Fields, Cesare Earn Preseason Honors

Central Islip, N.Y. - The C.W. Post Pioneers secured the top spot in the 2009 East Coast Conference Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll with seven first place votes.  The Adelphi University Panthers claimed the remaining three first-place votes to seal the No. 2 spot while the New York Institute of Technology Bears were picked to finish third.

For the third straight year, C.W. Post set a new school record for victories in a season, finishing the 2008 campaign with a 48-16 overall record.  After claiming both the ECC regular season and championship titles, the Pioneers went on to capture the Northeast Regional Championship and advanced to the Division II College World Series.  Adelphi (41-21 overall, 17-3 ECC) and NYIT (29-18, 11-9) also earned Northeast Regional bids.

Brilynn Fields (Aurora, CO) of NYIT has been dubbed the 2009 Preseason Player of the Year.  The senior outfielder hit .372 last season with nine doubles, two triples and four homeruns while tallying 31 RBI.  Fields was named to the Daktronics All-Region First Team, the NFCA All-Region Second Team and was a Second Team All-Conference recipient.

Nina Cesare (Whitestone, NY) of NYIT has been selected Preseason Pitcher of the Year.  The 2008 All-Conference Third Team pick started 26 games for Bears and finished with a 19-6-2 record.  Cesare struck out 157 batters in her 171.1 innings on the mound while compiling an ERA of 2.68.

2009 East Coast Conference Preseason Poll

* First place votes are in parenthesis

Preseason Player of the Year:  Brilynn Fields (OF, Sr., Aurora, C.O.)
Preseason Pitcher of the Year:  Nina Cesare (NYIT, Sr., Whitestone, N.Y.)