MARSHFIELD, Mass. – After missing out on making the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) playoffs last year, the Southern Vermont College softball team is working hard this season in order to get back into the championship tournament in 2019.
The league released the results of its preseason poll on Thursday with the Mountaineers being listed 10th in the ranking.
SVC went 3-29 last year with a 3-13 mark in Conference play.
First-year head coach Emily McDonough took the reins for Southern Vermont in June and knows that it will be no easy task in earning a postseason berth.
"My expectation is to get better every day," McDonough said. "As a young team, we have a lot to learn and build upon. The games early in our season will help us prepare for our NECC schedule. I think the biggest challenge for our young team will be staying mentally tough when adversity strikes. We hope to learn and grow from our mistakes and continue to build on our successes. We hope to develop a mindset that will help our players compartmentalize the game for optimal success."
McDonough will be leading a squad which returns three players from last year. Junior Taylor Jarosz (Troy, N.Y.) will once again roam the outfield while sophomore Mackenzie Rumrill (Randolph, Vt.) will split her time between third base and behind the dish. Fellow sophomore Tessa Sheades (Coventry, Conn.) is expected to have appearances in both the infield and the outfield for SVC.
"Our returners will be very important in leading the team and setting the tone," McDonough said. "All three of our returners will be key players for us, and their leadership will be necessary."
Complementing those Mountaineers are seven newcomers; included in that group is a junior and a sophomore transfer, as well as five freshmen.
Southern Vermont will be competing in what will likely be a very competitive league with parity strewn about the standings. That is illustrated by the preseason poll in which four of the 10 teams received first-place votes. In '19, only the top six squads will qualify for the postseason tournament.
"In order to make the playoffs, we will have to do all the little things correctly," McDonough added. "As we focus on the smaller details of the game during practice, we will need to execute those day-in and day-out in order to give ourselves an opportunity to make the postseason."
Lesley University took the top spot in the poll despite receiving only two first-place votes. Eastern Nazarene College, a new member of the NECC this year, came in second with five of the top selections while Bay Path University, the 2018 tournament champion, grabbed two first-place votes—yet landed at fifth in the ranking. Another Conference newcomer in New England College snagged the final top nod and third place in the poll which was determined by coaches from around the league.
SVC will begin the regular season against Northern Vermont University-Lyndon at the Adirondack Sports Complex on March 1 before heading to Myrtle Beach, S.C. for eight games between March 18-22. Southern Vermont's home opener is also the team's first NECC series—that being against Dean College on March 30.
NECC 2019 Softball Preseason Poll
1. Lesley University – 90 (2)
2. Eastern Nazarene College – 81 (5)
3. New England College – 78 (1)
4. Becker College – 69
5. Bay Path University – 65 (2)
6. Newbury College – 48
7. Elms College – 47
8. Mitchell College – 37
9. Dean College – 21
10. Southern Vermont – 14
(Parentheses denote first-place votes)
– #LetsGoSVC –