In a preseason poll of East Coast Conference coaches, the St. Thomas Aquinas College Softball team was picked to finish in second place and Adrianna Dilal (Rochester, N.Y.) was voted as the Preseason Pitcher of the Year.
This is the highest preseason rating by STAC since joining the NCAA in 2001 and Dilal is the first STAC player to earn the preseason pitcher award.
“This is very gratifying to receive this type of recognition from the conference coaches,” said STAC Head Coach Kristen Sullivan. “Last season was the culmination of a rebuilding process that accomplished our goal to compete with the top teams in the ECC. Now we are determined to sustain this level of excellence.”
Sullivan and her team rewrote the program record book last year. The Lady Spartans’ memorable 25-21 season was the highest win total in the 35-year history of the program and they earned their first NCAA Div. 2 post-season berth since 2006. For the first time, STAC was ranked in the NCAA Div. II East Region poll that includes 36 colleges in three conferences.
Sullivan lost eight seniors to graduation in May, but has replenished the roster with eight freshmen and Dilal returns to lead the pitching staff. Last season, Dilal posted a 13-10 record and led the team in earned run average (2.03) and strikeouts (98) to earn second-team All-ECC honors.
“Adrianna had an excellent season and I have high expectations for her in 2020,” said Sullivan. “She throws hard with great movement and has been able to work ahead of batters. She has been dominant at times and I think she is poised to have another terrific season.”
Sullivan will challenge her team with one of the most challenging schedules in the 36-year history of the program. They open the season in Florida on March 6 with 12-game, 10-day road trip that features seven opponents who won 30 games or more in 2019. Caldwell University, Adelphi University and the University of New Haven will be formidable non-conference foes.
In the coaches poll, defending champion University of Bridgeport received 33 points to narrowly top STAC, which received 29 points. New York Tech (28 points), Mercy (14 points) and Molloy (14 points) round out the projected playoff teams. Hannah Mueller of Mercy College was selected as the Preseason Player of the Year.
2020 ECC Softball Preseason Poll
| School | Pts. | Last Year's Record |
| 1. Bridgeport (4) | 33 | 33-16 (15-9 ECC) |
| 2. St. Thomas Aquinas (1) | 29 | 25-21 (14-10 ECC) |
| 3. New York Tech (1) | 28 | 19-24 (11-13 ECC) |
| T4. Mercy | 14 | 24-26 (10-14 ECC) |
| T4. Molloy | 14 | 17-34 (7-17 ECC) |
| 6. Queens | 8 | 7-30 (5-19 ECC) |
() - first place votes
Preseason Player of the Year: Hannah Mueller, Jr., IF, Mercy
Preseason Pitcher of the Year: Adriana Dilal, Sr., St. Thomas Aquinas