LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Lock Haven University softball team is set for the 2013 season.

The Lady Eagles open tomorrow (Friday, Feb. 15) afternoon and will play six games in three days at the Shaw University Softball Challenge.

Setting the stage for 2013:
The 2013 edition of Lady Eagle softball is loaded with both talent and experience and The Haven is ready to jump into play.

Lock Haven returns a number of starters and key components from last year's team that went 30-20 and advanced to the 2012 NCAA Division II Atlantic Region final.

The Lady Eagles have eight seniors to lean on and that senior-experience is evident all over the lineup.

The leadership from those eight seniors will be huge as each has been through a lot over their three years and each has that “big-game” experience that can drive teams to the top.

As in any Lady Eagle lineup, The Haven coaching staff will look to put the most explosive bat in the order without jeopardizing the defense.

That offensive power shouldn't be hard to find as Lock Haven returns its top-six hitters from last season.

Tough defense starts in the pitching circle and Lock Haven's pitching rotation is deeper than ever this season.

LHU has five pitchers that could all win games for The Haven in 2013.

Quotes from Coach:
LHU head coach Kelly Shannon is very excited about the 2013 season and knows that huge late-season, playoff run last year gave the Lady Eagles a tremendous boost in confidence for this year.

Shannon's strengths lie throughout her lineup and roster. She has sensational senior leadership, a ton of experience, strong bats in the lineup and one of the deepest pitching rotations in Division II softball.

Needless to say, Shannon can't wait to hit the diamond tomorrow.

“We are very excited to get started,” said Shannon. “We return a ton of experience; we return four All-Conference players and really don't need to fill in many gaps from last season, which is always a huge bonus.”

“It's very rare that you look at a roster and see eight seniors and that's a huge key for us this season. We will rely on them.”

Shannon has her eyes set on big things in 2013 and the Lady Eagles are ready to get after it.

“We are certainly still working out some kinks and will adjust the lineup accordingly early in the season, but we are ready to get the ball rolling.”

Last year:
Lock Haven went 30-20 overall last year and a made a huge-late-season run into the post-season.

After going, 11-5 in PSAC Central play and claiming the regular season title, Lock Haven advanced to the title game of the Atlantic Region Championships.

The playoff run marked Lock Haven's ninth straight post-season trip and that is certainly a trend the Lady Eagles' look to keep going in this year.

Captains:
Lock Haven's 2013 captains are junior Chelsea Edwards and seniors Nikki Weaknecht, Bridgette Clarke and Alyssa Smith.

All-Region:
A huge key this season for Lock Haven will be the return of junior and 2012 All-Region performer Nicole Smith.

Last year, she was named to the 2012 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) NCAA Division II All-Atlantic Region Second Team and 2012 Daktronics All-Atlantic Region First Team.

Smith, who was the PSAC Central's Freshman of the Year in 2011, did it all last year for Lock Haven. Smith pitched, played outfield and served as the team's designated player throughout the season. She was10-6 in the circle, while hitting .358.

Smith led the team with 15 home runs and 46 RBIs. She had 10 doubles, four triples and a slugging-percentage of .775. Smith struck out 108 batters in 137.0 innings of work as a starter and relief pitcher. She held the opposition to a .270 batting-average and recorded a pair of saves.

All-PSAC:
The Lady Eagles return all four of their All-PSAC selections from a year ago.

Nikki Weaknecht, Brittany Favazza, Nicole Smith and Sarah Morse were all named to the 2012 All-PSAC Central Team, last year.

Smith did it all for LHU and was also an All-Region selection.

During the regular season, Weaknecht hit .328 and was the defensive rock for Lock Haven at second base. During 30 regular season starts, she made just five errors.

Favazza led LHU with a .370 batting-average. The speedy-leadoff hitter is a huge threat for Lock Haven no matter the situation. She had eight doubles, four triples, three home runs, 22 RBIs and scored 40 runs.

Morse was Lock Haven's ace and won a team-high 19 games for Lock Haven. She recorded a 2.46 ERA and 101 strikeouts. Morse held the opposition to a .257 batting-average.

Position Breakdown:

Pitchers:
Lock Haven's pitching rotation is deep, versatile and extremely talented.

Sarah Morse and Nicole Smith will lead the way.

Morse, the 2012 Team MVP, looks to hold down the No. 1 spot, followed closely by Smith, who went 10-6 last season.

Shannon says that Morse's growth over the last four years is amazing and calls Smith a well-rounded athlete.

Their value can't be expressed.

Sophomore Jessica Probst saw action in some crucial games last year will look to build off that experience this year. She has all the tools, according to coach Shannon.

Lock Haven will also have a pair of newcomers that could certainly make a major and immediate impact.

Division I transfer Brianna Jennings has a lot good tools and can hit as well, so Lady Eagle fans will certainly see her in the lineup.

Freshman Amanda Saulsbury adds tremendous depth to a talented pitching staff. She has the tools and talent to break in early, which gives the Lady Eagles added toughness.

Catchers:
Senior Alicia Cacciotti gives Lock Haven a rock behind in the plate. She made 49 starts last year and gives Lock Haven stability and leadership behind the dish. Cacciotti handles the pitchers well and will look to be one of Lock Haven's top offensive players this season.

Last year, she hit .301 with four home runs and 26 RBIs.

Kassandra Atherton is pushing Cacciotti for the top spot as both give Lock Haven stability at the position.

First Base:
Junior Chelsea Edwards returns after her breakout-2012 season. She started all 50 games last year and hit .336 with nine doubles, four home runs and three triples. Edwards drove in 19 runs.

Edwards is a dual-threat, giving LHU a huge strength defensively, but she has the offensive power at the plate as well. In 50 starts, she made just one error last year.

Taylor Magee is another talented Lady Eagle, who will look to push her way into the lineup. She's a solid No. 2 at first, but could see time in the DP role if she gets the bat going.

Second Base:
Senior Nikki Weaknecht enjoyed a breakdown season in 2012 and holds down the second base position. She played in 42 games and committed just six errors.

She will certainly look to keep that bat hot in 2013 as she drove in 15 runs last year.

Shortstop:
Sarah Schwalm enjoyed a fantastic true-freshman season last year and she'll only build on that form this year as a sophomore.

Last year, she started 40 games and had just four errors all season.

Coach Shannon says she's the player who can do it all, as she anchors the defense.

Schwalm had four doubles, three home runs and 17 RBIs last year. Her bat got going in the post-season so LHU will benefit this year if she can get it going early in the season.

Third Base:
The versatile and athletic Bridgette Clarke holds down the top-spot at the hot corner.

Clarke could play anywhere in the infield, as she is that strong defensively. Last year she drove in 26 runs, scored 28 and had 15 doubles.

Senior Amanda Fernandez gives Lock Haven depth at third and could also see time at DP if she gets it going offensively.

Outfield:
Alyssa Smith and Kelsey Mullins are locked into a battle in left field and that's a good problem to have if you're coach Shannon. Both are extremely talented athletes, who provide different strengths in the lineup.

Smith was solid with the bat last year and hit .317 with nine RBIs. Defensively she's as solid as they come.

Mullins is a tremendous athlete with great speed. She's tough on defense and can be a major offensive spark in the lineup.

Brittany Favazza is a mainstay in center field. The senior-leadoff hitter can do it all. She's a major threat at the plate, but just as good in outfield. Her speed and athleticism allow her to cover a ton of ground.

The speedster was 25-for-30 (.833) on stolen base attempts last year, which is another huge threat in the Lock Haven offensive arsenal.

A. Smith and Mullins could easily see time in right as well, but so will pitcher/DP, N. Smith, when she is not holding down one of the aforementioned spots.

Sophomore transfer Kelsey Harris, along with freshmen Morgan Palmer and Katie Diehl add valuable depth and talent to the outfield corps.  All three bring potential to the hitting order as well.

Designated Player:
Erica Pooler has an explosive bat and could fill the role at DP. The huge strength for Lock Haven is that they have plenty of options in this role, particularly early in the season.

A glance at the 2013 Schedule:
Lock Haven opens the 2013 season with six games at the Shaw University Softball Challenge in Raleigh, N.C. LHU plays West Virginia State (3 p.m.) and Ohio Valley (5 p.m.) tomorrow (Friday, 15) before a pair of game on both Saturday and Sunday.

The Lady Eagles will make their 2013 Lawrence Field debut on Saturday, March 24 at 1 p.m. vs. Georgian Court.

LHU opens PSAC Central play on the road at Clarion on March 28 at 2:30 p.m.