Villanova University

Feb. 11, 2009

VILLANOVA, Pa. - The 2009 Villanova softball team welcomes seven newcomers to its squad, but is also returning the majority of last season's team having lost just five players. Jackie Dempsey is returning for her fifth year of eligibility and as head coach Maria DiBernardi enters her 25th season at the helm of the Wildcats they look to return to the BIG EAST tournament this season.

"We're really excited about this year," DiBernardi said. "We have a great freshmen class coming in and the addition of Caitlyn (Delahaba) and Molly (Manning) is really going to help our pitching staff. We lost some of the staff from last season, but our newcomers will really be able to help Laura Determan on the mound. From a pitching standpoint I think we have one of the strongest pitching staffs in the BIG EAST. We can go four-deep into our rotation and each one of them can add variety to the rotation."

The Wildcat hitters will be expected to come up with more timely hits this season, an area DiBernardi feels that the team struggled with at times.

"With the addition of the freshmen I think we have a lot of speed in our lineup this season," DiBernardi said. "We lacked speed last season, but now we have the people to get on base so that our big hitters can come in and gather more RBI. Last season our top of the lineup was limited on speed."

Villanova returns its entire infield in 2009, though freshman Kristi Burlin is expected to see some time at third base along with sophomore Christina Botkins who handled the role for much of 2008 due to some unexpected injuries late in the season.

DiBernardi will look to her freshmen class for immediate help and believes that they will be primed to make a quick impact.

"I definitely think that the freshmen will be a big part of our rotation," said DiBernardi. "I see them in starting positions this year."

PITCHING

The Wildcats lost two from the pitching staff of last season, but highly touted freshmen Caitlyn Delahaba and Molly Manning are looking to be immediate contributors to the staff. They are expected to help shoulder the burden of senior Laura Determan.

"Caitlyn and Molly both want the ball," said DiBernardi. "I think it is going to be a good relief for Laura and Megan (Hord) and they will become starters immediately. I think they will be able to adjust to college level of play and jump in right away, they are really ready to play."

Determan returned in 2008 following surgery in the off season and had the squad's lowest ERA at 1.74. In 104.2 innings pitched she struck out 109 batters and moved to fifth all-time at Villanova in her career.

"Laura threw well enough last year to win a lot more games than she did, but we couldn't always back her up with our offense," DiBernardi said. "I expect her to be a driving force for our pitching staff. She is a senior leader and the team plays very well behind her. They have a lot of confidence in her, but we will need to produce more runs for her."

Senior Megan Hord will return to the mound after making 23 appearances in 2008.

"Megan made a great leap from her sophomore to her junior year and she continues to work extremely hard on the pitches that she has," DiBarnardi said. "She is a very hard thrower and has been able to pinpoint her ball much better from playing this fall. She will play in more of a relief role for us, but it will be a nice change of pace for us because she throws hard and gets the job done on the mound."

Delahaba joins the Wildcats with an impressive high school career behind her. Playing in Virginia, she was named a 2008 EA Sports All-American and was the 2008 Gatorade Virginia Player of the Year.

"Caitlyn wants the ball every game if we would give it to her," DiBernardi said. "She walks out to the mound and has a great winning mentality. She comes from a winning program. Caitlyn has a lot of confidence on the mound and a lot of poise. She was in some tough situation during the fall, but was always able to get out of a jam. I think she will be an excellent asset for us."

Manning is another freshman that will see immediate playing time. She was named the 2008 Florida Times Union softball player of the Year and a District 5A Player of the Year.

"Molly will be a big contributor for us as a freshman and will be a starter," DiBernardi said. "She also has a great bat. She will definitely be a hitter as well, either in the DP position or as a backup to Eryn (Teague) at first base. It is new for us to have a pitcher bat for us. I think she is crafty and has tremendous moxie."

INFIELD

Junior Eryn Teague will be a familiar sight at first base after playing all 51 games at the position last season. She was second on the squad with 19 RBI.

"Eryn is healthy and should be a big run producer for us," said DiBernardi. "She has a good eye at the plate and doesn't strike out a lot. She also has a great glove at first base. When she is confident those balls are going to be flying out."

Returning at second base is junior Jess O'Boyle who played and started in all 51 games in 2008 and had a .935 fielding percentage.

"Jess is a steady second baseman with a great glove and will probably be our leader in the infield," said DiBernardi. "She has a good sense of the game and is very strong defensively. Jess is also a good contact hitter and a good person to use in a hit-and-run situation. She can put the ball into play and make things happen which will allow us to do some exciting things offensively."

With one season of eligibility remaining, Dempsey decided over the summer to return to the Wildcats for one final season and will be a force out in shortstop.

"It was really exciting that Jackie decided to return for her fifth year," DiBernardi said. "She has a great glove and can stop so many balls because she is so quick on her feet. She will provide a lot of senior leadership for the team and the infield. She has a great on base percentage and always puts the ball into play. Jackie works extremely hard on her offensive game and can hit for power and slap. This keeps the defense off balance and gives us a lot of versatility when she is at the plate."

Freshman Burlin will play third base this season for the 'Cats.

"Kristi is a power-hitter," DiBernardi said. "She is working hard to improve her hitting and will be a big run producer for us. We will look to her to become a big bat for us and help drive home runs. She has cat like reactions at third base and a very accurate arm."

Senior Meghan Morese enters her final season at Villanova as catcher. Following 2008, she was named to the NFCA All-Northeast Region second team. Morese tied the Villanova home run record and now has 27 with one season left to play.

"Meghan is a great defensive player and is well-respected in the conference and a hitter that opposing pitchers do not want to face," said DiBernardi. "It will be hard to pitch around Meghan this year; she was definitely pitched around last season. She can put the ball into play at any time and rarely strikes out. She has also done a great job behind the plate as is a stabilizing force on the team. She is a positive influence for our team and handles our pitchers very well. She is one of our captains and tremendous player.

Senior Lauren Peterson returns to the team after sitting out the 2008 season due to injury.

"Lauren is back catching and is a left-handed power hitter which we sorely need in our lineup. It is great to have her back," DiBernardi said. "Once she gets her timing back I think she will be a great offensive contributor. Defensively she will share the catching duties with Meghan Morese."

Senior Natalie Hord is also expected to contribute behind the plate for the Wildcats.

"Natalie did a very good job for us last year and will definitely help us out in the catching position this season," said DiBernardi. "It is great to have her healthy because she has a strong arm and a very good bat."

After moving to third base as a freshman, Botkins will return to an infield and utility role for 2009.

"Christina is a player that will be ready to play at any position at any given time," said DiBernardi. "She is a great utility player and can play all three infield positions very well. She could be a starter at any position or a solid backup wherever she plays because she is so versatile. Christina is one of those players every coach loves to have because of her ability to play anywhere. Her bat has improved tremendously and has expanded her strike zone, which makes her a tough out.

OUTFIELD

Junior Danielle Maricle is ready to return to the outfield and will be a key hitter at the top of the Wildcats' lineup. She stole a team-high 12 bases last season.

"Danielle will be our lead-off batter," said DiBernardi. "She has great speed and is a great contact hitter with an excellent on-base percentage. She will be able to steal a lot of bases and definitely put a lot of balls in motion."

Expected to start at centerfield is freshman Shannon O'Brien and will also be an early hitter for the Wildcats who is expected to get on base frequently.

"Shannon is another left handed bat for us and is a versatile hitter. I expect her to be playing immediately and get on base often," DiBernardi said.

Freshman Tessa Braga is also going to see playing time in any of the outfield positions and joins the Wildcats as an Arizona first team all-state selection.

"Tessa will play outfield and may occasionally see time in the infield," DiBernardi said. "She is a quick slap hitter and will steal a lot of bases for us. She has a good arm in the outfield and she can cover a lot of ground."

Right field will be a position that will be flexible and is up for grabs. Sophomore Kirsten Jelinski could see time there.

"Depending on our opponent KJ will likely see time in right field," said DiBernardi. "She is a left-handed batter for us and hits for power. She is a great pinch hitter and produced well for us as a freshman last year."

Sophomore Becky LaMarca will be seen in the outfield after appearing in 32 games with 19 starts in 2008.

"Becky will be used in the outfield and is a good contact hitter," DiBernardi said. "She is not going to strikeout a lot and can put the ball in play. When she is on the field she is positive and confident and a real leader. She also had a very productive freshman season and will produce a lot of RBI's for us as she can hit for average and power."

Freshman Amy Vergel de Dios will play outfield for Villanova and could see time at second base.

"Amy is going to grow as a player for us and will be a contributor in some spot situations," said DiBernardi. "She is aggressive at the plate and is becoming more confident every day. I expect her to be a solid contributor when she is in the lineup."

Sophomore Stephanie Zrebiec will play in the outfield and likely see most of her time at centerfield, a position that she is most comfortable with.

"Stephanie will be a good contributor coming off of our bench and is a solid player in centerfield," said DiBernardi. "She is gaining confidence each day and is much more aggressive offensively and defensively. She has made some adjustments to her game and I know it will pay off for her."

Also an addition to the outfield is newcomer Jamie O'Hara who was named Offensive Player of the Year on three occasions in Florida.

"Jamie is another left handed slapper who has great speed," said DiBernardi. "She will share duties in the outfield and has the potential to steal a lot of bases. She is part of the speedy freshmen trio that will give us the luxury to do exciting things offensively. I know that Jaime will be a big part of our game plan this year."

It will be important for the Wildcats to stay healthy this season playing in a tough BIG EAST conference that keeps improving year-after-year. Villanova finished ninth overall in 2008, just narrowly missing a trip to the BIG EAST tournament and will fight hard to earn a berth this season.

"The BIG EAST is a tough conference, there are no weak teams," DiBernardi said. "With Georgetown being a new addition they are an unexpected team, but one through 12, each team brings a tough challenge. There are no easy games. Winning the conference can go to anyone. They key to this season will be to play tough against every opponent, not just the top teams in the conference. I expect that it will be a dogfight to the end. We, as a team, are looking for big things this year. This is a very special group of athletes who are very close both on and off the field. They are like a family and when you have that type of chemistry good things happen. The key to making the tournament is to bring the passion and desire to win to every game, one game at a time. The teams that do that will be in Louisville in May."

Villanova opens its season on Friday, Feb. 13 against George Mason in the UCF Early Bird Tournament in Orlando, Fla. The first pitch is set for 11 a.m.