CALDWELL, N.J.- The Caldwell University Softball Team opens up their 2017 season this week and looks to continue their success under head coach Dean Johnson. The Cougars will play fifty-four regular season games and play twenty-six Central Collegiate conferences contests.
 
The Cougars head down to Clermont, Florida on Thursday, March 9 to face off against Saint Anselm College to get their season rolling. Caldwell was picked to finish in first place this season in the CACC Preseason Coach poll earning 191 points with ten first place votes. In 2016 the Cougars went 23-3 in conference earning the regular season title.
 
Caldwell looks to build on last season's achievements as they return four all-conference selections. Junior Marisa Monasseri (Monroe, N.J.) was named CACC Player of the Year. Monasseri, a First Team All-Conference selection at catcher, lead the CACC in batting average, slugging and on base percentage as well as homeruns and RBI. She set modern era program record (records since 1995) for single season homeruns, shattering the previous mark of 10. She started all 51 games, batted .423 average with 17 homeruns and 57 RBI, she totaled eight doubles, one triple and scored 32 runs with 52 hits.
 
Seniors Lauren Frye (Jupiter, Fla.), and Amy Hickman (Jackson, N.J.) were selected to the CACC First Team along with senior pitcher Sydney Ponto (West Deptford, N.J.), who earned CACC Second Team honors. Frye she batted .241 with a .336 on base percentage, totaled 22 RBI, 27 runs scored, 26 hits, seven doubles and six homeruns. Hickman was named to an All-Conference team as an outfielder for a third straight season. She finished the season with a .406 batting average with a team-best 48 runs scored and led the team with 63 hits, with two doubles, 10 RBI, and 18 stolen bases. Ponto was selected to an All-Conference team for the second time in her career. She posted a 2.83 ERA with 107 strikeouts in 128.2 innings pitched and a 17-6 record.
 
The Cougars kick off their season on March 9 against East Region foes Saint Anselm College and Assumption College. Caldwell will take on fellow East Region opponents Southern New Hampshire University and Franklin Pierce University. The Cougars take non-region foes in Ashland University, Slippery Rock University, University of Sioux Falls, University of Charleston and Edinboro University. These games will take place the one of the PFX complexes in Clermont, Florida. The Cougars finish up their Florida trip on March 14 at Saint Leo University for a doubleheader and on March 15 at Florida Tech.
 
The Cougars return for CACC play on March 18 for their home opener against University of the Sciences at 12 pm. Caldwell plays a total of 12 CACC home games. These CACC contests include Nyack College on March 29, Chestnut Hill College on April 8, Holy Family University on April 9 and Georgian Court University on April 12. Their final conference home game will be on April 26 at 2:30pm and 4:30pm as they take on Dominican College.
 
For the Caldwell University Softball teams full schedule, click here.