2010 Softball Schedule

LOCK HAVEN, Pa.—The Slippery Rock University softball team has been picked to finish second in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division standings this season, as announced in the preseason coaches poll released by the league office Friday.

California (Pa.) was the unanimous selection to finish first in the PSAC-West, receiving all five first-place votes. Slippery Rock was chosen second, followed by Mercyhurst, with Edinboro and Gannon tying for the last two spots in the poll.

Bloomsburg was chosen to lead the Central division with four first-place votes, followed by defending PSAC and NCAA champions, Lock Haven, which received the final first-place vote. LHU was followed by Indiana (Pa.), Mansfield and Clarion.

In the East, Kutztown edged Shippensburg for the top spot with three of the five first-place votes. The Lady Raiders picked up the other two votes to place second, followed by West Chester, East Stroudsburg and Millersville.

The Rock, coached by seventh-year head coach Vashion Johnson, finished last season with a 21-23 overall record and a 7-9 record in the PSAC-West. SRU placed second in the division and qualified for its first PSAC playoff appearance since 1984.

Slippery Rock returns six everyday starters from last season, including three-time All-PSAC West senior standout Jessica Kortz at catcher and first base. Kortz was second on the team in hitting last season with a .398 batting average. She tied for the team lead with seven homeruns and 10 doubles and led the team with 29 RBI. Senior Sheree Horvath also returns at first base after earning Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Atlantic Region honors in 2009. Horvath posted a .380 batting average last season and tied for the team lead with seven homeruns.

Shardea Croes returns in the outfield after posting a .321 average last season. Croes was recognized as a finalist for the prestigious Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award and was named to ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honors.

Also returning in the outfield is Jordan Zeunges, who posted a .285 average last season and tied for the team lead with 10 doubles. She finished the season with 130 at bats, more than anyone else on the team.

The final field player to return this season is second baseman Whitney Warmus. Warmus finished the 2009 campaign hitting .289 and posted a fielding percentage of .971.

Also returning this season is pitcher Shauna Walker, who appeared in 25 games and made 21 starts last season. Walker posted a 9-11 overall record with a 4.61 ERA. She registered a team-high 68 strikeouts in 125.0 innings of work.

The Rock is scheduled to open the 2010 season at Johnson C. Smith with a doubleheader March 5. From there the team will play in the Rebel Games in Kissimee, Fla. from March 7-12.


20010 PSAC Softball Preseason Poll
(First-place votes in parenthesis)

West:
1. California (Pa.) (5)
2. Slippery Rock
3. Mercyhurst
T5. Edinboro
T5. Gannon

East:
1. Kutztown (3)
2. Shippensburg (2)
3. West Chester
4. East Stroudsburg
5. Millersville

Central:
1. Bloomsburg (4)
2. Lock Haven (1)
3. Indiana (Pa.)
4. Mansfield
5. Clarion