DePaul University Athletics
NCAA Champion Washington Headlines DePaul Softball Season
11/11/2009 12:00:00 AM | SOFTBALL
CHICAGO - DePaul's quest to again rank among the top softball teams in the nation and successfully defend its regular-season BIG EAST title begins on Feb. 12 when the Blue Demons open the 2010 season against LSU at the Texas Tournament.
Always on the lookout for new challenges, DePaul coach Eugene Lenti has his team playing 2009 national champion Washington along with Women's College World Series qualifiers Arizona State, Michigan and Alabama. The Blue Demons will face Washington on March 19 at the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif.
Fresno State joins LSU on DePaul's schedule, and both figure to be among the nation's top programs. In the BIG EAST, Louisville, Notre Dame and USF will be looking to unseat DePaul.
After claiming the BIG EAST regular-season title with an 18-3 record, the Blue Demons finished second in the conference tournament. They advanced to the NCAA Regional Finals for the second year in a row, losing 1-0 to Missouri in Columbia. DePaul finished up with a 39-14 record overall.
Heading up Lenti's ballclub this season will be pitcher-first baseman Becca Heteniak who was 26-9 in the circle last season with a 1.38 earned-run average and 252 strikeouts in 233.3 innings.
The 5-foot-11-inch right-hander from Simi Valley, Calif. was named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year and held opposing teams to a .164 batting average.
Offensively, Heteniak hit .338 and led the team in home runs with 12 and RBIs with 49. Among returning players, she led the team in batting average, home runs, RBIs, hits (47), runs (35) and walks (40).
Other key returnees are shortstop Shea Warren, first baseman Annie Demas, infielders Brittney Yniguez, Lynsey Ciezki and Tara Voss, outfielders Sean Plese and Alex Morocco and catchers Simone Ashkar and Marla Mathews.
