HOBOKEN, N.J. (March 7, 2013) – The Stevens Institute of Technology softball team will begin its 2013 season Sunday at the University of La Verne in La Verne, Calif. The Ducks are coming off a 2012 campaign in which they reached Empire 8 Championship and went 7-5 in the conference.
 
The softball team is now in its fourth season as a varsity program at Stevens, qualifying for postseason play the last two years and winning 21 games in 2011 to earn a berth in the ECAC Tournament.
 
The 2013 version of the team will be led by senior co-captains Lauren Hurley (Sparta, N.J.) and Clair Strom (El Paso, Texas) – both of which served in the same role a season ago.
 
Strom has a program-record 13 home runs since arriving in Hoboken as a freshmnan in 2010 and has embraced the leadership role as the team's starting catcher. She is a very smart player and has grown defensively over the last three years. She has been and will continue to be a major force in the Stevens lineup, while also proving to be a threat with her arm behind the plate.
 
Hurley is healthy and in great shape after a lot of hard work coming into action this year and has looked excellent all the preseason. She will quarterback the outfield as the team's starting centerfielder and has remarkable range and instincts. Hurley has strong speed, takes charge and should find herself on base a lot as she works to get back into a groove at the plate that saw her hit .351 in 2010 with four home runs.
 
“This is a special group of seniors because they are my first recruited class and first recruited student-athletes for our softball program,” Head Softball Coach Erica Mehalick (Hoboken, N.J.) said. “Clair and Lauren are two time captains and have set the standard for the team on and off the field.”
 
Senior Molly Herforth (Pompton Plains, N.J.) will be one of the Ducks' hurlers this season after playing basketball in 2011-12. A gamer, Herforth has been relaxed and in control all preseason, showing good movement and location on all her pitches.  She won six games in 2011 with a 3.99 earned-run average and defeated Ithaca College when the Bombers were ranked 13th nationally.
 
Leading the junior class is first baseman/third baseman Stephanie Senkevich (Washington, N.J.). Senkevich is a hard worker and will see time at both corner infield positions this year. A switch hitter, she leads by example and has improved all aspects of her game, including building better arm strength and showing improved agility in the field. She has a lot of pop with the bat, hitting five home runs in 2011 to go along with 30 runs scored, starting every game for the Ducks.
 
Junior pitcher Kayla Berardi (Brookfield, Conn.) is working her way back from injury and should return to the great form she saw as a freshman. Berardi had an excellent fall, locating all her pitches with quality movement and is one of the squad's leaders. The Brookfield, Conn. native has great speed and will provide a boost to the lineup when she returns. Berardi already has 315 career strikeouts, 51 appearances and 21 wins in the circle.
 
Junior shortstop Danielle DeFeo (Andover, N.J.) set a school-record with her .458 batting average and was amongst the national leaders in that statistic. She tallied 70 hits and a 29-game hitting streak on her way to a first-team all-conference and second-team all-region accolades in 2012. Confident and vocal, Defeo has displayed strong range in the field and improved arm strength and seems poised for another excellent all-around season.
 
Sophomore first baseman Noelle Mulligan (Staten Island, N.Y.) saw action in 25 games for the Ducks as a rookie, driving in six runs and scoring four of her own. She has shown increased aggression and has been staying on the ball when at the plate and should see herself in a starting role this year.
 
Sophomore pitcher Brianna Sandone (Haddon Township, N.J.) won nine games on the mound as a freshman with a 3.62 earned-run average. She came into preseason ready to go and has stepped up nicely, improving her location and movement on her pitches. She is a player that does whatever the team needs to win and is primed for a strong 2013.
 
Sophomore third baseman/catcher Jamie DeGennaro (Pearl River, N.J.) set the school-record for runs batted in with 34 as a freshman and hit .387. She made 41 starts, accumulating 53 hits and four home runs. DeGennaro has improved her defense and power and with her great bat should be a big-time force for the Ducks all season.
 
Coach Mehalick has brought in a talented group of freshman in catcher Kelsey Dempsey (Broomfield, Colo.), second baseman/outfielder Sydney Spitz (Shelton, Conn.), utility player Gavriella Risman-Jones (New Boston, N.H.) and outfielder Oriana DeFeo-Peterson (Patterson, N.Y.).
 
Dempsey is a nice all-around player that can play catcher and outfield, displaying strong power and a good eye in the preseason. Spitz has very nice defensive range and is one of the best athletes on the team, while Risman-Jones has an excellent arm, is fearless and will be an important versatile asset for the team. DeFeo-Peterson has demonstrated strong power and an excellent arm throughout the fall and preseason and has been making consistent solid contact during that time as well.
 
“This group of freshmen is a talented bunch,” commented Coach Mehalick. “All four of them have the ability to play multiple positions and play them well. I am very excited to see them in action with the rest of the team this week.”
 
The Ducks will head out to California Saturday morning for 10 total games versus La Verne, Chapman University, Occidental College, Whittier College and the University of Redlands from March 10-16.
 
“Spring break is where we open up our season every year,” added Mehalick. “After practicing inside or out in the cold, the team is always pumped to step out onto the field and play in great weather. The girls always look forward to spending the week together; playing and solidifying the team as a family.”
 
The Ducks will return east and open play on their home field Tuesday, March 19 when they host FDU-Florham at Weehawken Waterfront Park in the first of six home dates and 12 total home games. Conference play begins at home on March 30 with the Empire 8 Championship being played March 3, 4 and 5 at the regular-season champion.
 
“We have a very focused and talented group of student-athletes who believe in themselves and are working hard on and off the field,” said the coach. “As a team we have set realistic goals including a return trip to the Empire 8 Championships and advancing the NCAA's for the first time in program history. Every backhand, every drop step, every swing off the tee is to help us get there.”