PITMAN --- Defending regular-season champion Rowan garnered six first-place votes as the Profs are picked as the preseason favorite to win the 2022 NJAC Softball title based on polling of the league’s 10 head coaches.
Defending NJAC champion TCNJ picked up four first place votes and is second in this year’s preseason poll. Kean comes in a third, and Stockton and Montclair State round out the top five predictions. Ramapo clocks in at sixth, followed by Rutgers-Camden, dark horse selection William Paterson, Rutgers-Newark, and NJCU.
The Lions, who went to the NCAA Tournament last year after winning the NJAC Tournament, are ranked 10th in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) preseason poll.
A number of top players return across the NJAC, including 2019 All-American Lauren Conroy (TCNJ) along with 2021 Pitcher of the Year Emily August (Rowan) and 2021 Co-Rookies of the Year Julia Mayernik (TCNJ) and Mahogany Wheeler (Ramapo).
August returns to the circle for the Profs after leading the NJAC last year with a league-best 0.74 ERA. The 2021 First Team pitcher hurled 108 strikeouts and limited opponents to hitting just .156 off her. She will be joined by fellow returning First Team All-Conference honorees Korie Hague, Payton MacNair, and Morgan Zane on what will be a very experienced and deep roster. MacNair led the NJAC last year in both doubles and triples and was third in the conference with a .405 batting average. Hague was among last year’s top 10 in RBI (4th; 26) and hits (7th; 33). Zane, a two-time all-conference pick, led the NJAC last season with 33 RBI on 40 hits. Head Coach Kim Wilson welcomes several newcomers vying for playing time, including Division I transfer McKenzie Melvin (Delaware State) along with Liz McCaffery (Cranford), Devyn DiPasquale (Passaic Valley), and Rylee Lutz (GCIT).
TCNJ returns several top players from a squad that finished runner-up in the regular season and went on to win the conference tournament and NCAA automatic bid. All-American Lauren Conroy is back at third base. The three-time First Team All-Conference honoree ranked second in the NJAC last season with a .675 slugging percentage. Fellow First Teamer Kaci Neveling swung .453 last year to rank second in the conference; she led the NJAC in total runs (35) and was second in total hits (43). Jaclyn Carifi, a Second Team pick last year, returns to the lineup after batting .403 last year (4th in the NJAC) and racking up 10 stolen bases. Mayernik, the reigning Co-Rookie of the Year, returns behind the plate. She was also in the top 10 in doubles last year (9) while batting .325. Julia Kinnally is also back at shortstop; she posted a .383 average last year with two home runs and was among the NJAC’s top 10 in slugging percentage (.593). Head Coach Sally Miller also welcomes a number of newcomers to the Lions’ squad, including pitcher Julia Roessler (Indian Hills), pitcher/utility McKayla Yard (Hunterdon Central), and pitcher/utility Marina Costello (Kingsway Regional). The rookie pitchers will join returning pitcher Ally Schlee as they all look to step up after the graduation of former star hurlers Alanna Namit and Eliza Sweet.
Kean looks to be among the top teams again this year, as the Cougars welcome back senior leaders in Gabby Fredette, Paige Metz, and Heather Clevenger. Fredette, a Second Team All-Conference pick in 2019, was in the top five in the NJAC last year in on-base percentage (3rd; .513) and slugging percentage (5th; .594) while batting .391 (9th in the NJAC). Metz was tied for second in the conference last year with four home runs, while batting .324 and racking up 29 runs scored (4th in the NJAC). Clevenger was among the top five last year in the circle, with a 1.98 ERA (5th) and .183 opposing batting average (4th) while going 8-2 overall. Head Coach Margie Acker looks for newcomer Eliza Filus to make immediate contributions. Filus is an infielder out of North Hunterdon High School.
Stockton Head Coach Mavreen Hering is excited about a good mix of senior leadership and young talent on her Osprey squad that looks to again be among the top teams in the conference. Two-time All-Conference honoree Lilly James is the leading returning hitter, going .353 last year with a .588 slugging percentage that ranked sixth in the NJAC. Fellow senior Sam McErlane will handle the pitching duties after seeing 56.2 innings of action last year. Sophomore DP Jenna Patterson returns after leading the NJAC in home runs last season (5) and ranking among the top 10 in the league in RBI (19). A handful of newcomers look to shore up the Osprey lineup, including Division II transfer Kayla Posten. Posten started all 16 games she appeared in last season at Barry and went .233 at the plate. Rookies Megan Sears (Indian Hills), Charli Czaczkowski (Jackson), and Bri Segnello (Mount Olive) aim to get into the lineup quickly as well.
Montclair State sees some changes in its lineup upon the graduation of several key players. However, Head Coach Anita Kubicka welcomes back a trio of all-conference players to provide leadership as the Red Hawks gain experience through the coming season. First Team pick Kayla Cosentino is the leading returning batter, going .315 last year with four doubles and eight RBI. Utility player Alyssa Borozan, a Second Team pick in 2021 also brings a solid bat after going .308 last year with 15 RBI. The speedy senior also stole six bases last season. Righty pitcher Ali Cavallaro, a Second Team honoree last year, went 8-4 in her sophomore season and struck out 45 in 72.0 innings. Rookie pitcher Sage Rizzi (Waldwick) looks to get in the circle early and is also joined by rookie infielder Emily Jacobs (Sparta).
Ramapo has a handful of top players back from its 2021 squad, including two-time all-conference pick Carli Egan at second base and reigning Co-Rookie of the Year Mahogany Wheeler both in the circle and at the plate. Egan went .325 last year with 15 RBI. Wheeler handled much of the pitching duties, seeing 96.0 innings and striking out 43 in that time. The two-way threat also ranked fourth in the NJAC in doubles (10) and seventh in slugging percentage (.554). Krista Verrino also returns for a fifth season. She belted eight doubles last year to rank among the NJAC’s top 10. Head Coach Bridgette Quimpo brings in a handful of newcomers looking to make an immediate impact. Juco transfer Alexis Corra (County College of Morris) brings a huge bat to the Roadrunner lineup that Quimpo believes is one of the most talented teams Ramapo has fielded. She went .560 with a 1.027 slugging percentage last year, along with 41 RBI, 17 doubles, and six home runs. She is joined by rookies Marissa DiPaolo (Watchung Hills) and Katie Rygiel (Hillsborough).
Rutgers-Camden will have an entirely new infield this season with the exception of returner Cate Petrucelli at second base, but Head Coach Meredith McCarthy is pleased with the solid group of freshman and transfers who will have to step up immediately. The Scarlet Raptors lose the services of pitcher Sarah Byrnes to graduation but McCarthy is looking to the solid arms of junior Rachel White who has seen NJAC action in the past as well as sophomore Natalie Ampole who earned All-South Jersey and played for a high school state championship. Lindsey Rodzon, a two-sport athlete who played soccer for the Raptors in the fall, has been solid in preseason in the circle as well. Senior Kimmy Musarra, a Second Team All-Conference honoree last year, will lead the outfield unit. She is the leading returning hitter as well. Transfers Zoe Rodriguez (Rutgers-New Brunswick) and Megan Gray (Stockton) also join the lineup along with rookies Luci Hutchinson (Gloucester Catholic) and Emily Dubiago (Jackson Memorial).
William Paterson, this year’s dark horse selection in the preseason poll, will be under the tutelage of new head coach Jessica Jacobson. A familiar name to the NJAC after a four-year playing career at TCNJ (2003-07), Jacobson brings Division I coaching experience to a solid and high-energy group of Pioneer returners and newcomers this season. She will have the senior leadership of Carly McDaniel, Anna Nunziato, and Cait Monahan. McDaniel was an all-conference pick last year after ranking among the top 10 in stolen bases. She batted .297 with 11 RBI. Nunziato is the leading returner at the plate, going .317 last year and 4-for-4 in stolen bases. Monahan drove in 11 runs last year while batting .233. A large group of newcomers will join the Pioneers this season. Sisters Lindsey and Shannon Wall join after playing at the County College of Morris. Lindsey went .310 with 17 RBI and Shannon went .320 with 11 RBI last season. Also looking to break into the lineup are rookies Delaney Sullivan (Egg Harbor Twp.), Lindsey Acker (Deptford), Jaelynn Miller (Warren Hills), Kylie Bythrow (Deptford), and Lauren Hutchinson (South Plainfield).
Rutgers-Newark also has a new head coach in Jaclyn Davis, a former four-year Division II player at Post University. She most recently coached at Suffolk University where she took her squad to the postseason in each of her seasons there. Davis looks to develop her small and young roster this year, and will be relying on the pitching and overall experience of senior Jackie Lara who is a two-time all-conference honoree. Lara ranked sixth in the NJAC last year with a .396 batting average. She tossed 48.1 innings, starting eight games with five complete game outings. Junior centerfielder Michelle McMillan also looks to step up this year after providing a solid bat last year (.280). She is joined in the outfield by sophomore Alex DiMartino who drove in five runs on eight hits.
NJCU Head Coach Ashley Martinez sees a stronger Gothic Knight squad both on and off the field heading into the 2022 season. Senior Emma Herrick returns at first base; she batted a solid .333 last season and committed just a single error in 91 chances (.989 fielding percentage). Next to her on the infield is junior Hailey Mojica at second base; Mojica collected 32 putouts and 18 assists last year. Junior shortstop Alissa Bikowski also looks to make an impact this year after gaining experience in limited action (seven games) last year. NJCU welcomes newcomers Mya Villanueva (McNair Academic) and Abigail Castro (Passaic Tech). Villanueva can play several positions in the infield including catcher and third base, and has the ability to contribute to the pitching staff. Castro will bring her talents behind the plate as a catcher.
The 2022 season kicks off on Friday, Feb. 25, with Rowan opening action down in Cary, NC. Rowan, TCNJ, and Kean are all in action this coming weekend.
The 2022 NJAC Softball Tournament is slated to start on Tuesday, May 3 at campus sites. The tournament will then move to Kean for the weekend portion on May 6-8.
2022 NJAC Softball Preseason Poll (first place votes in parentheses)
1. Rowan (6)
2. TCNJ (4)
3. Kean
4. Stockton
5. Montclair State
6. Ramapo
7. Rutgers-Camden
8. William Paterson (dark horse)
9. Rutgers-Newark
10. NJCU