(Photo Courtesy of Fairfield Athletics)
FAIRFIELD, Conn. — College Sports Madness announced its annual preseason All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) softball teams and the Stags were well represented. Julie Brzezinski earned the preseason coach of the year while Rae Ball and Lauren Liseth collected the pitcher and field player of the year, respectively while four Stags were placed on the first and second teams.
Brzezinski led the Stags to another berth in the MAAC tournament and just missed a 30-win season with a 29-21 overall record. Brzezinski was named the MAAC Coach of the Year on four occasions, most recently after the 2012 campaign. And, the Stags have captured five MAAC regular-season crowns during her tenure. She has 696 career wins, which includes 245 victories at Campbell University, and has 451 wins as the Stags’ mentor.
Liseth, a catcher, turned in one of the best seasons by a Fairfield softball last season, posting a .389 batting average with seven home runs and 36 RBI. She was nationally ranked for walks per game, earning 55 bases on balls in 50 games. She was also in the NCAA rankings for on-base percentage, finishing the season with a .565 mark. She capped her 2013 season by earning the MAAC Player of the Year award. She also earned a spot on the NFCA All-Region team and on the CoSIDA Academic All-Region squad.
Ball was a first-team All-MAAC pitcher a year ago after posting a team-best 14 wins. She was also the team leader in ERA (1.77), appearances (32), and starts (21). Ball pitched in 158 innings, averaging five innings per appearance which include 11 in relief. Ball was also effective at the plate, posting a .205 batting average with three doubles, a triple, and five home runs which led to 33 RBI.
Ball and Liseth represented the Stags on the Madness preseason All-MAAC first team while pitcher Rebecca Trott and infielder Kristen Filicia were members of the Madness preseason All-MAAC second team. Trott completed her junior season with a 13-6 record and a 2.78 ERA with a team-high 101 strikeouts in 115 innings of work. She was named to the MAAC All-Academic team last season. Filicia was a second-team All-MAAC player in 2013 after registering a .335 batting average with five doubles, two triples, and two home runs in her 50 starts. She was the team leader with 19 steals in 25 attempts, which placed second in the MAAC.
The Fairfield University softball team will open the 2014 season on the road, playing in the ESPN Citrus Classic in Orlando from February 21-23. The Stags will play five games in Florida before participating in tournaments at James Madison University, Hofstra University, and the University of Kentucky. Fairfield plays its home opener on March 26 when it hosts Yale University for a doubleheader at Alumni Softball Field.
