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MThe Bears return their entire
roster intact from last year's championship team, which includes
seven All-Association selections and two NCAA Division III All-Americans.
Among them is a pitching rotation that had its way against the
entire field sophomores Laurel Sagartz and Abby Morgan,
and senior Victoria Ramsey. Sagartz, the returning Association
Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year, yielded only eight
hits and did not allow a run to come across the plate in finishing
with a 3-0 record, 18 strikeouts, and a tournament record 0.00
earned-run average in 20 innings of work.
MRamsey gained second team All-UAA
accolades by giving up one hit less than Sagartz en-route to
a 3-0 record and perfect ERA as well, missing a share of the
tournament record by playing an inning under the minimum of 15.
Morgan accounted for the other two victories for the Bears, posting
a 0.78 ERA on six hits and an earned run allowed.
MEven more effective than their
pitching is the Bears' hitting and infield play, sparked by two-time
All-America first baseman Liz Swary. The unit only committed
nine errors in 242 fielding chances in registering a .963 percentage.
Swary was perfect at first base with 62 putouts in 65 chances.
At the plate, Washington returns six players that batted .350
or better in tournament play, which consist of All-UAA
first teamers Sagartz and classmate Jamie Kressel, sophomores
Monica Hanono and Amanda Roberts.
MEmory will be equally strong
in terms of personnel despite the loss of two key players from
its past championship teams to graduation. The Eagles return
six All-UAA players from last year's team, including
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co-Rookie of the Year and first team honoree Betsy Bruinsma.
The outfielder led the tournament in hitting with a .423 batting
average, going 11-for-26 with five RBI and three extra-base hits.
MSenior Mary Nicol and sophomore
Lauren Haag will also provide offensive support to the offense,
hitting .360 (three doubles) and .357 respectively last spring.
Returning to the mound is two-time All-UAA first team
pitcher Christine O'Brien, who mowed down 36 batters and gave
up an earned run in 33.1 innings en route to a 0.21 ERA.
MWith a mix of veteran and new
talent, not to mention a new head coach, the University of Rochester
will look to try and improve on a 3-5 finish, and put a dent
into the championship plans of both Emory and Washington. Sophomores
Samantha Carr and Jena Robertson are the lone returning All-UAA
performers from a team that finished third in championship play
last spring. Juniors Kristina Long and Jen Moshier joined Carr
to account for each of the Yellowjackets' three victories on
the mound.
MBrandeis University and Case
Western Reserve University will both work to fit into the scheme
of things with relatively new lineups in this year's championship.
Brandeis needed to replace almost two-thirds of its roster from
a year ago, returning only junior 2003 All-Association selection
Mari Levine and classmate pitcher Brianne Smith. Case lost three
All-UAA selections from last year's 3-5 team (tied for
third with Rochester), returning senior pitcher Jackie Rutherford
and sophomore infielder Carrie Casden.
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