With just three position starters and one every-day pitcher returning for the Pioneers, the 2008 William Paterson softball team will have a decidedly new look this spring. 

Coming off a 24-15 campaign a year ago that included a 10-8 mark against New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) opponents, 14th-year head coach Hallie Cohen will be looking to blend her proven veteran starters with a group of talented newcomers and returnees who will be asked to assume prominent roles. 

Despite the need to construct an entirely new infield as well as a re-structured outfield, Cohen will have plenty of options thanks to a stable of young players whose greatest strength may be their flexibility to play multiple positions. How quickly the team and lineup gels will determine if the Pioneers will be able to challenge for their fourth NCAA Tournament bid in eight years.

VETERANS
Leadership, particularly during the early stages of the schedule, will be paramount as
William Paterson forms its identity this season. The Pioneers will look to their four upperclassmen to provide that stability while serving as examples of the work ethic, dedication and focus needed to be in the mix of the highly-competitive NJAC. 

Senior Diana Schraer (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) is WP's all-time career leader in winning percentage (.831, 49-10) and ERA (1.17), and shouldered the responsibility of throwing nearly all of the Pioneers' innings down the stretch of last season (1.67 ERA, 18-6, 163.2 innings). A three-time all-conference and two-time all-region selection, her poise and ability to get the crucial out have made her one of the league's best pitchers during her William Paterson career. 

The other half of the battery, junior Meghan Reilly (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) begins her second season as the starting catcher after patrolling the outfield as a freshman. A first-team all-NJAC and second-team all-region honoree last spring, Reilly batted .327 with three triples, 22 runs scored and a team-best eight doubles in 2007. 

The only other senior on the roster, Kat Wehmann (Harrington Park, N.J./Old Tappan) served as a pinch runner and defensive substitute during her first three seasons, playing behind four-year starter April Sardinas-Wyssling at second base. A captain for the Pioneers, her defensive consistency and success at the plate will dictate if she will take over the starting role at second. 

Junior Ana Abourashed (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) brings power at the plate, leading William Paterson with six home runs, 33 RBI and a .608 slugging percentage last year. Expected to be in the lineup primarily as a designated player this spring, Abourashed also could see some innings at first base. 

Six sophomores round out the group of returnees, led by outfield starters Christina Zippler (Blackwood, N.J./Washington Twp.) and Chelsea Winkelspecht (Sicklerville, N.J./Washington Twp.). Zippler had an outstanding first season in right field, leading the team with a .368 batting average while scoring 20 runs and compiling a .412 on-base percentage. Winkelspecht, who also stars on William Paterson's field hockey team, started 38 games in left field last season, but is recovering from an injury suffered during winter workouts and may not be available when the Pioneers start their season March 15. 

Casey Sierra (Ringwood, N.J./Lakeland Regional) could see an expanded role as a designated player and third baseman after appearing in 28 games as a freshman, while Kelly Lauter (Succasunna, N.J./Roxbury) will provide depth behind the plate after an injury kept her on the sidelines in 2007. 

Danielle Ballard (Lynbrook, N.Y./Lynbrook) will return to the circle after she was a two-time NJAC Rookie Pitcher of the Week last spring, starting eight games and compiling a 1.95 ERA before an injury ended her freshman season.

NEWCOMERS
Although the 2008 Pioneers may be the youngest group Cohen has ever coached at William Paterson, the 14 newcomers form a solid core WP can build upon for the next four years. Twelve of the new faces are freshmen, but their success in highly-competitive high school and summer ball programs have given them the foundation to step in and contribute immediately on the college level. 

Two transfers – junior Kelly Apgar (Andover, N.J./Lenape Valley) from Sussex C.C. and sophomore Katelyn Braun (Philadelphia, Pa./Gloucester Catholic) from Rutgers-Camden – will help bolster William Paterson's group of nine returning letterwinners. Braun can give the Pioneers innings at both shortstop and in the outfield after starting 26 games a year ago for the Scarlet Raptors, while Apgar will serve as a backup middle infielder and pinch runner. 

Several of the freshmen will need to move into key roles immediately. Heather Mendez (Basking Ridge, N.J./Basking Ridge) could be the best hitter on the roster, and will likely start in either left or center field, while Lindsey Nadolny's (Middletown, N.J./Middletown North) versatility will allow her to get into the lineup at second, third or in the outfield after batting .537 as a prep senior. Three-sport high school athlete Rayna Caruso (Madison, N.J./Madison) was primarily a second baseman before her arrival at William Paterson, but will likely be inserted at third base or in the outfield this year. 

Ashlie Gaynor (Berlin, N.J./Eastern), a three-year member of the Jersey Outlaws summer team, and Stephanie Simonetty (Denville, N.J./Mount St. Dominic), a four-time all-conference selection, will platoon at first base. Nicole Jimmerson (North Bergen, N.J./High Tech) could press for time behind the plate after hitting .580 with seven home runs as a high school senior, while Tara Perez (Sparta, N.J./Sparta) is expected to see time at shortstop and in the outfield after earning all-West Jersey honors last spring. Jillian Mulderig (Sewell, N.J./Washington Twp.), an outfielder who could compete for a starting spot, and Katelynn Yard (Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough), a utility/designated player, round out the group of position players for William Paterson. 

Three new pitchers will compete for playing time while providing the Pioneers with quality depth at the position. Kerrie Mascarelli (Montvale, N.J./Pascack Hills) helped lead her high school team to the 2007 North 1, Group 2 title, and she also is one of the fastest players on the William Paterson roster, something that will be utilized as a pinch runner. Jenna Vitale (Kenilworth, N.J./David Brearley) twice earned first-team all-state accolades, combining excellent fielding inside the circle with a left-handed bat that will allow her to fill the role of designated player when she is not pitching. Jaclyn Reilly (Garfield, N.J./Garfield) spent the fall playing for the Pioneer volleyball team after earning first-team all-league honors last spring.