After a 16-16-2 season, the University of New Haven Softball team looks to make a return to the postseason with an 11th national postseason bid on the radar.  The Chargers are coming off of a fifth place finish in the NE-10 Southwest Division, and will be guided by tenth-year head coach Jen Starek. The squad will feature eight returning starters, four returning letterwinners and nine newcomers in 2016.
 
Graduating three seniors, New Haven is looking to fill a hole at third base, where clean-up hitter Gilly Childs (Los Angeles, Calif./Notre Dame Academy) completed her career hitting .232 with 47 hits including four home runs, and also tallied a .925 fielding percentage. The left field position is also up for grabs, as two-year starter Erika Williams (Oneida, N.Y./Oneida) concluded her career with 36 hits including six doubles, two triples and 17 RBI. The Chargers will also need to fill a hole behind the plate, as Courtney Reed (Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell) ended her career with a hot bat as well. Reed's senior campaign featured a .319 batting average with 15 hits including one double, a triple and three RBI.
 
PITCHING
With both starters and one returner back from last season, the Chargers 2016 pitching staff looks to be extremely well rounded. Senior starters Nicole King (Front Royal, Va./Warren County) and Victoria Cabral (New Britain, Conn./Miss Porter's School / Hofstra) recorded identical 8-7 records and held opponents to a combined .210 batting average.
 
Nicole King (Front Royal, Va./Warren County) was named Northeast-10 All-Conference Second Team and Northeast-10 Pitcher of the Week twice after posting a team-low 2.85 ERA and tossing a team-high 131 strikeouts. After making 19 starts last season, King looks to climb the career record books; currently ranking fifth in strikeouts (418), ninth in wins (37), and is tied for ninth in shutouts with 12. As a junior, she recorded five double-digit strikeout games, including a career-high tying 12 against Merrimack (4/4) and Saint Rose (4/24).
 
Cabral is looking to add to her resume after tallying a 2.99 ERA for the 2015 season. She started thirteen games in the circle, fired 96 strikeouts and completed a team-high 11 games with three shutouts. She enters her senior season ranked fifth all-time in strikeouts per game (6.24) and fifth in batters faced (1,152). Cabral struck out a season-high 11 batters against Georgian Court (3/13) and also held the Lions to only two hits.
 
The two seniors will be joined in the circle by sophomore Alyssa Monteverde (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip), who tallied an 8.75 ERA in eight innings pitched in her freshman campaign. The West Islip, N.Y. native totaled nine strikeouts, setting a career high with six at Southern Conn. State (4/10).
 
INFIELD
Despite the loss of Childs at third, New Haven looks strong cross corners with sophomore Kristine Liptack (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) return at first base for the Chargers.  The NFCA All-American Scholar Athlete started all 34 games for the Chargers and currently enters the season ranked first among all-time leaders in fielding percentage at .995. She will also look to step up her role in the batting order after totaling 16 hits last season, including a double, a triple and her first collegiate home run against Cal Baptist (2/7). At third base, freshmen Taylor Luzzi (Fishkill, N.Y./John Jay) and Sierra Cardenales (Patchogue, N.Y./Patchogue Medford) look to step up and make an immediate impact.
 
Juniors Julie Devlin (Baldwin, N.Y./Northwood School) and Gabby DeLeo (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Hubert Catholic) will return to the lineup as experienced middle infielders. Devlin Started all 34 games at shortstop for the Chargers, and also completed the season with a .253 batting average. In 24 total hits, she finished with eight doubles, one triple, and a home run. Second baseman and NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete, DeLeo looks to be a standout performer on the field and in the batters box once again. She led the 2015 Chargers with a .333 batting average and also topped the team in runs (17), RBI (16) and tied for first in home runs (2).
 
Sophomore Marissa Colby (Carlton, Mass./Shepherd Hill) will also battle for time on the diamond after starting four games at third base last season.
 
Without Courtney Reed (Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell) behind the plate, the Chargers will feature young but experienced catchers this year. Marissa Colby (Carlton, Mass./Shepherd Hill) earned 12 starts behind the plate last season. Her rookie campaign also featured nine hits, one double and six runs scored. Additional depth will come from Nicole D'Andrea (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) who saw action in 17 games throughout the season and made seven starts as the designated player for the Chargers. She also recorded one hit against Pace (4/15).
 
The infield lineup also includes sophomore Erin Stever (Parish, N.Y./Altmar Parish Williamstown) and a variety of newcomers. Stever could see time at first base, while rookies Madison Derosia (Brattleboro, Vt./Brattleboro Union), Kaitlyn Schmeer (Canandaigua, N.Y./Canandaigua Academy), and Vanessa Strohm (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) will look to make an impact on the infield.
 
OUTFIELD
The Chargers outfield returns two starters, senior Jen Palase (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) and sophomore Tori Schiebe (Monroe, Conn./Masuk), who both also made a noteworthy offensive impact last season. Starting all 34 games at center field, Palase recorded a perfect fielding percentage. The lead-off slapper will look to follow up her impressive junior campaign that included 34 hits, seven extra base hits, 15 runs scored and a .321 batting average.
 
Schiebe will return to right field after starting all 34 games as a rookie. The Monroe, Conn. native will likely return to the second spot in the batting order after completing her first season as a Charger with 26 hits, 15 runs scored and nine RBI.
 
Joining Palase and Schiebe is a versatile group of freshman, Sierra Whitlock (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge), Rachel Gilmore (Clarks Summit, Pa./Abington Heights) and Jolie Morrell (West Haven, Conn./West Haven) who all bring experience and will look for time strolling the outfield. Strohm and Luzzi may also see innings in the outfield as well.