Golden Bears Selected Third in CCC Preseason Coachesâ?? Poll

CCC Release/Preview Video

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (March 3, 2016) - The defending Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) champion Western New England University softball team has been selected third in the 2016 CCC Preseason Coaches' Poll, which was released today by the conference office.
 
Western New England received more first place votes (four) than any other team, but compiled 79 points en route to its third place finish. Salve Regina took the top spot in the vote of the league's ten head coaches, collecting three first place tallies and 89 total points. Last season's runner-up, Endicott College, checked in second with two first place votes and 86 points, while Roger Williams received the final first place vote and 69 total points, finished fourth. The University of New England (67 points) was right behind Roger Williams in fifth, and Curry (53), Nichols (38), Gordon (36), Wentworth (18) and Eastern Nazarene (15) took the final five spots.
 
Western New England enjoyed one of its most successful campaigns in program history (30-9, 14-2 CCC) last spring, capturing its first-ever CCC title before earning a trip to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006. Head coach Lori Mayhew, the 2015 CCC Coach of the Year, enters her 19^th season at the helm of the softball program just five wins shy of 500 for her career with an overall record of 495-268 (.648).
 
Three of Western New England's six All-CCC performers from last spring will be back in 2016, including a pair of first team selections in senior first baseman Heather Fecteau (Biddeford, Maine) and senior outfielder Alexis Bukowski (Wallingford, Conn.). Senior pitcher Heidi Grieger (Hyde Park, N.Y.) will take over as the team's ace following the graduation of 2015 CCC Pitcher of the Year Lauren Zambrano. 
 
Western New England opens its 2016 campaign on March 12 against Plymouth State in Clermont, Fla., the first of ten games for the Golden Bears in the sunshine state. Western New England opens its home slate against Smith on March 24, before kicking off CCC play the next day at Nichols. 
 

 2016 CCC Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll