Seahawks aim to return to top of conference
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Last year's Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Regular-Season Champion, Endicott, will start the 2019 season as the favorite to win the league based on the results of the 2019 CCC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
The Gulls emerged out of a crowded field in this year's poll to take the top spot as four different teams received first place votes. The reigning regular-season champions earned 75 points and received four of the nine possible first place votes.
Endicott put together a 16-2 conference (30-6 overall) season in 2018 to earn the top spot in the CCC Championship Tournament. It advanced to the final weekend of the tournament, but dropped the final winner's bracket game to No. 3 seed Western New England in extra innings. After knocking off No. 2 seed Eastern Nazarene to earn a spot in the championship round, the Gulls fell to WNE once again, 8-4.
The Golden Bears, the defending CCC Tournament Champions, earned the second spot in this year's poll with 72 points and three first place votes. They were the No. 3 seed in last year's bracket after a 12-6 CCC (25-18 overall) season. They advanced all the way through the winner's bracket defeating No. 7 seed Nichols, No. 2 seed Eastern Nazarene, and the top-seeded Gulls along the way. They earned the conference's automatic qualifier into the 2018 NCAA Division III Softball Championship where they participated in the Williams Regional. They went 1-2 in the double-elimination tournament, earning a win against Husson in 11 innings and pushing a tough Amherst team to extra innings as well.
Salve Regina will try to return to championship form after being denied a three-peat last year. The Seahawks garnered 58 points in the poll and a first place vote to rank third. They went 11-7 in conference (17-21 overall) play last year and were the No. 4 seed in the tournament.
The final first place vote went to the University of New England, which totaled 57 points in the voting. The Nor'easters had a 10-8 CCC (17-20 overall) season last year and were the No. 5 seed in the tournament, but were eliminated in the play-in game by No. 7 seed Nichols.
The Bison made an impressive trip through the 2018 CCC Tournament as the No. 7 seed. They eventually reached the final four before being eliminated by the second seeded Lions. Nichols went 6-11-1 in the CCC (16-19-1) overall last year and lands in the fifth spot in this year's poll with 40 points.
Roger Williams (33 points), Gordon (31), Curry (29), and Wentworth (10) closed out the poll in that order.
Wentworth gets the CCC Softball schedule started with its early spring break trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C. beginning on Sunday, March 3. Gordon and Wentworth will kick the conference schedule off with a doubleheader on Friday, March 22 with the first full weekend of conference play coming a week later. Due to a change in the conference bylaws regarding the number of teams that qualify for conference tournaments, the top seven teams will qualify for this year's championship. The Tournament, which follows a double-elimination format, will begin on Thursday, May 2 and run through Saturday, May 4 with an "if necessary" game scheduled for Sunday, May 5. The CCC Tournament Champion will earn the conference's automatic qualifier in to the 2019 NCAA Division III Softball Championship.
Click HERE to view the whole 2019 CCC softball schedule.
2019 CCC Softball Pre-season Coaches' Poll
- Endicott 75 (4)
- Western New England 72 (3)
- Salve Regina 58 (1)
- University of New England 57 (1)
- Nichols 40
- Roger Williams 33
- Gordon 31
- Curry 29
- Wentworth 10
Third-year head coach Jannelle Iaquinto returns a senior class – Lindsey Florent (New Bedford, Mass.), Megan Guest (Meriden, Conn.), Holly Kathios (Pelham, N.H.), Amanda Riley (Barrington, N.H.) – that has been a part of two Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) championships. The foursome will be leading the Seahawks as captains in 2019.
Iaquinto has depth at every position with her 17-member roster. Beginning with the seasoned sophomores in the pitching circle – Julia Coute (North Dighton, Mass.), Jaycee Garrigan (Uxbridge, Mass.), Courtney Latta (Lowell, Mass.), Andi Nelson (Candia, N.H.) – Salve Regina has go-to arms who will occasionally see playing time elsewhere and/or at bats.
Kathios has veteran catcher on her résumé and may also see second base action. Lauren Packer (Manchester, Conn.), who will be competing for the Irish national team in June in hopes of qualifying for the Olympics, offers catching and utility work for the Seahawks. Newcomers Emilee Angell (Whitinsville, Mass.) and Nikki Vanelli (Quakertown, Pa.) expect to have significant time at the corner infield spots, but could also handle outfield duties. Third-year Seahawk infielder Allie Gusmano (Orange, Conn.) is ready to claim second base details while second-year transfer Maddie Machado (Westport, Mass.) has a true utility role and could find action at any position.
Riley has been All-Tournament Team at NCAA Regional (May 13-14, 2016 at Medford, Mass.), All-CCC as utility (2017) and shortstop (2018), and last year added All-New England to her accolades.
Florent and Guest are the experienced outfielders that will help Iaquinto rotate in other options including Karena Bushey (Waterford, Conn.), Garrigan, Latta, Angell, and Vanelli. Sam Farrell (Melrose, Mass.) gives Iaquinto a speedster from either side of the plate.