Molloy University Athletics

ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Feb. 18, 2016) - The wait is nearly over for the Molloy College softball team as the Lions are set to kick off the 2016 campaign with a journey down south to partake in the Snowbird Softball Freeze-Out in Myrtle Beach, S.C. on Friday (Feb. 19). Conditions appear to be favorable for softball, with Friday temperatures in the mid-50s and the weekend projecting fair weather and high sixty-degree days, which is a welcome sight for Molloy and the six teams that the Lions are playing---four of six are from the Northeast Region and the other two are from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.

The Schedule
Friday will see the maroon and white face the Golden Falcons of Felician University at 12 p.m. before a 2 p.m. scrap with the Bald Eagles of Lock Haven University. Then Molloy pairs up with Le Moyne College at 10 a.m. on Saturday (Feb. 20) and West Chester University of Pennsylvania at 2 p.m. The Myrtle Beach trip concludes on Sunday (Feb. 21) as the Lions square off against the University of New Haven at 10 a.m. and Wilmington University (Del.) at 2 p.m.

The Lowdown on the Lions
2015 Season: 24-27, East Coast Conference Tournament Participant (Eliminated by LIU Post in Game 5 of ECC Tournament, Missed Championship Series)
2016 Outlook: Picked Second in ECC Preseason Coaches' Poll
Number of Players Returning:11
Graduated Seniors and Departed Underclassmen: 6
New Players on Roster: 7
Leading Returners: Tracey Balinskas (Edison, N.J.) - ECC Player of the Year in 2015, ECC Preseason Player of the Year in 2016. Hit .416 with 12 home runs and 39 RBIs. Also pitched to a 12-11 record and a 3.58 ERA.
                            Chelsea Hawks (Wading River, N.Y.) - 11-11 record with a 3.62 ERA. 75 SO in 137.1 IP.
                            Ashley Fedor (Monroe, Conn.) - .357 AVG, 6 HR, 19 XBH, 26 RBI.

The Opponents
Felician University Preview
Lock Haven University Preview
Le Moyne: 18-16 overall, 10-10 NE-10 last season. Junior shortstop Courtney Case (Pittsford, N.Y.) hit .447 last season with 21 extra-base hits and 19 runs batted in. Senior pitcher Toni Secreti (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) went 9-8 in 2015 with a 3.31 ERA.
West Chester University: 40-16 overall, 22-6 PSAC East last season. Picked to win PSAC East Division again. Sophomore infielder Cat Hammer (Philadelphia, Pa.) hit .426 as a freshman with three home runs and 14 RBIs. Left-handed sophomore Amanda Houck (Gap, Pa.) won 19 games as a freshman, tossing seven shutouts and registering a sub-2.00 earned run average while senior Katie Erb (Douglassville, Pa.) went 7-1 with a 1.81 ERA.
University of New Haven Preview
Wilmington University (Del.): 34-18 overall, 19-7 CACC. Earned an at-large berth in NCAA East Region Tournament. Senior infielder Cambria Ziemba (Wilmington, Del.) had a .382 average last year as she won All-CACC First-Team honors. Junior hurler Brooklyn Lachette (Aldan, Pa.) won 12 games last season and recorded a 2.14 ERA.