2021 Softball Season Preview
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2021 Schedule
2021 Roster
2019 Statistics
Patchogue, NY| After nearly a two-year layoff, the St. Joseph's College (L.I.) softball team will return to competitive action on Saturday afternoon. After elimination from the Skyline Conference Championship on May 4, 2019, SJC saw its 2020 campaign wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Head coach Lisa Jusino returns for her sixth season at the helm of the program and hopes to replicate an impressive 2019 season in which the Golden Eagles posted a 13-3 Skyline Conference record. SJC earned a bye to the double-elimination portion of the Conference Championship as the second seed but exited after suffering successive losses to Farmingdale and Mount St. Mary, respectively.
The Returners: Nine players from the 2019 squad and 12 from the 2020 squad that never took the field return in 2021. Among them is 2019 Skyline Conference Rookie of the Year Jenna DeFina. The now-junior outfielder hit .447 and stole 32 bases in her freshman campaign and also took home NFCA All-Northeast Region Second-Team, All-ECAC Honorable Mention, and Skyline All-Conference First-Team honors.
Graduate student-athlete Ashley Accardi retains her fourth year of eligibility and is expected to figure greatly into Jusino's plans. The versatile infielder/outfielder was a Skyline All-Conference First-Team selection in 2018.
Seniors Kassandra Tibbetts and Lindsay Ness return for their second seasons at SJC after earning Skyline All-Conference First-Team and Second-Team honors, respectively, in 2019. Tibbetts, expected to slot back in at first base, hit .430 and drove in 21 runs in 2019, while Ness will reprise her role behind the plate after .327 with 22 RBIs two years ago.
Other returners include junior pitcher Patricia McGloin (2-1, 3.06 ERA in 2019) and seniors Aryana Caputo and Lindsey McKenna.
The Newcomers: Six freshmen join the SJC ranks including Samantha Dimezza, a speedy outfielder and left-handed bat expected to help fill the hole left by Franzelyn Russo's graduation. Pitcher Julia Ruocchio is expected to make an immediate impact as well.
Lauren Crawford, Veronica Coman, Madison DiSalvo, and Madison DiPalo round out the freshman class.
Seniors Bailey Rand and Paige Csikortos, and sophomore Emily Bazarewski, have waited over a year to make their SJC debuts having joined the team in 2020.
Expectations: Jusino says a Skyline Conference championship is always the main goal for her squad but admits that this is not a normal season. COVID-19 concerns and protocols will make for a wildly unpredictable campaign, but Jusino believes her team is deep enough to take home a title. Since taking charge of the program, Jusino's teams have posted 13-5, 14-4, 14-2, and 13-3 conference regular-season records.
When they take the field: SJC will make its long-awaited return to the field on Saturday, March 20 for a home doubleheader with Purchase College at 12:00 pm. The Golden Eagles will head up to Purchase on Sunday, March 21 to complete the four-game series.
Due to COVID-19 concerns, no spectators will be permitted on-site for any and all games this season, home and away. All home games will be streamed live at sjcgoldeneagles.com.
