Softball season is just around the corner and the FAU girls are already receiving honors. Seniors Candice Freel, Pam Mazzarella and Jessica Braggins along with junior Jessica Sachs all received preseason All-Conference honors. Each girl had an outstanding season in 2004.

Freel was one of the nation’s top pitchers finishing sixth with an ERA of 0.67, which is an average of less than a run every nine innings. She was named the Atlantic Sun Conference Pitcher of the Year last year as well as being named the A-Sun Tournament Most Valuable Player. Mazzarella, Braggins, and Sachs are FAU’s big guns at the plate. Mazzarella is FAU’s reigning batting champion, leading the team with a .339 batting average in 2004. Braggins led the team in both RBI’s and homers in 2004 while Sachs led in hits with a .310 average.

The Lady Owls, who are eight-time defending Atlantic Sun Conference Champs, are looking very promising for the upcoming season. After finishing the 2004 season with a record of 56-18, as well as earning a sixth straight invitation to the NCAA Division I tournament, the ladies also received votes for the USA Today Top 25. Favored again to win the Atlantic Sun Conference for the ninth straight year, FAU softball is more than ready to get started and is stronger than ever.

Tenth year head coach Joan Joyce, who is on the first year of her four year contract extension with the school, has seven players returning from last year’s starting lineup as well as two of her three starting pitchers from last year, Freel and sophomore Ashley Greene. With so much experience returning to the team, it is hard to imagine the Lady Owls not repeating as Conference Championship as well as receiving a bid to the NCAA tournament.