Softball slotted fifth in PAC Preseason Poll

Andrew Woodley, Sports Information Director

• Full Release

GREENVILLE, Pa. (Feb. 16) - The Bethany College softball team was selected to finish fifth in the annual Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Preseason Coaches' Poll announced Friday afternoon.

Thomas More College was picked to repeat as the winner of this year's championship tournament, while Westminster, Thiel and Saint Vincent rounded out the top-four in the poll.

The PAC also unveiled its 2018 Players to Watch list, which included seniors Cassie Weiss (Taylorstown, Pa./McGuffey) and Jazz Fuqua (Washington, Pa./Trinity), junior Emily Folk (Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown) and sophomore Erica Amoroso (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon). 

Bethany Head Coach Jan Forsty, who is one of 15 coaches in NCAA Division III to amass 750 career wins, will have a veteran pitching staff at her disposal this season with the return of both Weiss and senior Sam Binkley (Kenilworth, Ontario/St. James). Weiss finished last season second in the PAC with 145 strikeouts (8.59 per game) and earned second-team all-conference honors. She concluded the year with a 2.07 ERA and limited opponents to a .224 batting average, both good for the third-lowest in the league.

On offense, the Bison will welcome back five of their top-eight hitters in terms of batting average from last season. Fuqua hit .263 with a team-best 10 doubles and drove in a career-high 11 RBI, with a team-high seven stolen bases. Amoroso hit .268, scored 21 runs and stole six bases, while Folk batted .250 with 11 RBI and 12 runs scored. All three started all 38 games for Bethany last season.

The Bison will open the 2018 campaign on Monday, March 12 when they head south to Clermont, Florida for the PFX Games. Bethany is scheduled to play 10 games in Florida and will begin the season with contests against Northwestern (Minnesota) and Ohio Wesleyan.