Fairmont State Sports
FSU picked third in ’10 softball poll
PRINCETON — Traditional power West Virginia Wesleyan is the overwhelming favorite in the 2010 WVIAC softball coaches’ pre-season poll. Head coach Steve Warner’s Bobcats, who finished ranked No. 17 nationally last season after recording a 45-15 overall record, were the top choice on 13 of 14 ballots.
West Virginia State, Glenville State, Fairmont State, Alderson-Broaddus complete the top five in the coaches’ picks. Charleston, Seton Hill, Wheeling Jesuit, Shepherd, and West Liberty comprise the sixth through tenth spots. Davis & Elkins is eleventh, Concord and Ohio Valley tied for twelveth, and Bluefield State completes the poll in fourteenth. Salem International is not eligible for this season’s WVIAC title.
2009 WVIAC Pitcher of the Year Patricia Moreno (26-9, 1.22 ERA) heads up the returnees for West Virginia Wesleyan (45-15, 25-1). C Stephanie St. Peter (.328-3-28), C/OF Shelby Carlson (.318-3-25), OF Lexi Rodgers (.318-1-29), and C Desiree Sibera (.285-3-25) are among the top offensive holdovers from a squad that scored over six runs per game last season.
West Virginia State (31-19, 17-9) welcomes back sophomore SS Brittany Hyatt, who cranked out nine home runs to go with a .450 batting average. The youthful Jackets have six rookies on a 14-player roster.
Glenville State (25-24, 17-11) has improved each season under head coach Rick Moore and made an impressive run to last season’s WVIAC Tournament championship contest. Mandy Parkulo (16-18, 2.46 ERA) returns in the pitching circle for GSC. 2B Leanne Harris (.391, 20 SB) and OF Brittney Handley (.282, 25 SB) are two of the WVIAC’s quickest players. 3B Meagan James, who blasted 14 homers in 2006, has bounced back from injuries to return to the lineup.
Fairmont State (32-16, 21-7) must replace three first team All-WVIAC honorees. A talented crop of newcomers will have to fill key roles for the Falcons to repeat their second place WVIAC regular season finish of 2009.
Alderson-Broaddus (24-25, 19-9) returns virtually everyone from last season’s youth dominated squad. 3B Haley Mullen (.273-2-14), OF Kelly Lauterbach (.306), and 2B Ashley Sullenberger provide senior leadership that last season’s Battlers squad lacked.
2B Kathy Jo Getz (.434) is the lone senior in the starting lineup for Charleston (29-24, 15-11). Pitcher Stefanie Rossman (22-15, 3.24 ERA, 195 K) also returns for the Golden Eagles.
Seton Hill (26-20, 17-9) was the WVIAC’s surprise story in 2009. The Griffins return seven position starters in 2010, including senior SS Maggie Jones (.294). P/OF Louanne Wiegand (13-7, 1.65 ERA, .336, 28 RBI) is one of the league’s top two-way players.
Senior captains SS Ashley McSweeney (.388 in ‘08) and OF Angela Petros (.266-6-26) look to lead Wheeling Jesuit (23-24, 10-10) to a upper division WVIAC finish.
Shepherd (23-23, 15-13) brings back second team All-WVIAC picks P/1B Tricia Bettura (10-9, 2.44 ERA, .322 BA) and SS Courtni Williams (.326-4-13).
West Liberty (18-24, 9-11) is expected to field a young squad. Junior Katelyn Kumm batted .314 in a utility role last season.
P/1B Britne Bacca (12-19, 4.05 ERA, 176 K, .295-7-22) is a threat for Davis & Elkins (16-39, 11-17) with her arm and bat. C/SS Amber Vineyard, one of four seniors, led the Senators with a .304 batting average in 2009.
Ohio Valley (10-38, 6-16) has one of the WVIAC’s top long ball threats in 1B Preet Dhillon (.354-6-20). OF Mandy Strom batted .287 in 2009.
Concord (1-32, 0-20) has a highly-regarded class of eleven freshmen on hand as head coach Sabrina McCullough continues to makeover the Lady Lion program.
Bluefield State (5-25, 2-18) hopes to reduce a 7.39 team earned run average that scuttled the Lady Blues’ hopes in 2009.
Salem International (1-43, 0-20) welcomes seven freshmen that look to begin a turnaround for the Tigers.
The WVIAC softball season gets underway on Friday as several league members are slated to play in warm weather events. The annual conference tournament is slated for April 29-May 1 at Jackson Park in Vienna.
- Fairmont State Sports
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Landis, Newman earn WVC honors
Ben Landis accepted numerous congratulations and pats on the back Thursday evening following his team’s big 27-16 come-from-behind victory on the road over Clarion (Pa.) University at Memorial Stadium.
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Zack Page sets national record in FSU victory
Thursday evening Zack Page, who holds virtually all of FSU’s return records, put himself in the national record book when he became NCAA Division II football’s all-time leader in kickoff return yards in the Falcons’ 27-16 come-from-behind victory over Clarion (Pa.) University at Memorial Field.
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FSU rallies for 27-16 win
It may be a bit cliché, but in athletics turnabout is fair play.
Thursday night here at Memorial Stadium Fairmont State’s football team gave Clarion (Pa.) University a dose of its own medicine en route to a 27-16 season-opening victory over the Golden Eagles in front of an estimated crowd of 4,000. -
FSU opens season at Clarion tonight
In many ways the football teams at Fairmont State University and Clarion (Pa.) University and their respective head coaches Mike Lopez and Jay Foster mirror one another.
Foster is entering his fifth season as the head coach of the Golden Eagles, while Lopez is starting his fourth as the Falcons’ boss and both have desired to build their programs with good football players who, in addition, are good people and good students. -
FSU’s Twyman, Brazill seek change
For M.J. Twyman and Doug Brazill this is it.
The pair are two of the most experienced Fairmont State football players and would love nothing more than to see the fortunes of their team turn around in this, their senior and final seasons in college football. -
FSU to face stern test in opener
It won’t take long for Fairmont State’s 2010 football team to see how well it stacks up against quality competition.
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Pinchinat vows to make impact
Football recruiting is a funny and strange science.
Sometimes coaches work extremely hard, pursuing and courting a given player only to have that individual commit somewhere else on signing day. On other occasions, the hard work involved with the recruiting process pays off. -
Retton strove for perfection — and came close to getting it
What exactly made Joe Retton great?
The question seemed simple at the time it was asked, still does from the surface.
The answer, though, is far more complicated when talking about Fairmont State’s legendary men’s basketball coach from 1964-82. -
Falcons turn attention to Clarion
Game week has arrived for Fairmont State’s football team.
Saturday morning the Falcons began preparations for their 2010 opener Thursday night on the road against Clarion (Pa.) University. Game time is set for 6 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. -
Transfer Eitson hopes to fill need for FSU
Eric Eitson needed a home.
Fairmont State gave him one and the Falcons hope their investment will pay big dividends this fall on the football field.
Eitson is a 6-3, 210-pound receiver from Augusta, Ga. who played two years of junior college football at West Hills Community College in California and the story of how he came to settle in Fairmont is not an uncommon one among the droves of college football players across the country. - More Fairmont State Sports Headlines
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Landis, Newman earn WVC honors
