Before you know it, spring will be here. With that comes the start of Cabrini’s spring athletic season. One team to really look out for is Cabrini’s women’s softball team. The Cabrini Cavaliers added several different freshmen to the roster this season with the hopes of heading in the right direction and making it back to the Colonial States Athletic Conference championship this year.
One notable absence from the team this year is shortstop Kaitlyn Cooper. Cooper ended her playing career with the Cabrini Cavaliers during her senior season in 2016. She spent all four of her collegiate years on the team and averaged a .369 batting average, racked up 119 total RBIs, 16 home runs and 274 putouts.
The Lady Cavs also have plenty of players returning to finish what they started. That includes junior softball student athlete, Christine Ferraro (Outfield #17). Ferraro was named to the 2017 Fastpitch News Preseason NCAA Division III All-American Softball Second Team. Ferraro becomes the sixth softball player in Cabrini’s history to receive such a honor and the first to receive the honor one since 2004.
She is a two-time All CSAC First Team Performer and was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-East Region First Team in 2016. The junior finished last season with a .504 batting average, which ranked 13th in Division III softball. Ferraro posted a .590 on-base percentage last season which ranked 5th in the entire county.
Christine Ferraro led the entire women’s softball CSAC in 2016 with 62 total hits, 22 stolen bases and ranked second when it came to batting average and third in total walks.
With Ferraro back on the roster for another season there’s no doubt that the Lady Cavs will look to be just as successful as they were in 2016. The Cabrini Cavaliers finished 25-18 on the season and 19-3 in CSAC play. Cabrini managed to make to the CSAC tournament finals and played for the championship as the number 2 seed. The Lady Cavs played the fourth seeded Marywood and came out with the win, beating them 3-1 and earning a spot to play in the championship against Neumann University. Cabrini fought hard but fell short to the Neumann Knights 9-4. For the past three years the Lady Cavs have made it to the CSAC championships and lost. Cabrini is definitely looking forward to breaking that streak and bringing home a CSAC championship in 2017.
Cabrini’s softball team will head down to Clermont, Fla. during spring break to start their preseason with a matchup against Otterbein University. The Lady Cavs played the Otterbein Cardinals last season and fell short 0-2. The Cabrini Cavaliers are hoping to come out with a win this time around to start the year off right.
