Softball Slotted Fourth in NEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll

The Central Connecticut softball team was predicted to finish fourth this season in the annual Northeast Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, the league office announced on Thursday afternoon. The Blue Devils, who finished 31-14 and won their second NEC Championship in program history last season, will look to defend their conference title, but must replace a number of vital pieces to do so.

OFFICIAL NEC RELEASE

2016 SOFTBALL SCHEDULE

LIU Brooklyn, last year's NEC Tournament runner-up and team the Blue Devils defeated in dramatic fashion to head to the NCAA Tournament, received seven first place votes and was tabbed the 2016 NEC softball preseason favorite. They were followed by defending NEC regular season champion Robert Morris on the poll.

Bryant received one first place vote and was predicted to finish third just ahead of the Blue Devils who garnered the final first place vote and was tabbed fourth on the preseason list.

Saint Francis U and Fairleigh Dickinson took the fifth and sixth spots, respectively. Sacred Heart, Mount St. Mary's and Wagner rounded out the nine-team poll.

Central returns 12 players from its 2015 NEC Championship team, including five seniors who were all consistent starters in the Blue Devils lineup, but lost a pair of All-Conference and CCSU standouts in Laura Messina and Kat Malcolm.

Seniors Katie Schmidt, Evie Rentzel and Eileen Purcell are the top upperclassmen returning for CCSU offensively. Schmidt was fourth on the team last season with a .272 batting average followed closely by Rentzel at .270. Rentzel also slugged .402 in 2015 with seven doubles and three homeruns, while driving in 20 RBI. Purcell was tied for second on the team with 26 RBI last year.

Youth consumes the Blue Devils 2016 roster with 14 underclassmen, including sophomore Tori Constantin who will look to be a force at the plate as she is CCSU's top returnee in batting average (.273), slugging percentage (.430) and home runs (5).  Classmate Brittany Camara also returns after hitting .269 with 24 runs scored and was five-for-five in stolen base attempts in her first year as a Blue Devil last season.

Sophomore Emily Sargent and freshman Alex Casañas are expected to carry the weight inside the circle for the Blue Devils this year. In 47.2 innings pitched during her freshman campaign, Sargent posted a 3-4 record with one save. She compiled a 3.97 ERA, twirling four complete games and had 16 strikeouts. Casañas is a four-year varsity letter winner from Rosary High School in La Mirada, CA.

The CCSU softball team will open the 2016 season in exactly two weeks on Thursday, Feb. 25 with a doubleheader at Florida International in Miami, FL beginning at 6 p.m. They will remain in Miami for the next three days to play in the Felsburg Invitational Tournament hosted by FIU before they return to play at Hartford on Mar. 9. The Blue Devils will play their first home games with a doubleheader against Stony Brook on Mar. 22.