2010 Preview

With three returning upperclassmen and a slew of eight talented freshmen, the Mount Ida College softball program will look to turn in one of their most successful seasons under the direction of third year Head Coach Katie Zuman.  With the loss of two very successful and prominent senior's last season in Kerri Kwasek (Framingham, MA/Framingham) and Tiffany Kowarsky (Longmeadow, MA/Longmeadow), the Mustangs and coach Zuman will hope to build on a 10-24, 6-16 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) record in 2009. 

"One might consider this a rebuilding year," said head coach Zuman.  "I think for us this could be a very promising future for the Mount Ida softball program with so much young talent up and down the lineup."

"This is the first year that all of the players on the squad have played high school varsity softball," said Zuman.  "Most of the players have summer league tournament experience as well so that's a huge benefit for us already."

The Mustangs unfortunately have already suffered a setback with the loss of highly touted freshman hurler Denise Picard (Winooski, VT/Winooski) after an early injury in pre-season.  This will put some weight on fellow newcomer and talented freshman pitcher Devan Meeker (Bantam, CT/Litchfield) in 2010.  Meeker will see a ton of time on the mound, along the same path as recent graduate Kwasek did during her career with the Mustangs. 

Kwasek, who holds 14 combined career records for hits, RBI's, double, games started, at bats, slugging percentage, total bases, most victories, most complete games, and most at bats to name a few, was the face of the program during her four years as a member of the team.  

"It's tough losing players like Kerri (Kwasek) and Tiff (Kowarsky) because they were faces of this program," said Zuman.  "Every good thing has to come to an end and it's time to turn the page in Mount Ida softball program's history.  I'm excited for this season because all of the kids on this team are one's I've recruited." 

The Mustangs venture into their third season as a member of the GNAC going 6-16 last year with a couple of big victories against very talented opponents (Emerson, Rivier) in the league.  Coach Zuman is excited at the potential for successful run in the GNAC in 2010.

"I think we're going to be able to win a lot of games and compete with some of the best teams in the conference this year," said Zuman.  "I think around the field and up and down our lineup we have tons of talent and the potential for plenty of achievement."

PLAYERS

The return of sophomore catcher/shortstop and Captain Erica Belliveau (Tewksbury, MA/Tewksbury) will be a vital part to the success of the offense and defense this season.  Erica is coming off a strong rookie campaign in which she led the team in five offensive categories including hits, doubles and overall batting average.  She was recruited as a shortstop but stepped in as catcher.  This year she will see most of her time at the shortstop position, but will also get back behind the plate as well for some games.  Belliveau has progressed transitioning from her freshman to sophomore year polishing a powerful swing that will be imperative to the Mustangs this year.  Defensively, wherever she is asked to play, she has excellent game sense and is very quick to the ball which helps at shortstop and behind the plate.  On both sides of the ball, Erica is a leader and is expected to do a lot of great things to help lead the team to success in 2010.

Sophomore captain Erin Dufficy (Shelton, CT/Shelton) will continue to be a rock at first base for the Mustangs in her second season with the program.  She continues to improve her defensive skills and is expected to be a vacuum in her position.  Erin is also an inspirational leader and is always a supportive teammate to help boost the confidence and morale of her teammates.  In the off-season, Erin worked tremendously hard to improve her offensive presence at the plate.  She has tweaked her swing and has looked very impressive in her preseason training.  Erin is a lefty who can confuse the defense with a great repertoire of offensive threats.  Her game sense and base running abilities will also be a tremendous asset.

Sophomore outfielder Tracy Koukol (North Attleboro, MA/North Attleboro) returns for her second season with the Mount Ida College softball program anchoring the outfield after a very strong first year with the team.  Koukol's highlight's for last season include a homerun robbing catch, five outfield assists, and a game saving putout at home plate against GNAC foe Emerson College.  She is not afraid to take chances and has the ability to run down any ball that comes her way.  Now in her second year, Koukol understands that she is the leader in the outfield and will have to take command for the younger newcomers to follow her example.   On the offensive side of the ball, Tracy is always a bunt threat due to her incredible speed, but also has a swing that has seen much improvement from last year making her a threat on the base paths.  Koukol has also begun to work on lefty bunting and slapping to add one more dimension to her game.

Freshman Chaise Courbron (Monroe, CT/Masuk) comes to the Mustangs for her first season of play coming from a very competitive high school in Monroe, Connecticut.  This year, Courbron will become a utility player due to her versatility and familiarity in many aspects around the diamond.    She is very eager to learn and is a tremendous asset to the program.  Courbron has a very strong presence in the field and pushes herself to get to every ball that comes her way.  Offensively, she is a smart hitter who knows how to use all fields in every situation.  Expect her to be a power threat as well.

Freshman Tiffany Hamann (Newton, MA/Newton North) joins the Mustangs for her inaugural season of play as a speedy, lefty slap hitting second baseman.  She will see time immediately on the right side of the infield with an excellent ability to cover bases on bunts.  Hamann has great game sense and is able to anticipate situations to prevent base hits and errors.  Her quick feet will also be an asset for her on the base paths with Coach Zuman expecting her to be an aggressive base runner.  She will be a nightmare for defenses as she can effectively put the ball in play on a consistent basis with slap hits and solid bunting ability.

Freshman hurler Devan Meeker (Bantam, CT/Litchfield) enters her first season with the Mount Ida softball program with very high expectations to become a dominant pitcher in the GNAC.  Meeker has many years of experience, both on her high school varsity team, and summer travel teams.  She also throws five different pitches to help keep opposing hitters off balance.  Devan has been working hard with Mount Ida second year pitching coach Audrey Poulton on perfecting these pitches and improving herself overall  in every practice.  When she is not pitching, she has experience in the outfield and at shortstop where she may seem some time as well.  Her bat is also a huge strength with power and speed that coach Zuman expects to get her on the bases. 

Freshman outfielder Erica Mendez (Salem, MA/Salem) is one of two Salem high school softball players who join the Mustangs for the 2010 season as newcomers.  Mendez will see most of her playing time in the outfield with tremendous speed that will be a great asset to the team.  Throughout preseason Mendez has made great improvements in a short amount of time continuing to develop her game.  Due to her incredible speed, she will be able to cover a lot of ground and be a strong part of an already solid outfield.  Mendez is a free swinger who is not afraid to take a big cut and put everything behind her swing. 

Freshman third baseman Danielle "Dani" Mitchell (Whitman, MA/Whitman-Hanson Regional) comes to Mount Ida with many years of softball experience under her belt, both on high school varsity and summer travel teams in her first season with the Mustangs.  Mitchell is a solid third baseman who has shown throughout preseason that she is ready for the transition from high school to college third base.  "Dani" is fearless, diving for every ball that is hit her way along with a strong throw to complete the putout.  Her bunt coverage and knowledge of the game will also be vital for the Mount Ida defense.   Mitchell showcases power hitting ability at the plate and will have the chance to go yard on a couple of occasions this season.   

Freshman pitcher Denise Picard (Winooski, VT/Winooski) begins her first season with the Mount Ida softball program.  Picard comes to the squad from a small town in Vermont where she was a standout athlete.  She will be primarily a pitcher for the Mustangs but could see some time at first base and as a designated player.  Picard has had a tough setback in preseason with injuries but hopefully she can regain her strength and return to the field later this spring.  Once she does she will be an asset both offensively and defensively with a strong bat and great stamina to last a full seven inning contest. 

Freshman catcher Cortney Rebello (North Dartmouth, MA/Great New Bedford Reg. Voc. Tech.) enters her first season with the Mustangs and has a big set of shoes to fill behind the plate as the backbone of the defense.  She will be the primary catcher and responsible for preparing the pitching staff for double headers.  Rebello helped lead her high school team to their first ever post-season appearance leading the squad in home runs.  Coach Zuman and the Mustangs hope to see Rebello's hitting power carry over at Mount Ida in the run producing part of the order, responsible for driving in runs.  Behind the plate, she is an aggressive catcher as she is not afraid to throw down and keep runners on their toes.  Rebello has also shown impressive leadership qualities as a freshman and will be crucial for the program down the line.

Freshman utility player Ashley White (Salem, MA/Salem) will begin her first season with the Mount Ida College softball program as the second half of the Salem high school tandem.  She is a versatile player that will see time on the field in numerous positions, both in the infield and the outfield.  White is one of the fastest players on the team using her speed to beat out hits and as an aggressive base runner.  Not only is she quick, but she has power behind her swing even though she has a small frame.   She is also a great bunter rounding her out as an all around player.  Look for her to be on the bases quite a bit this spring.  White can step in and play just about anywhere on the field and will be a tremendous asset, both on defense and offense. 

"We hope to do many good things this season with a solid core of players and awesome team chemistry," said coach Zuman.  "I'm really excited to see how the season plays out with such a great group of talented kids in the mix."