CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Boston University and University at Albany, the two teams that met in the America East Softball Championship a year ago, opened their seasons last week and have taken home weekly awards. The Terriers'April Setterlund (Torrance, Calif./South Torrance) was named Player of the Week, while the Great Danes' Allie Weiser (Wildwood Crest, N.J./Wildwood Crest) was tabbed Pitcher and Rookie of the Week. The awards for the week ending Feb. 28 were announced on Monday afternoon.
Setterlund, a first-team all-conference selection last season, went 9-for-15 with nine runs scored and five RBI last week. The junior outfielder slugged 1.267 with two home runs, two doubles and a triple with her best game of the week being a 3-for-4 performance in a loss to Seton Hall in which she had a homer, a double and drove in a pair.
Weiser, a freshman right-hander, went 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA in her first two collegiate appearances last week. Weiser hurled a pair of complete games and struck out eight against just two walks. She was the tough luck loser in a 2-1 loss to Bethune Cookman on Friday and then allowed just one run on five hits and zero walks in a 6-1 win over the Wildcats on Sunday.
Team Notes
Albany (1-3), which was chosen to finish first in the America East Conference preseason poll, competed at Stetson’s Hatter Classic in DeLand, Fla. last weekend … The Great Danes lost to Boston College, 4-0, and Bethune-Cookman, 2-1, on Feb. 26 … The team regrouped to post a 6-1 win over Bethune-Cookman before dropping its final game against Stetson by a 5-1 score on Feb. 28 … Freshman pitcher Allie Weiser (Wildwood Crest, N.J./Wildwood Catholic) hurled two complete games and was stellar in both of her starts ... The freshman fanned five batters and surrendered only five hits, including one for extra bases on a double, while not issuing a walk to earn her first win as a collegian in the team’s victory over Bethune-Cookman … She posted a 1.50 earned run average and held opponents to a .212 average … Both marks were America East bests last week, while the three runs she allowed were a league low … Andrianna Walraven (Thompson Ridge, N.Y./Pine Bush) went 7-for-13 to finish the tournament with a .538 batting average to lead all Great Dane hitters … The junior also stole five bases in as many attempts … UAlbany has 17 letterwinners and eight players who have earned all-conference or all-rookie team honors in their respective careers returning … Senior hurler Leah McIntosh (Whitby, Ontario/Sinclair) was named the program's fourth America East pitcher of the year in the past seven seasons … Senior catcher Kat Smith (Pasadena, Texas/Pasadena Memorial), junior first baseman Gina Mason (Sacramento, Calif./El Camino) and junior utility player Kristine Bill (Woodland, Calif./Woodland) are returning All-America East second-team selections … UAlbany, which has made five consecutive appearances in the conference tournament’s championship round, will take this week off and return to action at the Cherry Blossom Classic hosted by George Mason on March 12-14 … The Great Danes will square off against Cornell, the reigning Ivy League champion, Mount Saint Mary’s, Niagara and the host school at the three-day tournament.
Binghamton (2-3) was idle this past weekend … The Bearcats are currently preparing for the George Washington Colonial Classic on Saturday and Sunday … BU will take on Army, Canisius and the host Colonials … Freshman Rhoda Marsteller (New Park, Pa./Kennard Dale) has surfaced as the team’s top pitcher, starting three games so far this season, posting a 2-1 record and a 2.39 ERA … Marsteller also has 25 strikeouts in 26.1 innings … Jessica Phillips (Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) leads the team with a .313 batting average and two home runs … Junior catcher Deannie Plemon (Irvine, Calif./Woodbridge) also has two home runs and five RBI … Junior Kelly Schuldt (Lislie, N.Y./Whitney Point) is batting .308 with five RBI.
Boston University (2-3) opened its 2010 season at the UNC Charlotte Green and White Tournament, where it went 2-3. Freshman Whitney Tuthill (Middletown, Conn./Suffield Academy) got her career off on the right foot, throwing her first collegiate no-hitter vs. Charlotte on Saturday, Feb. 27, facing 25 batters and striking out three. She issued just one walk and allowed only three base runners in seven innings of work. She is the first BU rookie to complete a no-no since Megan Currier accomplished the feat in 2007. Offensively, junior April Setterlund (Torrance, Calif./South Torrance) was solid in the batter's box, hitting .600 on nine hits. She went deep two times, recorded one triple and two doubles, and drove in five runs. Junior Caitlin Rentler (Santa Rosa Valley, Calif./La Reina) was also productive with eight hits, two doubles, one home run and seven RBIs. BU will return to the field on March 5 at the USF Under Armour Invitational in Clearwater, Fla., where it will face Villanova, Virginia Tech, Robert Morris, Florida International and UAB.
Hartford (0-0) hopes to return to the conference tournament after a two-year absence. Senior first baseman Ann Kyzer (Boxborough, Mass./Acton-Boxborough Reg.) is the Hawks’ top returnee at the plate after batting .294 and driving in 23 last year. Senior hurler Brittney Stratton (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville), will try to regain her form of two years ago when she posted a 1.95 ERA and earned second-team all-conference honors. Todd Randall’s team doesn’t open its season until March 12 at the Winthrop/adidas Invitational.
Maine (1-9) begins a 14-day trip to Florida and will play seven games at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla. The Black Bears begin the four-day tournament Monday against Holy Cross. Maine will also face Dayton, Saint Francis and Western Michigan. The Black Bears are led on offense by Terren Hall (Bucksport, Maine/Bucksport), Kali Burnham (Courtice, Ontario/Trinity College) and Kirstin Allen (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West). All three are hitting .364 and rank third in the America East. Hall leads the conference with three home runs and 12 RBI.
UMBC (3-1) had its only game last week postponed due to unplayable field conditions as a result of a pair of snowstorms that blanketed the region earlier this month… The Retrievers’ game at cross-town rival Towson will now be played on March 31… In addition, UMBC’s home opener against George Washington, which was originally scheduled for Tuesday, will now be played Thursday, March 11… At 3-1, the Retrievers are off to their best start since also winning three of their first four games in 2007… After four games, junior first baseman Malorie Weller (Round Hill, Va./Loudoun Valley/Kennesaw State) is batting a team-best .462, while junior second baseman Lauren Brummell (Hanover, Va./Hanover) is right behind her at .455 with a team-best .818 slugging percentage and five runs scored… Senior third baseman Amanda Fefel (Baltimore, Md./Catonsville) leads UMBC with five RBI… She ranks second all-time at UMBC with 31 career home runs and is also fourth in slugging (.577), eighth in extra-base hits (56) and RBI (117) and 10th in hits (168) and total bases (289)… Junior hurler Stephanie Weigman (Elkridge, Md./Archbishop Spalding) holds UMBC’s career strikeout record with 453 and is tied for third with 38 career wins… The Retrievers open their home slate this week with the UMBC Retriever Classic this weekend, where they will take on Brown, Morgan State and Fairleigh Dickinson.
Stony Brook (3-2) had the week off… the Seawolves will compete in the North Carolina State Wolfpack Challenge this weekend.