United States Coast Guard Academy - Department of Athletics - 2007 Season Preview

The Coast Guard Bears enter the 2007 season with a sense of excitement as the team which has posted 20 or more wins for six straight seasons looks to return to postseason play for the first time since 2004. Coast Guard has been eliminated in the first round of the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) tournament in each of the last two season.

Senior co-captain Colleen Perry, the school’s all-time leader with 534 career strikeouts, set a single-season school record with 203 punch outs last season. Perry, one of the top pitchers in the region, was plaqued by injuries late last season as the Bears won just five of the final 14 games. Perry, a second team All-conference selection, was 18-14 with a 1.76 ERA last year as the Bears were 20-21 overall and 9-7 in a five-way tie for second in the NEWMAC.

Freshman Crystal Lee Coonan and sophomore Katie Murray (2-7, 5.73) will give the Bears three pitchers that can all contribute, something the team has lacked in the past.

The top of the order will feature a pair of speedsters in freshman second baseman Leanna Minton and sophomore centerfielder Annette Boston. They will set the table for the middle of the Bears order.

The heart of the order features three hitters that can all produce the long ball. Sophomore second team All-conference leftfielder Jeannie Crump, who led the team with a .333 batting average, three homers and 25 RBI’s last season, sophomore shortstop Keely Balthrop, who was second on the team with a .318 average and 23 RBI’s along with freshman rightfielder Carin Sweeney will be the run producers this season.

“We have the most complete and multi-dimensional team in my ten years here,” said head coach Donna Koczajowski. “We have three solid pitchers, we can play small ball at the top of the order and we have some big hitters that will be able to produce runs in the middle of the order and we have not had all three of those things in years past.”

The Bears struggled at the plate last season hitting just .233 as a team while averaging 3.8 runs per game. They scored two runs or less in 15 games.

Sophomore Colleen Denny will start at first base, junior Erin Cullen gets the nod at third base while junior co-captain Emily Paxson returns behind the plate to round out the starting lineup.

Sophomore speedsters Laura Hutchinson and Jen Ferreira along with freshman Jackie Ramirez, who will all backup in the outfield, give the Bears speed off the bench. Senior Mary Gilday will also see time in the Bears outfield.

This season the NEWMAC tournament will have a different look as the top six teams will play in a double-elimination tournament rather than having the first round game a one game elimination round as it has been in the past.

“We are excited for the new format since we have had the first round jinx in each of the last two years,” said Koczajowski.

Coast Guard will begin the season at the Rebel Games in Kissimme, Florida where the Bears will take on five teams that advanced to the NCAA tournament last season including #9 Ramapo and #20 Rowan. “We always play a very challenging schedule down South which prepares for NEWMAC play,” said Koczajowski. “The NEWMAC is one of the strongest conferences in New England and we will be tested each and every time we step on the field.”

The NEWMAC had seven teams win 20 or more games last season led by regular season and tournament champion Babson which finished 35-12.

“With Colleen, one of the greatest pitchers in Coast Guard history, at the helm and with the group of talented younger players we have on the this team we can challenge for the NEWMAC championship and get the NCAA berth that we have been striving for. If Colleen stays healthy, its achieveable,” said Koczajowski.