College Softball News

Albany Softball Tops America East Preseason Poll

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Mirroring the participants in the America East Championship from last season, the conference announced Friday that the University at Albany and Stony Brook ranked first and second respectively in the conference preseason coaches’ poll. UAlbany received 34 points and five first place vote to take the top spot, while Stony Brook earned 31 points and two first place votes in second place.

The top three teams in the poll were separated by only six points. Binghamton sits in third place with 28 points and one first place vote. After Binghamton, the gap widens somewhat, with Hartford earning fourth place in the poll with 19 points. Maine follows in fifth place with 18 points, then UMBC in sixth place with 10 points, and finally UMass Lowell rounds out the poll in seventh place with seven points in their inaugural season in the America East.

UAlbany is coming off a 2013 campaign with an overall record of 37-15, and 15-2 in the America East. After earning a berth into the championship game, the Danes lost to Stony Brook, falling just short of a conference title.

UAlbany fields a squad featuring little turnover from the previous season. Seniors Brittany MacFawn and Charlise Castro, and junior Vicky McFarland look to anchor the roster. MacFawn was named America East Pitcher of the Year last year. She finished the season with a 28-9 record with 34 complete games, a 2.11 ERA, and 283 strikeouts to 36 walks. She set program records for innings pitched (256.1) and for strikeouts, as well as the conference record for wins. Additionally, she reached the 500 strikeout milestone in a game against Manhattan last year.

Castro, the 2012 America East Player of the Year, was second on the team a year ago with a .309 batting average. She led the team with eight home runs, two triples, and 38 walks. She also led the team with a .458 on base percentage and a .547 slugging percentage. Castro competed for Puerto Rico over the summer in the Pan American Classic.

McFarland led the team with 39 runs in 2013, and was second on the team with seven home runs and 17 steals. She was named to the America East First Team, started all 52 games in left field, and did not commit an error all season.

The Danes kick off the 2014 season on Friday, February 21 when they play their opening game of the Citrus Classic at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. The first home game for the UAlbany is Saturday, March 29 when the Danes begin a three-game set with Binghamton.

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