Edited: Mar. 8, 2010

HIRAM went 4-6 on its spring break trip to Clermont, Florida.

WITTENBERG went 2-2 at the Rebel Spring Games in Florida. Senior Cameron Catalfu (Loveland, OH/Loveland) went 7-11 with a double, a home run, four RBI and a 1.000 slugging percentage in the four games.

WOOSTER defeated Olivet, 3-1 (8 innings) and Wheelock, 15-0, in its first two games of the season. Freshman pitchers Gina Pirolozzi (Canton, OH/McKinley) and Jenn Horton (Worthington, OH/Thos. Worthington) combined to throw 21 strikeouts in 13.0 innings with one earned run.

Edited: Feb. 24, 2010

DENISON VOTED PRESEASON FAVORITE IN 14TH NORTH COAST SOFTBALL SEASON

2009 NCAC champion Denison emerged as the preseason favorite in balloting by North Coast Athletic Conference softball coaches in their annual preseason poll.

The Big Red, who last spring finished the regular season with an 11-3 league record, a 21-8 overall mark and their sixth NCAC crown, earned three of eight first-place votes from league coaches for 58 points. Denison edged Ohio Wesleyan, which was voted second with 57 points and four first-place votes. Defending NCAC tournament champion Hiram was predicted to finish third with 48 points. Wittenberg was fourth with 38 points and the remaining first-place vote. Kenyon (29) was fifth, while Allegheny (25) and Wooster (25) tied for sixth, and Oberlin (8) was selected to finish eighth.

Last spring the Big Red earned their first NCAC title under the leadership of head coach Tiffany Ozbun, and their sixth overall. Ozbun has accumulated a 49-30 (.620) record in two seasons at Denison and was named NCAC Coach of the Year in 2009. Heading the list of returnees are seniors and first-team All-NCAC performers Samantha Rumschlag (Carmel, IN/Cathedral), Brie Berkopec (Mars, PA/Mars Senior) and Alex Murray (Mayfield Hts., OH/NDCL).

Since the North Coast began sponsoring softball as a championship sport, four schools have claimed championships: Allegheny in 1998, '99, '04 and '08, Denison in the years 2001-03, 2006-07 and 2009, Wittenberg in 2000 and Ohio Wesleyan in 2004 and '05. Denison also won the first two NCAC Softball tournaments, which began in 2001 to help determine the league's automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament. DU also took conference tournament titles in 2006 and 2008. Wittenberg claimed the tourney title in 2003, followed by Allegheny in 2004, '05 and '07. Hiram claimed its first tourney title in 2009.

2010 NCAC Preseason Softball Poll
First-place votes in parentheses, followed by total points:

1.	Denison (3)	58
2.	Ohio Wesleyan (4)	57
3.	Hiram	48
4.	Wittenberg (1)	38
5.	Kenyon	29
6.	Allegheny	25
	Wooster	25
8.	Oberlin	8