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THIS WEEK
The Southern Connecticut State University softball team returns home from its annual Spring Trip in Florida to play four doubleheaders in five days. They begin with a doubleheader at Adelphi on Wednesday and return to Pelz Field to host Holy Family on Thursday and Saint Rose on Friday and Saturday.

SCOUTING ADELPHI
The Panthers will enter Wednesday's doubleheader with a record of 13-9 and are winners of their last three games. Brenna Martini leads the team in all major batting categories. She is hitting .431 with an .828 slugging percentage and has hit five home runs (T-1st in NE-10) in 22 games played. Christina Palmenteri and Nicole Camera are right behind her in batting average at .383 and .333, respectively. Lindsay Mapes in the team leader in ERA at 2.39. Opponents are batting .271 against Adelphi pitchers so far this year.

ALL-TIME vs. ADLEPHI
The Owls are 20-29 all-time against the Panthers.

SCOUTING HOLY FAMILY
The Tigers are 7-5 as of Monday and will play West Chester on Wednesday before facing the Owls on Thursday. They are led by Jenna Vasquez who is batting .333, Taylor Favinger at .306 and Jennifer Trapp at .303. Holy Family is batting .266 as a team and has a team ERA of 2.30. No Tiger opponent has scored more than six runs in a game thus far.

ALL-TIME vs. HOLY FAMILY
The Owls are 0-1 all-time against the Tigers, with the only loss coming in 2014. 

SCOUTING SAINT ROSE
The Golden Knights are 4-11 and will host Dominican before playing SCSU on Friday and Saturday. They are batting .233 as a team Zoe Dubois and Carly Wood. Dubois is batting .321 while Wood is at .318 with two home runs and a .521 slugging percentage. Their team ERA is 3.94 and opponents are hitting .323 off their pitchers. Conversely, opposing pitchers have a 2.21 ERA against Saint Rose.

ALL-TIME vs. SAINT ROSE
The Owls are 28-7 all-time against the Golden Knights, including wins in their last four games against them.

HOW WAS YOUR TRIP?
Southern Connecticut finished its annual Spring Trip to Florida with a record of 4-5. The teams that Southern fell to have a combined record of 75-46-1 while the teams Southern beat are 16-35-1. The Owls' best games came against Saint Michael's, which SCSU outscored 20-9 in two games. Giuliana D'Arcangelo went 4-for-8 in those games with a grand slam, a triple and five RBI. Arianna Medeiros went 5-for-8 and BryAnna McIntosh went 4-for-7 with two RBI and a triple.

A WELCOME ADDITION
Junior transfer Arianna Medeiros is among the team leaders in all major offensive categories. She leads the team - and the conference - in batting average (.484.), hits (15) and doubles (4). She is second in runs (6) and tied for second in homr runs (1) and walks (3). 

COCKRILL, AN ACE
Senior pitcher Kelsey Cockrill has an ERA of 1.81 and 32 strikeouts in 27 innings pitched this season. She has earned a 2-1 record with those numbers. 

AN EARLY LOOK AT THIS YEAR
Southern Connecticut is coming off a season in which it went 19-17 and reached the NE-10 Quarterfinals.  Head coach Jillian Ortega enters her second year and looks to lead an Owl team that lost four of last season's starters to graduation.

IN THE PRESEASON NE-10 COACHES POLL
SCSU was picked fifth in the Southwest division in the NE-10 preseason coaches' poll. 
Northeast
1. So. New Hampshire - 102 (11)
2. Stonehill - 89 (4)
3. Saint Anselm - 68
4. Assumption - 67
5. Merrimack - 66
6. Bentley - 41
7. Franklin Pierce - 29
8. Saint Michael's - 14
Southwest
1. Adelphi - 92 (14)
2. Pace - 67
3. New Haven - 61
4. Le Moyne - 59 (1)
5. So. Connecticut - 46
6. Saint Rose - 27
7. American Int'l - 19

PLAYERS TO WATCH
The Owls are led by infielders Giuliana D'Arcangelo and Leanna Feerick. They are the team's returning leaders in batting average, hits, RBI and extra-base hits. Kelsey Cockrill returns as a starting pitcher. She posted 11 wins and a 3.01 ERA last season.

PAIR OF OWLS EARN NE-10 HONORS
Two players from last year's team, second basemen Giuliana D'Arcangelo and shortstop Nicole Buch, were named Third-Team All-Conference last season.
• D'Arcangelo led the team in runs scored, doubles and total bases and finished second in hits, batting average, RBI and slugging percentage.
• Buch led the team in hits, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and walks and is now an assistant coach.

LAST SEASON IN REVIEW
The Owls finished Jillian Ortega's first season with an overall record of 19-17 and a conference record of 10-8. 
• Southern Connecticut was 9-2 at Pelz Field.
• SCSU grabbed the No. 3 seed in the NE-10 Southwest Division after winning its last four games against Le Moyne. The Owls defeated the Dolphins again in the first round of the NE-10 Tournament.
• Southern fell 1-0 off an unearned run to No. 2 seeded Stonehill in the quarterfinal round.

NICE TO KNOW YOU
The softball team will be tasked with replacing five seniors from last year's team. 
• Nicole Buch finished among the Division II leaders in walks and was the team leader in hits, batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. 
• Sarah Koerner led the team in stolen bases and was third on the team in hits in addition to manning center field for the Owls. 
• Kelly Mitchell was the team leader in home runs and was among the leaders in slugging percentage.
• Kristie Vitulli was the starting catcher for the Owls and managed ten hits as a senior.
• Nora Crann was a key utility player who saw most of her time in the outfield. 

A STRONG VETERAN PRESENCE
Southern Connecticut has 17 of 20 returning student-athletes from last year's team that finished with a 19-17 mark.  Among those other than D'Arcangelo, Feerick and Cockrill are Danielle Piazza, Audrey Dolloff and Lauren Yaffa.

CONFERENCE RANKINGS
Buch finished last season among the conference and national leaders.  Her batting average (.387) was ninth best in the conference, her on-base percentage (.525) was second best in the conference and her total walks (28) were first in the conference and 24th in the nation. 

SOUTHERN AMONG NE-10's BEST
Southern Connecticut finished second in the conference in double plays per game (0.36) and first in the conference in on-base percentage (0.364)

WELCOME TO THE CLUB
The Owls welcome three newcomers to the team for the 2016 season - freshman Catherine Ursillo, sophomore Victoria Ceballos and junior transfer Arianna Medeiros.

ON DECK
The Owls have five days worth of games next week, four of them on the road. First, they will host Dowling on Monday before traveling to New Haven and LIU Post for single games on Wednesday and Thursday. The team continues on the road for doubleheaders against Stonehill and Bentley on April 2 and 3, respectively.