Iona Earns Top Spot in 2012 MAAC Softball Preseason Poll
MAAC Sports
Edison, N.J. - Iona College has been tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the 2012 MAAC Softball Championship, according to a poll voted on by the league's head coaches.
Iona, the two-time defending MAAC Champion, finished with 81 points in the poll, while Marist College finished second (68). Fairfield University placed third with 58 points. Canisius College took fourth place (54), followed by Siena College (44), Niagara University (37), Manhattan College (29), Rider University (22) and Saint Peter's College (12).
Iona senior pitcher Sarah Jackson was named the 2012 MAAC Softball Preseason Player of the Year. Jackson, the Most Outstanding Player of the 2011 MAAC Softball Championship, posted a 2.07 ERA and a 17-9 record on the mound last season. She tallied 227 strikeouts in 177.1 innings pitched for the Gaels in 2011, and held her opponents to a .214 batting average.
Joining Jackson on the Preseason Team All-MAAC Team is teammate Alyssa Maiese at utility. Niagara's Becky Zill is the catcher, while Fairfield's Kristen Filicia, Marist's Nicole DiVirgilio, Niagara's Jennifer Hare and Siena's Shannon Jones each earned a spot in the infield. In the outfield are Canisius' Lizzy Gatto, Fairfield's Mikayla Shumate and Marist's Ashley Corriss. Marist's Sarah Carmody rounds out the squad as the designated player.
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2012 MAAC SOFTBALL PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
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2012 MAAC SOFTBALL PRESEASON TEAM
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1.
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Iona
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81
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Becky Zill
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Catcher
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Niagara
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2.
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Marist
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68
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Kristen Filicia
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Infield
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Fairfield
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3.
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Fairfield
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58
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Nicole DiVirgilio
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Infield
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Marist
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4.
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Canisius
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54
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Jennifer Hare
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Infield
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Niagara
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5.
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Siena
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44
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Shannon Jones
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Infield
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Siena
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6.
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Niagara
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37
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Lizzy Gatto
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Outfield
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Canisius
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7.
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Manhattan
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29
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Mikayla Shumate
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Outfield
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Fairfield
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8.
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Rider
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22
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Ashley Corriss
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Outfield
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Marist
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9.
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Saint Peter's
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12
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Sarah Carmody
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Designated Player
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Marist
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Alyssa Maiese
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Utility
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Iona
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Sarah Jackson
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Pitcher
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Iona
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2012 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year: Sarah Jackson, Iona
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