CACC Reveals Softball Preseason Poll

Softball | 2/5/2016 12:00:00 AM

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Only three weeks remain before Goldey-Beacom commences its 2016 season and with the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference poll being released, the squad once again looks to the strength of a young lineup.

The Lightning boast a roster in which 11 of the 16 players are either freshmen or sophomores. This comes one year after 13 of the 15 student-athletes fit those categories. The program last season notched its 500th victory since its re-instatement.

Among the key players back is junior outfielder Charlee King (New Castle, DE), a second team All-CACC pick from 2014 who last season ended 29th in the league with a .313 batting average, tied for 41st with five doubles and tied for eighth with seven sacrifices. King enters this season 19th in school history with a .314 career average.

Junior infielder Paulynn Mao (Anaheim, CA) last season started 35 of the team's 36 contests, led the squad with 29 hits to just miss the CACC top 50 and ended tied for 29th in the league with six doubles. Sophomore shortstop Kelsey Brandle (Bethlehem, PA), the only one for GBC to start all 36 games, closed tied for 28th in the country and tied for second in the CACC with five triples. Her triples are tied for the sixth-best single-season total in school history.

Sophomore Kylie Doyle (Tower City, PA) gives the Lightning plenty of optimism in the circle after finishing last year with 37 strikeouts, not to mention leading the team with 12 RBI. She had seven strikeouts April 1 vs. Chestnut Hill and threw 10 innings March 19 against Bloomfield.

The season begins February 26 against Ursuline, one of five games the squad will play that weekend in Greeneville, TN. Action in the CACC opens March 12 at Felician, continuing a stretch in which the Lightning play their first 15 games away from home. CACC teams play each other twice for a total of 26 league games per school.

Also highlighting the league schedule is a doubleheader April 16 at Caldwell, which last season won the league and fell one victory shy of the super regionals. On April 12 at home GBC hosts Wilmington (DE), which last year also played in the NCAA Tournament. CACC play ends April 23 at home vs. Bloomfield.

Goldey-Beacom's home opener is March 20 against Bloomsburg, one of 10 doubleheaders on the slate at the Jackson Complex. The squad also is home shortly thereafter March 23 against Philadelphia U. and the next day vs. Bowie State.

The conference tournament takes place April 28-30 at Georgian Court University in Lakewood, NJ. The top eight teams in the standings compete in the double-elimination foray.

2016 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Softball Preseason Poll

1. Caldwell	195 (13)
2. Dominican (NY)	175 (1)
3. Wilmington (DE)	167
4. Post	157
5. Holy Family	130
T6. Felician	108
T6. Bloomfield	108
8. Philadelphia U.	96
9. Georgian Court	93
10. USciences	84
11. Concordia (NY)	52
12. Chestnut Hill	48
13. Nyack	34
14. Goldey-Beacom	23

First-place votes in parentheses

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Players Mentioned

#1 Kelsey Brandle: UT; 5' 3"; Sophomore; R/R

#27 Kylie Doyle: P/IF; 5' 3"; Sophomore; R/R

#14 Charlee King: OF; 5' 5"; Junior; R/R

#23 Paulynn Mao: P/IF; 5' 2"; Junior; R/R

Players Mentioned

#1 Kelsey Brandle
: 5' 3"; Sophomore; R/R
: UT

#27 Kylie Doyle
: 5' 3"; Sophomore; R/R
: P/IF

#14 Charlee King
: 5' 5"; Junior; R/R
: OF

#23 Paulynn Mao
: 5' 2"; Junior; R/R
: P/IF