WEST BABYLON, N.Y. (Jan. 25, 2022) – The Mercy College softball team has been picked to finish fourth in the ECC Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the conference office earlier today.

Bridgeport received five of seven first-place votes to top the poll and Molloy was picked second. The coaches voted Chrissie Huhn from Molloy and Kaira Ramon from Bridgeport as Co-Preseason Player of the Year. Bridgeport's Kaite Burawski was tabbed Preseason Pitcher of the Year.

Head Coach Mike Fazio and the Mavericks went 17-14 last season, qualifying for the ECC Tournament for the first time since 2018. Mercy went 15-9 in ECC play last season and earned the No. 4 seed in the ECC Tournament. The Mavericks defeated top seed Bridgeport in Game 1 of the ECC Semifinals before dropping the next two games to see their season come to an end.

Leading the returners is senior Alexis Crawford who was named First Team All-ECC last year after hitting .391 with 23 runs, 43 hits, eight RBI and 22 stolen bases. Graduate student Danielle Burgos also returns after being named First Team All-ECC in 2021. She was hit .366 with 14 RBI, 21 runs, 37 hits and eight stolen bases. Junior Sydney Johnston returns after being named First Team All-ECC last season. She hit .307 with 23 hits and a team-high-tying 15 RBI.

Senior Ylannah Bowman was tabbed Second Team All-ECC last season after hitting .346 with a team-high three home runs and 15 RBI. Junior Samantha Franck also comes back after being named Second Team All-ECC in 2021 following a season in which she hit .310 with 14 RBI. Returning in the circle is junior Alexi Benson who went 9-4 last season with a 2.30 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 88.1 innings.

Fazio and the Mavericks open their 2022 season on February 18th when they play at Francis Marion at 5 p.m.