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GEORGIAN COURT PICKED FIRST IN CACC PRESEASON SOFTBALL POLL

February 19, 2008

NEW HAVEN, CT -- Georgian Court University has been picked first in the 2008 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) softball preseason poll, which was conducted by the league's 13 head coaches. The Lions collected eight first-place nods, while Caldwell College garnered the remaining five. The Lions and Cougars tied for the CACC regular-season championship last season with 17-5 records.

Georgian Court won the CACC Tournament Championship last season over Caldwell and earned the CACC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Northeast Region Tournament. The Lions, the fifth seed for the event, upended No. 4 Adelphi in the opening round before being eliminated from the tournament with two losses. The Lions, who top this year's preseason poll with 164 points, ended the 2007 campaign with a 29-24 overall record. The Lions return 2007 CACC Player of the Year, catcher Heather Walker and first team All-CACC pitcher, Samantha Sasko. The squad will be guided by second-year head coach and 2007 CACC Coach of the Year, Jeff Franquet.

Caldwell picked up 160 points and five first-place votes after going 34-17 overall in 2007. The Cougars played Georgian Court in the championship round of the 2007 CACC Tournament, giving GCU its only loss in the first game, 7-3, before falling in the deciding game, 7-3. The Cougars return two first team All-CACC players in sophomore shortstop Danielle Genovese and junior pitcher Kristen de la Campa. Genovese was the 2007 CACC Rookie of the Year.

Wilmington University was picked third in the poll with 128 points after compiling a 31-15 overall record and a 16-6 CACC mark last year. The Wildcats return the 2007 CACC Pitcher of the Year, sophomore Kim Lawrence, and All-CACC second team selection, Heather Bush.

Bloomfield College was picked fourth by the coaches and will have eight starters back in 2008 after going 21-19 overall and 14-8 in CACC play last year. Heading the list of returning players is first team All-CACC performer, 3B Mallorie Mathews and second team pick, junior Vicki Berardi.

Dominican College rounds out the top five with 113 points. The Chargers went 19-19 overall last year and 11-11 in conference action. Dominican welcomes back three second team All-CACC players in senior 1B Kristine Knuth, junior OF Jamie Ollari and sophomore infielder Danielle Garrison.

The rest of the poll is composed of Holy Family University (110), Felician College (93), Post University (79), Philadelphia University (58), USP (56), Nyack College (48), Goldey-Beacom College (40) and conference newcomer, Chestnut Hill College (14). The Griffins were previously a NCAA Division III institution.

The complete 2008 CACC softball preseason poll is listed below.

CACC Softball 2008 Preseason Coaches' Poll

School 2007 Records-- Points

1. Georgian Court (8) 29-24/17-5 CACC --164

2. Caldwell (5) 34-17/17-5 --160

3. Wilmington 31-15/16-6 --128

4. Bloomfield 21-19/14-8 --120

5. Dominican 19-19/11-11 --113

6. Holy Family 16-22/10-12 --110

7. Felician 21-16/11-11-- 93

8. Post 18-25/13-9 --79

9. Philadelphia 10-28/6-16 --58

10. USP 14-21/10-12 --56

11. Nyack 9-26/6-16 --48

12. Goldey-Beacom 4-32/1-21 --40

13. Chestnut Hill* 9-18/6-14 --14

()-First Place Votes

* - Record as a member of the NEAC