GREYHOUNDS TIED FOR FIRST IN COMMONWEALTH CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL

ANNVILLE, PA --- The Moravian College softball team has been picked in a tie with Lebanon Valley College in the Commonwealth Conference coaches preseason poll released Friday.

The Greyhounds received 46 points and four first place votes in the poll as did Lebanon Valley. The remainder of the poll included Susquehanna University, Messiah College, Albright College, Widener University, Elizabethtown College and Juniata College.

Moravian was ranked 15th in the 2007 National Fastpitch Coaches Association NCAA Division III Preseason Top 25 Poll released last week. Head coach John Byrne enters his 14th season with the team’s sights set on a seventh straight Commonwealth Conference Championship, a tenth berth in the NCAA Tournament and the program’s second trip to the NCAA Division III World Series. The Greyhounds return nine starters and 13 letterwinners from last year’s 37-9, which made the program’s ninth consecutive trip to the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament.

Leading the way for the Greyhounds at the plate is sophomore outfielder Erica Klepeisz (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth HS), who led the Greyhounds with 59 hits to go with a .353 average, 17 RBIs, 22 runs, 11 doubles, a triple, two homers and 15 stolen bases. Klepeisz was named to the Commonwealth All-Conference First Team and National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-East Region Third Team.

Senior outfielder Justina Black (Orefield, PA/Parkland HS) hit .331 with 42 hits, 13 runs, 24 RBIs, two homers, seven doubles and a triple while junior second baseman Beth Paly (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall HS) had 48 hits, a .324 average, 22 runs, 18 RBIs, seven doubles and three homers. Black was on the Commonwealth All-Conference Second Team while Klepeisz, Black and Paly were each named to the NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team.

Junior third baseman Kelly Santry (Hatboro, PA/Upper Moreland HS) had a .331 average with 41 hits, 20 runs, 17 RBIs, ten doubles and three homers, all hit in one game at Haverford College to set the single game school record. Santry earned spots on the Commonwealth All-Conference Second Team and the NFCA All-East Region Third Team.

Senior outfielder/first baseman Lauren Homa (Chalfont, PA/Central Bucks West HS), who earned a spot on the Commonwealth All-Conference Second Team, contributed 42 hits, 15 runs, nine RBIs, two doubles and a .321 average while sophomore first baseman/catcher Sheri Bieniek (Lumberton, NJ/Rancocas Valley HS) was also named to the Commonwealth All-Conference Second Team and had 29 hits, 12 runs, 10 RBIs, seven doubles and five home runs.

Sophomore shortstop Jordan Oplinger (Allentown, PA/Parkland HS) had 41 hits, 20 runs, nine RBIs, six doubles, a triple and nine stolen bases. Senior catcher Danielle Carrione (Bloomfield, NJ/Mt. St. Dominic HS) has 21 hits, 13 RBIs, nine runs, a homer and four doubles, and she became the school's all-time leader in putouts with 807 putouts.

Sophomore catcher Deanna Mangieri (Pleasantville, NY/Byram Hills HS) had 14 hits, four runs, a double, a triple and five RBIs while junior outfielder Megan Ritchey (Boyertown, PA/Boyertown HS) added 11 hits, 14 runs, four RBIs and two home runs. Senior first baseman Becky DeJulio (Vineland, NJ/Sacred Heart HS) had three hits with two doubles and two runs scored.

In the circle, sophomore Kristie Pellicani (Sparta, NJ/Sparta HS) was 10-2 last year with two shutouts, 28 walks, 71 strikeouts and a 1.42 ERA in 74 innings. Sophomore Katie Agnew (Doylestown, PA/Lansdale Catholic HS) had a 2-0 record with 11 walks and 13 strikeouts in ten innings in the circle for the Greyhounds. Pellicani had one hit, an RBI and three runs scored while Agnew had a hit, two runs and an RBI.

Coach Byrne has another strong recruiting class of high school all-stars for the 2007 season highlighted by catcher infielder Kelly Maressa (Allentown, PA), Danielle Massa (Livingston, NJ) and outfielder Katie Flood (Somerville, NJ). All three players earned All-County/Area awards in high school.

The Greyhounds will play in two tournaments to begin the season with four games at the Atlantic versus East Challenge in Virginia Beach and six games at the 2007 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III Leadoff Classic in Panama City, Florida. Moravian won the last NFCA Division III Leadoff Classic in 2004. The Greyhounds will open their home season on Saturday, March 17th in a Commonwealth Conference doubleheader versus Widener University at Blue & Grey Field.

2007 Commonwealth Conference Softball Preseason Poll