Wednesday, February 27, 2002

MORAVIAN SOFTBALL RECEIVES VOTES IN NFCA PRESEASON POLL

COLUMBIA, MO --- The 2002 Moravian College is still a week away from taking the field but the squad is already receiving national attention as the Greyhounds received votes in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association NCAA Division III Top 25 Preseason Poll and is among the top 35 teams in the nation this preseason.

Defending national champions Muskingum (OH) College received all eight first-place votes in the poll for 200 points.  Moravian received seven points, which put the squad five spots out of the Top 25.

Moravian, under the direction of ninth year head coach John Byrne (227-93) returns 13 players from last year's 33-12 squad that made its fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament.  The Greyhounds are also the two-time defending Commonwealth Conference Champions.

This season, Moravian is scheduled to play five games with teams ranked in the NFCA Preseason Poll with road doubleheaders at #8 William Paterson (NJ) University and #18 Rowan (NJ) University and a single game at #11 Salisbury University in the Salisbury Sea Gull Invitational.

The Greyhounds open the 2002 season on March 4^th with two days of contests in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, which will feature games with perennial NCAA Division III powerhouse Bridgewater (VA) College and NCAA Division II University of Charleston (WV).  Moravian will also play four games in Virginia Beach, Virginia on March 8th and 9th.

One of the keys this season for Moravian will be its pitching staff, which returns both starters from last season who were ranked in the top 25 nationally in ERA.  Senior Rachel Mowrey (Hellertown, PA/Saucon Valley HS) posted a 17-4 record last season with a 0.97 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 147 innings while sophomore Donna Weiner (East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park HS) was 1308 with a 0.97 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 144 innings.

The Greyhounds will also return their top three batters from last season, a trio of sophomores.  Sophomore outfielder Melissa Soroka (Newton, NJ/Pope John XXIII HS) led Moravian last season with a .359 batting average and she had 56 hits, 33 runs scored, 29 RBIs, nine double, three triples and three homeruns in her debut season.  Sophomore first baseman/designated hitter Jenn Hastings (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts HS) hit .354 last spring with 46 hits and 23 RBIs.  Sophomore third baseman Janelle Brey (Allentown, PA/Dieruff HS) set a Moravian record last season with five homeruns despite missing 14 games with a broken hand.  Brey finished the season hitting .350 with 35 hits, 24 RBIs, 20 runs scored and ten doubles.

Moravian's first game in the Lehigh Valley is a doubleheader with Muhlenberg College at Patriot's Park in Allentown on March 19th and the Greyhounds open their home season on March 21st with a doubleheader against Haverford College.

2002 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III Top 25 Preseason Poll

Also Receiving Votes: University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (13); Simpson (IA) College (11); Springfield (MA) College (10); Case Western Reserve University (9); Moravian College (7); Christopher Newport (VA) University (6); St. John Fisher (NY) College (5); University of Puget Sound (WA) (3); Rochester (NY) Institute of Technology (3); Redlands (CA) University (2); Methodist (NC) College (1); Willamette (OR) University (1).