earned first-team All-Centennial Conference accolades. Koshinski was also named the Centennial Conference Rookie of the Year. Sara Tauriello earned second-team All-Centennial Conference honors in the circle. Leading this group was the Centennial Coach of the Year, Erin Brooks. Brooks earns the award in her first year at the helm of the Haverford College softball program.
The Fords also got the job done in the classroom with a Centennial Conference-leading seven student-athletes earning mention on the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll. To be eligible for the academic honor roll, a student-athlete must be in at least sophomore academic standing, have a 3.4 cumulative grade-point-average or above, and have played in at least 50-percent of the team's games as a starter or key reserve. Sarah Brody, Julie Garlick, Lauren Touey, Miwa Wenzel, Emily Winesett, Comerford, and Schnall earned this distinction. Winesett was also named a Centennial Conference All-Sportsmanship representative.
The Fords' rookie of the year, Koshinski, batted .357 on the season. She was one of five players to start all 36 games for Haverford. The freshman led Haverford with 10 doubles on the season, en route to becoming the program's first individual to earn rookie of the year honors. She ranked second on the team with 46 hits out of the leadoff spot, while finishing third on the team in runs scored (32), total bases (59), walks (8), and slugging percentage (.457), She finished the season with a .394 on-base percentage, recording a hit in 28 different games – including 16 multi-hit games.
Behind the plate, Kristin Tatum hit .400 on the season – improving that average to .429 in Centennial Conference games. She led the Centennial Conference in both home runs (7) and slugging percentage (.686). Tatum also led the Fords in on-base percentage (.500), runs scored (39), total bases (72), and walks (16), while tying for the team lead with 29 runs batted in. Tatum started all 36 games and either drove in or scored a run in 29 of those contests.
At first base, Comerford ranked fourth in the conference with a team-best .417 batting average on the season. She led the team with 50 hits, while tying for the team lead with 29 runs batted in. Comerford was second on the team with a .583 slugging percentage, .447 on-base percentage, 34 runs scored, four home runs, and 70 total bases. The senior hit safely in 29 of her 36 starts this season, including 16 multi-hit games. She also had a 16-game hitting streak that spanned nearly the entire month of April.
At second base, Schnall earned first-team All-Centennial Conference honors for the second straight season. The Fords' second baseman batted .309 on the season in her 36 starts. Her eight doubles, 25 runs batted in, and eight walks ranked third on the team. She was fourth on the Fords with 21 runs scored, 34 hits, and 42 total bases. During the Centennial Conference schedule, Schnall raised her batting average to .396 with a .442 on-base percentage, and .521 slugging percentage.
In the circle, Tauriello earned All-Centennial Conference accolades for the third time in as many seasons with the Fords. The junior ranked second in the conference with a 1.35 ERA. She made 17 pitching appearances during the season, starting 12 of those contests. She finished with a 12-2 record that featured eight complete games. She also pitched shutouts against Muhlenberg and Arcadia during the year. Opponents batted just .215 off of Tauriello. She broke the College's career record for strikeouts and currently sits at 258 for her career.
Erin Brooks earned Centennial Conference Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Fords to 25 victories against just 10 losses and one tie. That .708 winning percentage ranks as the second highest single-season mark in program history. The Fords' four representatives on the first team mark the most in program history.
Haverford finished the year by making its third straight trip to the Centennial Conference Tournament. That accomplishment is the first time in program history Haverford has made three straight trips to the postseason. The 25 victories were the fourth most in a single season. The seven members of the graduating senior class finished their respective careers with 97 victories, the most of any class in program history.