HOBOKEN, N.J. (March 7, 2020) – After winning the 2019 Empire 8 Conference regular season title last season, the Stevens Institute of Technology softball team looks to continue that success in the 2020 season as they compete in a new conference, the MAC Freedom, for the first time in program history. 

Led by six position players who saw action in at least 38 games last season including Empire 8 Player of the Year senior Samantha Schattin as well as E8 Rookie of the Year sophomore Meg Halloran, the Ducks look poised to have another successful season after posting a 12-2 record in conference play last season. 

Additionally, Stevens will return junior Jessie Masur to the circle for her third year with the program. 

Now in her third year, head coach Emily Kaczmarek is excited to watch her team perform on the field this season. 

"Our mentality for this season is the same as last season," Kaczmarek said. "We want to keep building and take one opportunity at a time." 

Those opportunities will come against a new set of opponents in 2020 as the Ducks transition into the MAC Freedom. Stevens was selected to finish second and earned one first-place vote in the MAC Freedom Preseason Coaches' Poll behind only Misericordia University. 

Veteran Presence 

• Along with Schattin, Stevens will also bring back seniors Melissa Alfonso, Victoria Kapp, Gina DeOliveira and Abigail Circelli for their final years on Castle Point. 
• Schattin, a National Fastpitch Coaches Association Third Team All-Region selection last season, led the team with a .381 average while racking up eight doubles, two triples and a .438 on-base percentage a year ago. She has 121 hits and needs just 19 more to move into the top-five in program history in career hits. 
• Alfonso, meanwhile, returns after earning First Team All-Empire 8 honors last season. She hit .359 on the year and finished second on the team with 17 RBI while only striking out nine times in 103 at-bats last season. 
• Kapp and DeOliveira both provide a solid presence in the infield for the Ducks. Kapp hit .333 last season and committed just four errors in 91 total chances a season ago while DeOliveira, an Honorable mention All-E8 selection, did not commit a single error in the field in 133 total chances and was third on the team with seven doubles. 
• Circelli, meanwhile, returns as a captain after making 21 starts behind the plate and at first base last season. She also didn't commit an error while driving in nine runs in 59 at-bats. 
• "This senior class is all about the program," Kaczmarek said. "They are well-versed in our expectations, what we stand for and our style of play. That type of buy-in and commitment to the program along with their experiences on and off the field make each of them outstanding role models for our underclassman.  We're fortunate to have such a tight knit senior class and our team is directly going to benefit from their presence in so many ways this season." 

Young Talent 

• Amanda Delorme, Madison Gemma, Siobhan Cottell and Halloran also come back as all four started at least 20 games last season. 
• Halloran, a Second Team All-E8 selection, hit .364 and started all 41 games on the year. She went 11 for 15 in stolen bases a season ago and was second on the team in runs scored with 18. 
• Delorme finished the year with a .312 on-base percentage and swiped seven bags. A 2019 NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete, Delorme threw out eight total would-be base stealers behind the plate a season ago. 
• Gemma, another NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete, was tied for third on the team with seven doubles despite only playing in 22 games on the year. She hit .333 and had a team-high .540 slugging percentage after being one of only three players to hit multiple home runs last season. 
• Finally, Cottell also returns after making 41 starts in the field in 2019. An NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete, Cottell hit a pair of homers a season ago and had just one error in the field in 86 total chances. 
• "Meg's dedication to the game extends well beyond the on-field specific skills," Kaczmarek said. "Her work ethic in the weight room is out of this world. I'm excited to see her game elevate just based on how much stronger and faster she has become in just one year. Her future is bright. Amanda and Siobhan are both solid players coming back for us and I expect both of them to step up in a big way for us. And we're super excited to have Maddie back in the line-up after she missed a good portion of last season. 

Command in the Circle 

• In 29 innings last season, Masur posted a 3.38 ERA with 15 strikeouts. She is the lone Duck pitcher returning with collegiate pitching experience as Stevens will turn to three newcomers in the circle. 
• Freshmen Erin Kreis, Cara McMahon and Caitlin Blackburn are all expected to make contributions in their inaugural campaign on Castle Point. 
• "Jessie has really stepped up this season, particularly in a leadership role as she is the lone upperclassman in a pitching staff predominately filled by first-year student athletes," Kaczmarek said. "Our expectations for her are to continue to develop in the leadership role and just set the tone for the staff as a whole. I think each of our freshmen pitchers are different from one another, which is great because they each have a different look and style. They're a young group with a great role model in Junior Jessie Masur so we expect them to grow and mature throughout the season." 

Freshman Phenoms

• In addition to the three freshmen pitchers, Stevens will also have four position players in their first seasons with the Ducks looking to make an impact. 
• Newcomers Elise Fauske and Olivia Warner will contribute in the outfield while Alex Schoellig and Marlee Kopetsky will hold things down in the infield. 
• "We're excited about the freshmen class as a whole," Kaczmarek said. "This class is going to bring some necessary depth for this season, particularly in some key pinch running and/or pinch hitting spots as well as with our pitching staff. Alex Schoellig has been particularly impressive this pre-season playing in an infield primarily filled with upperclassman and could find her way into the starting lineup if she continues to play well." 

New Conference, New Schedule 

• The Ducks will face off against a number of new opponents in the 2020 season as they transition into the MAC Freedom. 
• Stevens will face off against No. 14 Rowan University as well as reigning MAC Freedom champions Manhattanville, who received votes in the latest NFCA poll. 
• The 2020 campaign will kick off with a double against Hunter College with the first game starting at 1:00 p.m. followed by the second at 3:00 p.m. 
• "Playing tough teams like this early on is only going to make us better," Kaczmarek said. "We're going to get tested early and we're certainly going to face some challenging moments but that's what this is all about. We will grow and build as we move from one game to the next and if we can build on each experience as a team, then good things are going to happen." 

Overall, the 2020 campaign will be led by a veteran group of position players along with a solid selection of young talent. Kaczmarek believes her team's strength is in its depth and is ready to get the new season underway. 

"The biggest strength of this team is going to be their ability to truly play like one unit, from 1-21, who are all in, all the time," Kaczmarek said. "Let's roll."