CCC Pre-Season Coaches' Poll: Softball
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (March 4, 2020) – Defending Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Tournament Champion Endicott was selected to protect its title in the 2020 CCC Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll earning 78 points in the voting.
The Gulls also received six of a possible nine first place votes on the ballots cast by the nine CCC softball head coaches last week.
Endicott won its second straight CCC Regular-Season Championship last year and earned the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. After defeating No. 5 seed Roger Williams to start the tournament, the Gulls were sent to the loser's bracket with a loss to No. 2 seed University of New England. In the championship round, however, the tournament hosts were able to knock off No. 4 seed Salve Regina and then take two from the Nor'easters to claim the conference crown.
The CCC Tournament Champions earned a spot in the NCAA Division III Union Regional and went 1-2.
Landing in the No. 2 spot in the poll is Salve Regina, which earned 69 points and two first place votes. The Seahawks are looking to return to the CCC Championship for the first time after winning back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017. In 2019 as the No. 4 seed, Salve Regina was one of the final three teams standing. It fell into the loser's bracket with a loss in the opening round of the tournament, but then won two straight elimination games to make it to the championship round. However, they were knocked off by the eventual champion Gulls on Championship Saturday.
Fourth-year head coach Jannelle Iaquinto returns the 2019 CCC Pitcher of the Year in junior Andi Nelson (Candia, N.H.) and the right hander joins classmate Jaycee Garrigan (Uxbridge, Mass.) and senior Allie Gusmano (Orange, Conn.) as tri-captains for the 2020 squad.
After graduating four starters in Lindsay Florent, Megan Guest, Amanda Riley, and Holly Kathios (who is joining the coaching staff), Coach Iaquinto brought in plenty of talent with the Class of 2023. "We have a lot of young players (who are) contributing and are ready to compete. Our upperclassman have really gone through this program full course; they're great leaders, they're great examples. This is the most depth that we've had in my four years in every position."
In addition to Nelson and Garrigan, the Seahawks return all four members of their pitching staff in the junior class - Julia Coute (North Dighton, Mass.) and Courtney Latta (Lowell, Mass.). Iaquinto acquires a sophomore hurler who can provide innings in the circle in Madison Fluke (Douglas, Mass.). Gusmano's classmates - Karena Bushey (Waterford, Conn.) and Maddie Machado (Westport, Mass.) - bring veteran experience and enthusiasm. "Maddie is a burst of energy and keeps the tempo at a very high level for us, and Karena's returning from ACL surgery and has really shown her commitment over her four years."
Western New England ended up in the No. 3 spot in the poll with 62 points and the final first place vote, while 2019 CCC Tournament runner-up University of New England fell into the fourth spot with 48 points. Roger Williams rounded out the top five with 42 points in this year's voting.
Gordon (38 points) was picked sixth in the polling with Nichols (36 points) following close behind. Wentworth and Curry closed out the poll with 20 and 12 points, respectively.
The CCC softball season begins on Friday, March 4 with Roger Williams starting its spring trip with a doubleheader in Claremont, Fla. Teams will head back home later in the month to begin the conference schedule on the weekend of March 27. At the end of the regular season, the top seven teams in the conference standings will qualify of the 2020 CCC Softball Championship Tournament, which will begin on Thursday, April 30. The double-elimination tournament will be conducted over the weekend with the trophy being handed out on either Saturday, May 2 or Sunday, May 3 if the "if necessary" game is required.
Click HERE to view the whole 2020 CCC softball schedule.