FARMINGTON – The University of Maine at Farmington softball team is scheduled to open its season this weekend as the Beavers will travel to Virginia to take part in the Virginia Wesleyan College Beach Blast.
Farmington — headed on its first-ever trip to warmer climates for the season start — is scheduled to face Virginia Intermont (2 p.m.) and Randolph (4 p.m.) today and Franklin & Marshall (2 p.m.) and Virginia Wesleyan (4 p.m.) at the VWC Beach Blast.
In 2010, the Beavers went 14-14 overall and placed third in the North Atlantic Conference with a 9-5 record. Farmington reached the NAC championship round for the fourth straight season. Farmington was recently pegged for fifth place in the NAC preseason coaches poll.
“Husson was the NAC champion last year and has most of its roster back,” said head coach Cyndi Pratt, who is in her third season with softball. “I think the rest of the conference is fairly even. We’re really looking forward to the trip to Virginia. It gives us a chance to get outdoors and figure some things out so we can be ready for our conference games.”
Farmington roster features a blend of first-years and veterans with eight returnees and eight freshmen. The Beavers graduated starting leftfielder Emily Coye (Naples, Maine), third baseman Casandra Dyer (Freeport, Maine), pitcher Whitney Page (Sorrento, Maine) and infielder Chelsea Cozzolino (Bryant Pond, Maine).
“Our strength will be our hitting,” said Pratt. “We have very good hitters back, led by two-time All-NAC First Teamer McKell Barnes (Durham, Maine), NAC Second Teamer Kaitlyn Bartlett (Chesterville, Maine) and Shannon Mitchell (Portsmouth, N.H.). Our pitching is untested and very young. A deciding factor for our season is how our pitching staff comes together. I’ve seen a lot of promise so far.”
Barnes, also regionally honored and the 2009 NAC Player of the Year, is UMF’s career leader in home runs (21) and is second in doubles (36) and RBI (93). The senior catcher/first baseman led the team in batting average (.476), runs scored (23), hits (39), and doubles (12) and shared the runs batted in lead with Bartlett at 21. Bartlett, a sophomore designated player/pitcher, hit .474 with a team-best seven home runs, while Mitchell, a junior first baseman/designated player, batted .380 with three home runs and 18 RBI.
Barnes and junior shortstop Samantha Morency (Lewiston, Maine) are serving as captains. Morency, a two-year starter, batted .306 last season and will be joined by freshman third baseman Amy Jones (Augusta, Maine) on the left side of the infield. Junior Meaghan Donnell (Rochester, N.H.), sophomore Kaitlin Haase (Newburgh, Maine) and freshman Devin Fitzgerald (Casco, Maine) are vying at time at second base, while freshman Bridget Flaherty (Plymouth, Mass.) will be in the infield mix.
Lily Barry (Hermon, Maine) is the only returnee to the outfield as the sophomore will patrol center field for the Beavers. Barry hit .380 and drove in 10 runs last season. Donnell along with freshmen Casey Mull (Portland, Maine), Brianna Peters (Londonderry, N.H.) and Liz Sargent (Trenton, Maine) are expected to see time in the outfield.
Freshman Emma Vaillancourt (Saco, Maine) is emerging as the ace of the staff, which is missing Page along with senior Jess Timmreck (Brunswick, Maine), who is studying abroad. Bartlett, sophomore Anna Piggott (Manchester, Conn.) and freshman Meghan Donovan (Westborough, Mass.) are each preparing for pitching duties as the Beavers make their way to their spring season.
For more information on University of Maine at Farmington athletics, visit athletics.umf.maine.edu.
