A new season is on the horizon for Oswego State softball, and with it comes a new head coach in Casey Price and a Laker squad featuring several new faces as 11 players on the roster are freshmen. Coach Price, however, does not see their relative youth as a disadvantage.

"We have a good group this season," says Price, "We have been working really hard and have developed great team chemistry." The new head coach has been particularly focused on making sure the pitching rotation consisting of returning sophomore Sarah Thayer and freshmen Jess Palmitesso and Morgan Lavner is in order heading into this season, which begins Saturday with nine games over a four-day stretch on the Spring Break trip in Florida.

"It will definitely set the tone for the rest of the season," says Price. "They're new to me and I'm new to them. The close-knit environment of this road trip will give our team time to gel."

Coach Price says she expects the returning players to lead the charge, but reiterated that a number of the freshmen will be presented with opportunities to break through this season. "Katie Bredin (expected to play second base) is very fast and has unlimited talent," according to Price. The new coach notes that she also has a solid hitter in sophomore outfielder Sue Schoff and expects position players such as senior infielder Christine Linguanti, junior catcher Bre Meleen, and team captain and junior infielder Shannon Baker to contribute greatly to the team's cause this season.

Joining Schoff in the outfield will be junior Brittany Carbacio and freshmen Sammie Schroeter, Megan Howe, Mady Paul, and Katie Russell.  Other players contending for playing time in the infield and behind the plate include sophomore Nicole Ouellette and freshmen Dee Apps, Paige Anderson, Beth Jerome and Laura Kahn.

Having served as an assistant pitching coach with SUNY Plattsburgh from 1999-2010, Price acknowledges that she's a recognized name around the SUNY Athletic Conference, but realizes that some will inevitably underestimate exactly what this year's team is capable of. "I have full confidence in them," Coach Price insists, "I see our pitching staff exploding to bigger and better things this season, we're going to be very exciting on the mound."

Another positive aspect that the new coach will look to is that a number of the athletes on this season's squad have experience as dual-sport athletes or better. "The ice hockey players come in with an aggression you love to see, the volleyball players have great upper body strength and the all-around enthusiasm, and the swimmers have the conditioning every coach loves to see."

While the primary goal for Oswego State softball this season will be to improve the win-loss record from last year's 5-29 overall (2-16 in SUNYAC play), the future does look promising. "You're going to be impressed with what you see this year. Our ultimate goal is to be competitive in every game we play," continued Price.

"We're definitely going to surprise some people."

2011 Roster
2011 Schedule
2010 Statistics