Softball Continues Season at the Maryland Invitational this Weekend

Tournament Information

GAME 14
Saint Peter's (3-10) vs. Rhode Island (6-9)
Date: Saturday, March 16
Time:12:30 p.m.
Location: College Park, MD - Maryland Softball Stadium 
 
GAME 15
Saint Peter's (3-10) vs. Villanova (11-10)
Date: Saturday, March 16
Time:5:30 p.m.
Location: College Park, MD - Maryland Softball Stadium 
 
GAME 16
Saint Peter's (3-10) vs. Bryant (1-17)
Date: Sunday, March 17
Time:10 a.m.
Location: College Park, MD - Maryland Softball Stadium 
 
GAME 17
Saint Peter's (3-10) vs. Drexel (6-9)
Date: Sunday, March 17
Time:12:30 a.m.
Location: College Park, MD - Maryland Softball Stadium 
 
Opening Pitch:

• The Saint Peter's softball team will travel to College Park, Maryland this weekend to compete in the Maryland Invitational on Saturday and Sunday.
• On the first day the team will face Rhode Island starting at 12:30 p.m. followed by Villanova at 5:30 p.m.
• The second day of the invitational the Peacocks will start with Bryant at 10:30 a.m. before facing Drexel at 12:30 p.m. to conclude the trip. 
• The team enters the game with a 3-10 record. 
• The Peacocks picked up their third win of the season against Howard, winning the second game of a double header 7-3 on Wednesday.

Scout on University of Rhode Island:

• Rhode Island currently sits at 6-9 this season.
• The Rams last played at the Charleston Invitational in South Carolina, winning 4 out of the 5 games. 
• The Peacocks have only played Rhode Island once in the teams' all-time history, losing the game on March 15, 2009.

Scout on Villanova:

• The Villanova Wildcats are currently 11-10. 
• The Wildcats just finished up playing in the USF Invitational in Clearwater, Fl. 
• Villanova won 4 out of the 5 games in that tournament. 
• The only team they lost to was Wisconsin, losing 13-1. 
• This is the first time ever that the Peacocks will face Villanova.

Scout on Bryant:

• Bryant currently sits 1-17 on the season.
• The Bulldogs played against South Carolina their last time out, losing both games.
• Their only win so far this season was against Col. of Charleston, winning 7-3. 
• The Peacocks all-time record against Bryant is 2-1. 
• The last time the Peacocks beat Bryant was in 1998, winning both games in a doubleheader. 

Scout on Drexel:

• Drexel is 6-9 on the season so far.
• The Dragon's last time out was in the Hampton Blue and White Classic.
• Drexel went 2-3 in that tournament in Hampton Virginia. 
• The Peacocks have never beaten Drexel in all-time history, holding an 0-7 record. 
• The Peacocks played Drexel three times last year, losing all three games. 

Welcome Back

• The Saint Peter's softball team will return 12 players this season, including five seniors. 
• The five seniors are Harley Connors, Sydney Ramsey, Barbara Verrastro, Tiffani Lambert, Schieler Collins.
• The four juniors are Georgia Verrastro, Alina Guevara, Theamaris Ramirez, Taylor White.
• Three sophomores are Alyssa Adams, Natasha Solano, Taylor Lewis.

New Additions

• The Peacocks welcome five new players: 
• Katie Sciglimpaglia (Norwalk, CT), Marissa Morales (Wolcott, CT),  Alyssa Mido (Edison, NJ), Anja Solveig Kane (Manchester Twp, NJ) and Sydney Senerchia (Northford, CT). 

MAAC Preseason Poll

• The Saint Peter's softball team was picked 11th in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Preseason Coaches' Poll. 

Meet the Heach Coach

• Chris Stelma will begin his third season at the helm of the Saint Peter's Softball team. Last season, 2018, the team went 7-41. 
• They earned their first win of the season against Rider at the Coppin State Eagle Classic in Maryland.
• In Stelma's first season (2017), the team recorded 115 runs with six wins, including four conference wins. 
• The Peacocks earned a series sweep for the first time in three years when they swept Rider in the final two games of the season, and improved their batting average from .199 in 2016 to .247 in 2017.
• Before Saint Peter's, Stelma served as an assistant coach at Division III, William Paterson University in New Jersey during the 2016 season. 
• Prior to joining William Paterson, he was the owner of Fielder's Choice Baseball/Kaboom Softball in Andover, where he coordinated training, league play, tournaments and facilities, and served as the head coach of the U18 Showcase baseball and softball teams. Stelma was the baseball head coach at his alma mater, County College of Morris, during the fall of 2007.
• Stelma earned a bachelor's degree in communications from the University of Rhode Island in 2006. 
• While at URI, Stelma was a member of the baseball team where he played two seasons at shortstop for the Rams, making 31 starts and appearing in over 40 games. 
• Prior to transferring to URI, Stelma began his collegiate career at County College of Morris where he played for current Saint Peter's assistant coach Ed Moskal in 2003. 
• He was named All-Region and All-Garden State Conference at County College of Morris and ranked in the top 15 among JUCO hitters in 2003.

Meet The Coaching Staff: 

• Assistant coaches Suzanne Ruffo and Alyssa Ruiz.