Staten Island, NY – The Wagner College softball team will begin its 2015 campaign on Friday at 1:00 p.m. in Rock Hill, SC for the 2015 Adidas Tournament.
 
The Seahawks first take on Coppin State, followed by tournament-host Winthrop University at 3:00 p.m. Friday. On Saturday, the squad will face Appalachian State at 11:00 a.m. followed by University of Hartford at 1:00 p.m., respectively.
 
Wagner will conclude the Adidas Tournament on Sunday in a tilt against Austin Peay at 12:00 p.m. before heading back to Staten Island.
 
2015 Season Outlook:
Head Coach Glen Payne, who embarks on his twentieth season in the program, is confident that his 2015 squad, comprised of a blend of talented newcomers and several experienced returners, will have a chance to vie for a Northeast Conference Championship.
 
The Seahawks finished the 2014 Campaign just one game shy of clinching a spot in the NEC Playoffs. That tough ending helped shape the mentality and drive of the team's goals this season. "With the caliber of players returning (including six to seven players that started last season as freshmen) and the depth of our pitching staff, we think we will make a run in the playoffs, that's our team goal," Coach Payne expressed.
 
"One common thread that these players have this season is that they aren't satisfied," he added. "Complacency breeds contentment which breeds failure- they are hungry and we want them hungry."
 
The Seahawks return 13 solid playmakers for the 2015 campaign. The senior class is comprised of standout shortstop Kelsey Parker, who garnered NEC Most Improved Athlete, three-time NEC athlete of the week, named Second Team All-Conference while leading the NEC in batting average (.444). She is very consistent, has no drop off, shows great leadership and is a huge asset to this team. Beth Lewis is a senior for the squad who hit over .300 last season for the Seahawks and splits time between first base and catcher. She is the foundation for the team's consistency and stabilizes the squad. The last senior is pitcher Sam Bedker, the lone senior on the pitching staff this season and Head Coach Payne thinks very highly of the righty. She went 10-8 last year but has the potential to win anywhere between 15-20 ball games. The coaching staff has very high expectations and are expecting great things from the seniors this season.

The junior class brings a 'multipurpose edge' to the squad with the ability to play various positions throughout the field. The class consists of third basemen/catcher Brenda Bott, who also earned Second Team All-Conference honors last year and has a lot of power in the batter's box, according to Payne. Junior Taylor Secemski is practicing at first base but is able to pitch a couple innings of relief if needed and excels at the plate. The last junior, Megan Moore, spends most of her defensive time as a catcher as she has the best arm, stated Payne, but can also play first base.
 
Most of squad's depth comes from the sophomore class. McKaleigh Goodale leads the way as she was recruited to be a shortstop and ended up as the team's number one pitcher last year. She finished last season ranked No.87 in the country with a 2.83 era. Taylor Beeson, a second basemen, hit over .300 last season and has a lot of pop in her bat according to the coaching staff. Brianna Tredway is also part of the sophomore class, an outstanding centerfielder that can go gap-to-gap, play the game, really understands it and can hit the ball on top of it all. Pitcher Gina Massero threw some quality innings, came along at a nice pace and overall is a player that the coaches are very happy and excited about. Hana Gilbert's power in the batter's box brings her into the lineup as she batted over .300 last season while playing offensively splitting time between left and right field. Aerika High became the team's third basemen as she has a solid arm defensively to make plays and also brings power in the box. Camille Kiyota made her presence at the plate as well and helps add depth for the Green & White.
 
Rounding out the 2015 squad is a fairly large and very well respected freshmen class consisting of infielder Maddie Marable, outfielder's Maite Reece and Laura Petri, pitcher/utility Abby Boyer, catcher/infielder Drew Duffy and pitcher Morgan Brown. The freshmen have already made significant improvements just during the fall season, the coaching staff is very excited to see what the rest of season will bring.
 
Follow Wagner Athletics on Twitter (@WagnerAthletics) for all the latest news and updates on the athletic department.