WEATHER DISCOURAGING

Weather forecasts discouraging
Will season start next week
or wait for the beach games?

Will winter ever let the Wesley Wolverines start their 2015 season? The weather forecasts are not especially promising for the two remaining doubleheaders before the team departs for the warmer temperatures of North Myrtle Beach, SC. 

Next up, Tuesday, March 3, the Wolverines are scheduled to travel north to the Philadelphia suburbs for games against the Swarthmore Garnet at Clothier Softball Field 508 Fieldhouse Lane, Swarthmore, PA. 

Game times are 3:00 & 5:00 PM.  

Click here for the Swarthmore weather forecast. 

The next day, Wednesday, March 4, is the big DII challenge against the visiting Lincoln University Lions at home on Reynolds DuPont softball field, 511 Mary Street, Dover, DE . 

Doubleheader times are 3:00 & 5:00 PM.  

Click here for the Dover weather forecast. 

Keep fingers crossed that at least one of the two doubleheaders is played before the trip south to the Fastpitch Dreams Classic!

Click here for the full Wolverine softball schedule.

GAME CANCELED

Old Man Winter strikes again

Sunday, March 1, 
game canceled

The snow blast that blanketed Dover, DE, today ended any hope for acceptable field conditions in time for the Wesley Wolverines versus Notre Dame Gators game this weekend.

Plans call for the game to be rescheduled the week of March 15 after the team has returned from the North Myrtle Beach tournament.

CLICK HERE for the Wolverine season schedule.

CO-CAPTAINS

Captains' advice: Push forward past setbacks

◄ KAYLA FROMAL, Exercise Science major.  

CLICK HERE for Kayla's bio. "No matter what anyone tells you, you can accomplish whatever you want in this world, just keep going,” says Kayla, quoting advice from her mom. CLICK HERE for Kayla's profile.

◄ BREANNA HARTMAN, Elementary & Special Education major.  

CLICK HERE for Bre's bio. “On the softball field my dad would always tell me,” Bre says, “ 'Pain is temporary, pride is forever.' ” CLICK HERE for Bre's profile.

◄ MORGAN SEYMOUR, Sports Management major. 

CLICK HERE for Morgan's bio. “Everything is temporary” says Morgan, also quoting good advice given her by mom. CLICK HERE for Morgan's profile.

MENDOZA FACEBOOK PAGE

CLICK HERE for the Jessica Mendoza Facebook page

HOME OPENER

First game in sight!
Wolverines ready to play
home opener this Sunday?

Will the cold, snow and ice ever go away? Weather forecasts predict the wintry mix to continue for a few more days. Maybe there's a break by the weekend?

Weather, field conditions permitting, the Wesley Wolverines first pitch of the 2015 season should happen this coming Sunday afternoon, March 1. The Notre Dame (MD) Gators will be visiting from Baltimore, Maryland.

Doubleheader game times are 1:00 & 3:00 PM on the Reynolds duPont Softball Field, 511 Mary Street, Dover.

CLICK HERE: Weather forecast

Past blog entries
CLICK HERE: Game preview
CLICK HERE: Season projections
CHECK HERE: Cold weather check list

NORTH MYRTLE VIDEO

Warmer weather dreaming...

Below: NEW, partial, quick 32 second clip just posted at YouTube on 2/18/2015 by “North Myrtle Beach Sports Tourism” – most, if not all, of which has been posted here before.  

View ENTIRE 2+ minute sports video at http://youtu.be/0YH9NLiw7hQ

Wesley Wolverines will play a nine game schedule at the North Myrtle Beach Park & Sports Complex, SC, March 8-13, 2015.


NORTH MYRTLE BEACH PARK: ■ 6 softball fields ■ 8 regulation soccer/lacrosse fields ■ 8 batting tunnels ■ concessions areas. ■ picnic shelters. ■ 3 playgrounds. ■ amphitheatre. ■ walking/Bike trails. ■ picnic shelters. ■ 3 acre dog park. ■ NO DOGS permitted in softball complex, however. ■ 25 acre lake for water-related activities. ■ 10 acre meadow and much more.

LAUREN GIBSON

Team USA Lauren Gibson, former All-American and University of Tennessee Lady Vol, honed her softball skills in Pasadena, Maryland, near Annapolis, where she attended Chesapeake High School, just across the Chesapeake Bay from the Delmarva Peninsula and the Wesley College campus.

As part of the Liberty Mutual Insurance Play Positive™ program, Lauren urges in the video below to always show sincere respect for softball opponents whether the game played has been won or lost.

WEEK OF MARCH 1

Six games scheduled over four days
Wolverine 2015 season
will launch next week

Left-to-right: Wesley Wolverine junior #6 MI
Breanna Hartman(Red Bank, NJ) and
junior #2 OF Sarah Saunders (Wayne, NJ)

Left-to-right: Wesley Wolverine junior #25 1B
Samantha Mahoski (Schenectady, NY) and 
sophomore #42 UT  Devin Mackay (Bangor, PA)

Left-to-right: Wesley Wolverine junior #32 C/3B
Kayla Fromal (Middletown, DE) and sopho-
more #18 C/3B Nina Marcano (Middletown, DE)

Left-to-right: Wesley Wolverine sophomore #9 P/OF
Lily Engel (Dover, DE) and junior #32 C/3B 
 Kayla Fromal (Middletown, DE) 

Left-to-right: Wesley Wolverine junior #22 C/UT
Morgan Seymour (Smyrna, DE) and
sophomore #12 P/MI Lindsay Siok (Milford, DE)

Left-to-right: Wesley Wolverine senior #11 OF
Brook Creighton (Rock Hall, MD) and
sophomore #17 OF Casey Beall (Severn, MD)

Left-to-right: Wesley Wolverine junior #8 OF
Steph Caracozza (Melbourne Beach, FL) and 
junior #6 MI Breanna Hartman (Red Bank, NJ)

Head Coach Juli Greep

Weather permitting, the Wesley Wolverines start off the season with three doubleheaders within four days -- two at home and one away -- in two DIII contests with MD and PA teams and a third match with a higher level DII opponent from Lincoln, PA.

After that, the team leaves on Saturday, March 7, for the nine game Fastpitch Dreams Classic Tournament in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Beginning early next week, here are dates, times, venues, previews and links to key information about the first three games...

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HOME GAME
Sunday, March 1
1:00 & 3:00 PM

Notre Dame 
Gators of 
Maryland University

PREVIEW: The Notre Dame Gators were 10-16 overall last year with
senior #4 OF/IN Brea Kehr tallying the team's highest batting (.493) and slugging percentage (.687). Sophomore #2 IN/P Stephanie Miller was right behind her in batting (.446) and slugging (.676).

VENUE: Reynolds DuPont softball field
511 Mary Street, Dover, DE

CLICK HERE for
WEATHER FORECAST

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AWAY GAME
Tuesday, March 3
3:00 & 5:00 PM

Swarthmore Garnet

PREVIEW: Swarthmore Garnet were 11-22 overall last year with senior #20 P/OF Chelsea Matzko who led starters with a .355 batting average, 38 hits, 7 doubles and a .439 slugging percentage. Behind her was junior #18 IF Clara Obstfeld who finished the season with 29 hits for a .309 average. Head Coach Renee Clarke enters her 12th season as Swarthmore's winningest softball coach with 189 victories.

VENUE: Clothier Softball Field
508 Fieldhouse Lane
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

CLICK HERE for
WEATHER FORECAST

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HOME GAME
Weds, March 4
3:00 & 5:00 PM 

Lincoln Lions

A DII challenge – only DII college on the Wolverine schedule this year – when the Lincoln Lions arrive in Dover with junior #7 OF Emily Woodruff slugging .500 last year (plus eight doubles, a triple and a home run) and senior #28 INF Toni Smith ripping the ball with a .429 slugging percentage in 2014.

VENUE: Reynolds DuPont softball field,
511 Mary Street, Dover, DE

CLICK HERE for
WEATHER FORECAST.

MEMORABLE MOMENT

FOUND ON WEB

'Pitch me your answer'
Softball-themed 
marriage proposal

NEWARK – The proposal didn't go exactly as Mac McGuire planned.

He set it all up ahead of time at Big League Athletics, where his girlfriend, Abbey Cooksey, was scheduled to teach a pitching lesson… CLICK HERE for the full NewarkAdvocate story.

This Facebook post may take several seconds to download here...

Post by USSSA-Fastpitch Softball.

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Post by Myrtle-Beach.com.

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PRESEASON POLL

Preseason poll
CAC projects sixth place
Wesley Wolverine finish

The Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) has released it's preseason coaches poll for the start of the 2015 season. The Wesley Wolverines are slotted at this early date for a sixth place conference finish among eight competing teams, which is just shy of the top five who will go on to the postseason playoffs. 

Left-to-right: junior #8 OF Steph Caracozza (Melbourne Beach, FL), sophomore #12 P/MI Lindsay Siok (Milford, DE), sophomore #9 P/OF Lily Engel (Dover, DE)  
– mentioned in the CAC team assessment posted below.

Here are the poll results…

PHOTO GROUP ABOVE pulled from the 
Wesley softball story about preseason 
poll. CLICK HERE for the college's 
website coverage.

2015 CAC Softball
Pre-Season Coaches Poll 

1. Salisbury (7 first-place votes) 
49 points
2. Christopher Newport  
(1 first-place vote) 43 points
3. Frostburg State 34 point 

4. York 30 points
5. Mary Washington 27 points
6. Wesley College 18 points
7. Penn State Harrisburg 16 points
8. Southern Virginia 7 points  

The Wolverines tied for sixth place last year. Despite the coaches poll, both Wolverine players and fans seem much more optimistic for a better finish this year.
 

Left-to-right: sophomore #18 C/3B Nina Marcano (Middletown, DE), junior #22 C/UT Morgan Seymour (Smyrna, DE), junior #6 MI Breanna Hartman (Red Bank, NJ)
 – mentioned in the CAC team assessment posted below.

Here's the preseason CAC assessment of the 2015 Wesley Wolverines…

“ Every player on the WESLEY roster is now a recruit of head coach
Juli Greep who hopes the Wolverines can improve to a .500 record.
Steph Caracozza, who hit .427 to rank third in the CAC last year, returns for her junior season, while Lindsay Siok and Lily Engel return for their second season in the circle. Commanding the pitching staff from behind the plate while also being a key force in the lineup, Nina Marcano also returns while hitting .356 with a team-high five home runs, 25 RBIs and ten stolen bases a year ago. Also back for the Navy & White are tri-captains Morgan Seymour, Breanna Hartman and Kayla Fromal who have starting spots locked down in the infield, as well as Sarah Saunders in the outfield.”

Left-to-right: junior #32 C/3B Kayla Fromal (Middletown, DE),
junior #2 OF Sarah Saunders (Wayne, NJ), Head Coach Juli Greep
– mentioned in the CAC team assessment posted above.

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► CLICK HERE for the CAC website article previewing  

ALL THE CONFERENCE TEAMS.  

► CLICK HERE for the full story at the Wesley Wolverines website.  

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Left-to-right: freshman #1 3B Tiarra Maddox (Bridgeville, DE), freshman #23 P/MI Destiny Davis (Salisbury, MD), freshman #99 P/OF Lauren Hoffman (Middletown, DE).

In video below, Coach Juli Greep
looks ahead to the 2015 season...

In the video below, CAC coaches from 

eight conference squads discuss their 
team's potential in this coming year... 

CHANTICLEER VIDEO

Coastal Carolina's beautiful softball facilities are located a short drive 
just north of Myrtle Beach, SC. Video below presents highlights of the
Chanticleer's past season...

OPENER POSTPONED

WEATHER POSTPONES
SEASON OPENER, 2/22

NEW DATE Wesley Wolverines vs Gallaudet Bison 
TO BE ANNOUNCED  

CLICK HERE for the Wolverine season schedule

SEASON STARTS SUNDAY

AWAY / FIRST GAME: 
This Sunday, February 22, doubleheader, 1:00 & 3:00 PM,  
Wesley Wolverines vs Gallaudet Bison 
in the Gallaudet softball complex at
800 Florida Ave. NE, Washington, DC. 

CLICK HERE for Washington D.C. weather forecasts.

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REPOSTED BELOW FROM LAST SUMMER

These videos (and the article) below have been posted at this blog before as well as at many other softball news media. It is worth reviewing, particularly as a new season is launched, to underscore the extraordinary talent of the Wesley Wolverines and all young women who play what has become the international game of fastpitch softball.

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ESPN analysis
Softball: bursts of speed, action,
forcing focus and 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

D3 STATS

By the numbers
Wesley Wolverines face 
competitive 2015 season

If you like the perspective of numbers, below are approximate college and university stats for division III athletics and especially the softball teams. They are culled from several sources which have been updated at different times by varying measurements (e.g., College Navigator/ CSS / NFCA / NCAA), so its close enough, while not exact data.

Division III by the numbers…

442 TOTAL NCAA division III schools

415 TOTAL division III softball teams

231 northeast division III schools*

Wesley Wolverine junior #22 C/UT Morgan Seymour (Smyrna, DE)

  
215 northeast division III softball teams**

46 TOTAL division III conferences

1 Delaware division III school (Wesley College)

19% division III are public institutions

81% division III are private institutions 

Wesley Wolverine junior #8 OF Steph Caracozza (Melbourne Beach, FL).

33,033 TOTAL Capital Athletic Conference undergrads

8,004 Salisbury undergrads

5,094 Christopher Newport undergrads

5,010 York undergrads

4,703 Frostburg State undergrads

4,383 Mary Washington undergrads

3,577 Penn State Harrisburg undergrads

1,600 Wesley College undergrads

   662 Southern Virginia undergrads 

Wesley Wolverine sophomore #9 P/OF Lily Engel (Dover, DE)

230 average male athletes/ division III schools

160 average female athletes/ division III schools

$27,204 average division III yearly tuition costs

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* Northeast region (231 D3 schools), southeast region (50 D3 schools), central region (126 D3 schools) and Western region (35 D3 schools).

**Approximate northeast softball division III rosters are: Pennsylvania (57 teams), New York (55 teams), Massachusetts (44 teams), New Jersey (15 teams), Maine (10 teams), Connecticut (8 teams), Maryland (7 teams), DC (3 teams), Vermont (6 teams), New Hampshire (5 teams), Rhode Island (4 teams), and Delaware (1 team). 

Wesley Wolverine junior #25 1B Samantha Mahoski (Schenectady, NY)