AKAKPO PROFILE

Two sports
Arnelle Akakpo's Wolverine skills:
volleyball star, softball team manager

Sophomore #1 outside hitter Arnelle Akakpo (Rahway, N.J.) – of the Wesley Wolverine volleyball team – also served last season as the softball squad's team manager. 

Arnelle Akakpo

Out of the spotlight, she worked during softball games from the dugout where she kept the scorebook and, most critically, before and after games, assisted with the all important team logistics.

On the volleyball court, however, her athletic ability was front and center. She led the volleyball team last year with 211 kills in just her freshman year.

Her player profile is now posted at the BRAND NEW Wesley College VOLLEYBALL Blog. Learn more about Arnelle by visiting www.wesleyvolleyball2014.blogspot.com
                       _______________

We hope to have profiles from everyone on the Wesley Wolverine softball team for this blog. If you would like to submit a profile, please CLICK HERE for the “Wolverine softball profile guidelines”. Or, write wesleysoftball@gmail.com to inquire about it.

PAPERWORK

Paperwork before play
Submit insurance/ medical forms
for intercollegiate athletic participation

If you plan to play a Wesley College varsity sport, you do have a few forms to complete.

If you haven't started, there's no better time than this final month of summer to check this process off your list of things-to-do to prepare for the upcoming academic year. 
 
► INSURANCE/ MEDICAL HISTORY

Three of the forms contain the standard insurance and medical history questions that most athletes have typically answered before for past sports participation. These can be filled out easily online at these links:

√ Three forms online!

■ Athlete Insurance Questionnaire
■ Past Medical History
■ Risk Waiver

► DOCTOR'S PHYSICAL

The Pre-Participation Physical Form is true paperwork, requiring a trip to the doctor's office with form in hand. It, too, is just a basic physical, which, if taken recently, all a physician may have to do is check a few boxes and sign off on it. It can be printed out at this link:

√ Doctor's physical

■ Pre-Participation Physical Form

The physical hard-copy form can be mailed to
Sports Medicine, Wesley College, 120 N. State Street, Dover, DE, 19901.

While not required, it is wise to keep a copy for yourself simply as a backup.

► ROSTER PROFILE

√ Roster info/ update

Then, there's roster information to be submitted primarily by incoming freshmen, but also by anyone with updated information to report.

You may want to take a little time to think about this one. There are academic and athletic achievements to describe, previous sports and coaches to name, stats and personal bests to list. You will find it online at this link:

■ Sports Information Form

► PLAYER PROFILE FOR THIS BLOG

√ Consider blog profile

If you are already on the softball roster, please also give thought to sharing a “player profile” to be posted at this blog. In it, you can share much more about yourself and your accomplishments in words and photos than space permits on your official roster web page.

CLICK HERE for guidelines about creating a player profile for the blog.

_____________________________________

CLICK HERE for more information about sports forms at the Wesley College “Student-Athlete Forms” web page.

USSSA TROPHY

East Coast Xplosion wins it -- second year in row!
Wolverine freshman Tiarra Maddox
picks up USSSA World Series trophy

Incoming freshman, new Wesley Wolverine
Tiarra Maddox displays World Series trophy!  

You could not have asked for much better weather for the USSSA Fastpitch Eastern World Series, played this past week in Salisbury, Maryland. That's just down Delaware's Route 13, about 55 miles from the Wesley College campus.

Clear skies, temperatures in the 80s, Atlantic ocean beaches nearby, and rains that held off until the final hours made for a near perfect tournament experience for 138 softball clubs traveling from eleven states (i.e., Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts).

A couple of our Wesley Wolverines played in it – plus TWO NEW Wolverine incoming freshmen softball recruits. One was on the team that took home the championship title!

Wesley freshman 3B Tiarra Maddox and her travel-team East Coast Xplosion won the top trophy for the second year in a row. Tiarra played high school ball for the Woodbridge Blue Raiders (Bridgeville, DE), where Kira Wagar is the assistant softball coach and also previous assistant softball coach for two seasons for Head Coach Juli Greep and the Wesley Wolverines 2011-2013.

Last spring, the Wesley Wolverine team attended a Woodbridge game to cheer on Coach Wagner and then high school senior, Wolverine prospect Tiarra. (Click here for the blog entry about that Woodbridge game.)

Incoming freshman pitcher Destiny Davis sends a drop ball
across the plate at the USSSA Eastern World Series games.

Lily & Casey at USSSA World Series

Other Wolverines on the Salisbury fields this past week were incoming freshman Destiny Davis on the Salisbury Sharkz, sophomore #19 OF Casey Beall (Severn, MD) playing for the Arden Lady Sharks and sophomore #9 P/OF Lily Engel (Dover, DE), a guest player for the Delaware Diamonds.


TEAM PICTURE BELOW: East Coast Xplosion, USSSA Fastpitch Eastern World Series champions 2014, 18U. Tiarra is second from right in front row.

FALL SPORTS

Fall 2014 games
Wesley sports, softball
poised for exciting season

There's just a few weeks left of summer. Soon they are headed back to campus.

International students arrive Tuesday, August 19. Freshman check-in for the “Windows on Wesley” orientation period on Thursday, August 21. All other undergraduates living on campus move-in on Sunday, August 24 before the first day of classes for everyone on Monday, August 25.

CLICK HERE for the handy Wesley Calendar which lists all academic and sporting events on campus through the year.

■ WOLVERINE SOFTBALL

Softball's/ Field Hockey's
Morgan Seymour

On the horizon is Wesley Wolverine Fall softball. It is a time to sharpen skills, reestablish team camaraderie, and meet new recruits and teammates.

The Wesley Wolverines' ended the 2014 season with a 17-17 record, which is the team's most victories since the 2005 and the first .500 season since 2001.

Wesley, second smallest college in the Capitol Athletic Conference (CAC) – e.g., most school's are 2-1/2 to 5 times its size in undergraduate population – still found themselves under Head Coach Juli Greep among the leaders in many statistics.

Softball's Breanna Hartman

■ SOFTBALL TEAM STATS

Though the Wolverines played just 34 games (#5 among the conference's 8 teams), Wesley ► led the league with 18 triples (which also was #12 NCAA national D3 rank), finished ► #3 with 205 runs scored in the CAC (which also was #84 NCAA national D3 rank), again ► #3 with 297 hits, yet again ► #3 with a .403 batting average, and still again ► #3 with a .403 on-base percentage. 

Wesley was 1 run short among conference teams for ► #3 in the RBI category, as well. The team ► slugged .449 for a CAC #4 place (which also was #92 NCAA national D3 rank).
 

Wesley Wolverine co-captains for the 2014- 2015 season are junior #22 C/UT Morgan Seymour (Smyrna, DE), junior #32 C/3B Kayla Fromal (Middletown, DE), junior #6 MI Breanna Hartman (Red Bank, NJ) 

Softball's/ Field Hockey's
Kayla Fromal

■ SOFTBALL INDIVIDUAL STATS
Among about 120 conference players or more, Wolverines stood out as individual leaders in stats, too.

Junior #8 OF Steph Caracozza's (Melbourne Beach, Fla.) impressive ► .427 batting average ranked #6 in the conference. Junior #2 P/OF Sarah Saunders (Wayne, NJ) finished #15 in batting among CAC leaders.

Steph's speed ensured ► 37 runs scored for a #7 CAC place (which also was ► #44 NCAA national D3 rank).

Softball's Steph Caracozza

 The team last year was no stranger to triples. Sophomore #18 catcher Nina Marcano's (Townsend, DE) amazing ► 5 triples ranked #2 in the conference (which also was ► #31 NCAA national D3 rank). Steph held the CAC's #3 position in three base hits with four and Sarah, right behind her, finished #4 with three. Senior OF Brook Creighton (Rock Hall, MD) slugged another two triples for a #7 placement.

Nina's always thrilling ► 5 home runs ranked #11 in the conference, while her ► 10 stolen bases ranked #5 in the league. Steph and junior MI Breanna Hartman (Red Bank, NJ) raced into a #13 CAC tie.

Softball's Sarah Saunders

Junior #25 1B Samantha Mahoski's (Schenectady, NY) splendid ► .981 fielding percentage at first base should be recognized as a conference leader amidst stats difficult to rank.

The pitching duo of freshman #12 P/MI Lindsay Siok (Milford, DE) and freshman #9 P/OF Lily Engel (Dover, DE), accounted for all 17 Wolverine wins, ► ranked #7 and #9 in the CAC for individual games won.

Lindsay's superb ► .315 ERA awarded her the CAC's #7 ranking. Lily pitched to a CAC earned run #12 slot. Lindsay's tireless arm threw ► 106.2 innings for #6 in the league. Lily finished #10.

Softball's/ Field Hockey's
Lindsay Siok

Lindsay also ranked #5 in the CAC with ► 17 games started and ► 12 games completed. Lily pitched to ranks of #9 and #8 respectively in these categories.

Lily, catching the plate's corners with pitches, gave up just ► 10 walks issued, which captured the CAC's #1 post for the least BB allowed (among CAC pitchers throwing 40+ innings.) This also was the ► #23 NCAA national D3 rank for least walks per seven innings. 

FALL SPORTS PREVIEW

There will be a single unofficial softball doubleheader this fall before the official season begins next February 2015. 

But before that doubleheader, Wesley's sports fields and gymnasiums will launch new seasons and exciting contests in field hockey, football, volleyball, soccer, and basketball. It is not uncommon to find the softball players actually playing in other fall sports or gathered together in the stands cheering-on their fellow Wolverines!

Plan ahead now for Wesley fall sports...

■ FIELD HOCKEY

Wesley last season advanced to the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) Semifinals where they took No. 3 Christopher Newport, a NCAA Semifinalist, into overtime. Softball players also on the hockey team are Morgan Seymour, Kayla Fromal, and Lindsay Siok. The team opens the 2014 season at home when they host the Lynchburg Hornets on Saturday, August 30 at 2:00 PM at Scott D. Miller Stadium, 400 Clara Street, Dover, Delaware. CLICK HERE for the full field hockey schedule. 

Football's Sosthene Kapepula

■ FOOTBALL

The Wolverines, who are ranked 5th nationally (DIII) in the D3football.com Preseason Poll, and #4 nationally in the USAToday rankings, open the 2014 season at home when they host No. 22 Thomas More on Saturday, September 6 at 1 pm. Five wolverines have been selected as 2014 Preseason All-American teams by different sports authorities. They are are Sosthene Kapepula with first team honors; Derrick Bender, Devin Filliben and Steve Koudossou with second team recognition; and, Kyle George awarded a Third Team pick. CLICK HERE for the full football schedule.

CLICK HERE for the blog post titled “Wesley Wolverine football ranked #4 nationally this fall”

Volleyball's Meghan Marshall

■ VOLLEYBALL

The Volleyball Wolverines recorded a program-best 15-13 overall record. In her first collegiate season, Ashley Klein set school-records for assists (595) and service aces (74) in a single-season while Meghan Marshall's 477 digs is also a school-record. Arnelle Akakpo led the squad with 211 kills last year. The team opens the 2014 season at home when they host the Goucher, Tuesday, September 9, at 7:00 PM. CLICK HERE for the full volleyball schedule.

Soccer's Will Mileski

■ MEN'S SOCCER

 The youngest team in the CAC, Wesley finished the year in the CAC Playoffs before being edged late in the tournament by Christopher Newport. Will Mileski was named last season's Capital Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Co-Rookie of the Year. The team opens the 2014 season at home when they host Moravian on Saturday, September 13 at 6:00 PM. CLICK HERE for the full men's soccer schedule.

■ WOMEN'S SOCCER

Women's soccer play their first home game against St. Elizabeth on Saturday, September 30 at 7:00 PM. Lead by the team's leading scorer the last two seasons, Chelsi Biener, whose total 21 goals are sixth all-time at Wesley while her 51 career points are seventh in school-history. CLICK HERE for the full women's schedule.

Soccer's Chelsi Biener

■ MEN'S BASKETBALL

It was quite a year, last year, for men's hoops. After going a program-best 23-4 last season with a Capital Athletic Conference regular season title, a national ranking, and it's first-ever NCAA Tournament victory, Wesley opens the 2014-15 season on Saturday, November 15 when it hosts Ramapo at 2:00 PM. CLICK HERE for the full men's basketball schedule.

Basketball's Brionna Johnson

 ■ WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
With one of the youngest rosters in the conference, Wesley College's Brionna Johnson was named the Capital Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Rookie of the Year last year. The team opens the 2014 season at home when they host Widener on Tuesday, November 25 at 6:00 PM. CLICK HERE for the full women's basketball schedule.

MAHOSKI PROFILE

Player profile
Samantha Mahoski,
Wesley scholar athlete
 

Samantha Mahoski

Here is a profile of Wesley Wolverine junior 1B  
Samantha Mahoski (Schenectady, New York).

We hope to have similar profiles from every Wolverine softball player. If you would like to submit a profile this summer, please write wesleysoftball@gmail.com to inquire about it.

WESLEY COLLEGE
WOLVERINE PROFILE

Player's name: Samantha Mahoski

Hometown: Schenectady, New York

Primary position: First Base

Samantha: At bat, driving the ball

Secondary position: First Base

Where I attended high school: Schenectady High School

College graduation year: 2015

College Major: History

What I hope to do when I graduate: I hope to go to Grad school and earn my masters in library information science, with a focus in archival work. I also plan on going after my PhD as well.

My passion off the field: My academics, it's something that I wish to succeed at no matter what.

COLLEGE EXPERIENCE

Samantha: consistently 

provides a stellar defense

Academic achievements: I’ve successfully been a scholar athlete every semester of college thus far.

Campus clubs or organizations: I am currently President of the Historical Society on campus.

Academic trips taken: Traveled to California in the fall semester of 2013 and also the Oneida Community in Upstate New York with my honors class.

Non-major course that I have enjoyed the most: Into to American Politics. I not only really enjoyed the professor but the content of the course was really interesting to me.

Besides softball, what I like best about college: The opportunity to meet new people and having the freedom to do what I want. It is also nice to be held accountable, because in college it is up to you, and only you, to be successful.

Besides softball, my favorite spot on campus: 1.) The library because it is where I can accomplish mostly everything and 2.) My bed because I love sleeping. 

Samantha: ready on every pitch

PERSONAL "LIKES" 
  
Things I like to do: I enjoy reading, hanging out with friends and family.

My summer job: I work at an assistant living center for senior citizens, where I work life enrichment. This means that I help organize the activities and trips that the residents partake in. (i.e. Bingo, arts/crafts, trips to Price Chopper).

Best advice I've received: “Remember that everything good takes time” Reminds me to keep working hard no matter what and that with time will come results.

Favorite player: The Captain, Derek Jeter. He is the epitome of class and I admire his leadership, on and off the field. And also Mark Teixeira. As a first baseman I enjoy watching him play, and I often look up to him, as a player.

Favorite teams: New York Rangers and the New York Yankees.

Favorite books: Escape, Johnny Got His Gun, 1984.

Samantha: play at the plate

Favorite movies: I can pretty much quote all of Bridesmaids. But I also enjoy 21 Jump Street (sometimes referred to as Jump 21 by myself) and the Heat.

Favorite quotes: “You must do the things you think you cannot do.” By Eleanor Roosevelt. She is my favorite person in history, without a doubt.

Who I would love to invite to dinner: Hillary Clinton because she inspires me.

What is most important to me: My friends and family. Without the support that they give me, it would be hard to do almost anything and without them I would not be where I am today.

SPEED OF SOFTBALL

ESPN analysis
Softball: bursts of speed, action,
forcing attention, fast reactions

According to ESPN, here is college softball by the numbers...

► SOFTBALL FIELD is (7,200 sq. ft.) 43% size of baseball field (16,700 sq. ft.) -- base paths 60 ft. vs. baseball's 90 ft. -- which means every player is constantly on the move, potentially being part of every play, while all the action is within easy purview of every spectator's seat.

► SOFTBALL PITCHING RUBBER is just 43 ft. from home vs. baseball's 60.5 ft., but a windmill pitcher releases the ball 37 ft. away to hurl a ball that can reach the plate as fast as 0.35 seconds later (faster than it takes a 100 mph baseball from its 55 ft. release point to reach its batter).

► SOFTBALL BATTER can have just 0.350 seconds to locate and identify a pitch, compared to 0.395 seconds for hard ball (and, then, she has as little as 0.025 seconds to decide whether to swing!)

► SOFTBALL BATTED BALL can come off the bat at speeds up to 100 mph. A shortstop may have only 0.61 seconds to react.

► SOFTBALL INFIELDERS facing shorter base paths must get the batted ball to first in less than 3.2 seconds. That's more than a full second faster than how a typical major league must successfully perform to fire a baseball to first (4.3 seconds).

► SOFTBALL SLAP-HITTERS can reach speeds of 19 mph, racing home to first in as little as 2.66 seconds. A third base fielder can take no more than 1.5 seconds (or throw faster than 100 mph) to record that out.

► SOFTBALL BASE STEALERS -- despite softball rules against leading off -- can get from first to second in as little as 3 seconds. On average, a softball catcher must react 1/10 of a second faster than her  major league counterpart.

► FOR THE FULL STORY FROM ESPN, CLICK ON VIDEO BELOW...

 

► IS HITTING A SOFTBALL SPORTS' GREATEST CHALLENGE?

   

► ESPN SPORT SCIENCE: HITTING A SOFTBALL

MARCANO PROFILE

Player profile
Nina likes the beach, friends,
family, workouts and softball

Nina Marcano

Here is a profile of Wesley Wolverine sophomore catcher Nina Marcano (Townsend, DE). It was written prior to her departure this past summer for the College Summer League for Softball, Myrtle Beach, SC.

We hope to have similar profiles from every Wolverine softball player. If you would like to submit a profile this summer, please write wesleysoftball@gmail.com to inquire about it. 

WESLEY COLLEGE 
WOLVERINE PROFILE

► Player: Nina Marcano

► Hometown: Townsend, Delaware

► Primary position: Catcher

► Secondary position: Catcher

► High School: Middletown High, Middletown, Delaware, 2013

► College graduation year: Class of 2017

► College Major: Physical Education

► What I hope to do when I graduate: I hope to be accepted into a graduate program with a graduate assistantship where I can coach and earn my degree.

I. ABOUT WESLEY COLLEGE...

► Besides softball, what I like best about college: I like hanging out with all of my friends.

► Besides softball, my favorite spot on campus: The Den. I love their grilled cheese baskets especially when Louise makes them.

► Non-major course that I have enjoyed the most: Music in our lives

II. BEACH LEAGUE 2014 SUMMER TRIP...

► What prospect excites me the most: Meeting new people and getting the opportunity to play with some of the best competition in the country.

► What I hope to learn by the experience: I feel like that question can’t be fully answered because I hope to learn so much in all aspects of the game, work ethic and fitness techniques I can bring back to my team.

► Parents' advice: They want me to meet people, play better, have fun and soak it all in.

► Coach Greep's advice and preparation: She has been getting me mentally and physically prepared. Her goal for me is to make quick adjustments to a new or different styles of play with new people.

III. PERSONAL “LIKES”...

► Things I like to do: Go to the beach, hanging out with my friends and family, workout, and play softball.

► My favorite job or task: I really like to do field work such as dragging and raking the field.

FAVORITE...
► Player: Lauren Chamberlin. She’s freaking good and hits bombs off of one leg.
► Team: Oklahoma Sooners Softball Team
► Book: The Hunger Games
► Movies: The Hunger Games, The Sandlot, Jumanji
► Quote: “When in doubt, there is no doubt.” My dad says that to me all the time.

► A real or fictional personality I would love to invite to dinner: I would like to meet Patti Gasso, the head coach for Oklahoma. I think her coaching philosophy and line up are very unique.

► What is most important to me: My family (see photo below)

Nina's family: Mom Ivelisse, Brother Carlos, Nina & Dad Jose.

NEW RULES

Experimental changes
New softer ball,
simplified lineup?

A new softer, lively softball for fall 2014 competition has been approved on an experimental basis by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel.

As Wesley Wolverines know, a softball's polyurethane core and a leather cover hardens in lower temperatures. That should be less the case with the new ball. The change serves double duty in cold weather: the ball gains some added bounce (approx 10%) when struck, while also causing less tissue damage should it strike a player (approx 27% less impact) plus less broken bat potential. 

“With the new ball, whether you are playing in Arizona or North Dakota there should not be much of a difference in the softball’s performance,” said NCAA Softball Secretary-Rules Editor Dee Abrahamson.

► Flex rule adjustment

Another experimental rule for fall simplifies the designated player/(DP)/flex rule. The 10th line on the lineup card for flex players is now dropped. Instead, two players share a spot in the batting order, allowing either to bat and/or run any number of times without a substitution limit.

CLICK HERE for the full story

HARTMAN FAMILY

SOFTBALL HARTMAN FAMILY, Red bank, NJ. Left-to-right, daughter Samantha, Mom Tina, Dad Wayne, and daughter, our Wesley Wolverine, Breanna “Bre” Hartman. NOT SHOWN is daughter Kaylee who is the next Hartman addition to the college softball circuit. She will be a freshman this fall and play for the William Patterson University Pioneers.

Daughter Bre, a Wesley Wolverine
The game runs deep for this
tried-and-true softball family

Wolverine Bre Hartman playing 

23U summer ball for NJ Fury.

Wesley Wolverine Junior 2B Bre Hartman is taking on new roles.

► Co-captain

Named co-captain of the Wesley team at the end of last season, along with Junior C/UT Morgan Seymour and Junior 3B Kayla Fromal, Bre also has a brand new responsibility as a club team coach this 2014 summer to add to her softball portfolio.

► First base coach

An alumni of the NJ Fury (Eatontown,NJ), she returned to her home in Red Bank, NJ, at the end of last semester, to join both her younger sister, Kaylee, who plays for the 18U Fury, and her older sister, Samantha, who serves as the team's third base coach. Bre now is shouting encouragement to batters and sending runners from her first base coach's box.

Sisters, coaches, softball players, 

Samantha and Wolverine Bre Hartman

Samantha is a graduate of Keystone College, where she played for our own Wolverine Head Coach Juli Greep, who previously spent three years as head coach of the Keystone Giants. Kaylee will be a college freshman this fall and play for the William Patterson University Pioneers.

► 23U player

Bre and Samantha are still suiting up this summer to swing their bats as fastpitch players. Both are on the roster of the 23U NJ Fury squad.

► Competitor

But they are not always on the same side.

Two years ago, Bre and Samantha squared off against each other as the Wesley Wolverines contested the Keystones Giants on spring break in Myrtle Beach during 2013. 

Wolverine Bre Hartman coaches

 for the 18U and plays for 

23U NJ Fury this summer.

In that game, Samantha was 3-for-3 with a double and two runs scored as Keystone triumphed 8-6. 

 
“They are teammates, competitors, but always family” noted Coach Greep about the close relationship between these three sisters who also love the game of softball.

On the horizon some day: Bre & the Wesley Wolverines versus younger sister Kaylee & the William Patterson University Pioneers? It's possible. Time will tell.

____________________
PHOTO COLLAGE BELOW: Two years ago, the sisters, Bre and Samantha, faced each other as players on opposing college softball teams. Here are pictures of the two (together in every shot) from the Wesley Wolverine versus Keystone Giants contest in the spring of 2012. Bre played 2B, while Samantha caught...