PLAYER OF THE WEEK

First Wolverine named this season
Steph Caracozza receives
Player of the Week award

Wesley Wolverine sophomore #8 OF Steph Caracozza (Melbourne Beach, Fla.) has been named the Capital Athletic Conference's (CAC's) Player of the Week. Beyond the conference's honor role spotlight, this is the top weekly recognition that the CAC awards.

The official Wesley story recaps Steph's amazing production last week with “three runs scored and a pair of RBIs to lead the Wolverines to a doubleheader split with Arcadia. Caracozza went 2-for-3 with a run scored in the opener before posting a 3-for-3 performance with two RBIs and two runs scored in Wesley's 8-0 victory in the nightcap.”

► CLICK HERE to read the Wesley College story.
  
► CLICK HERE to read the CAC announcement.  

► CLICK HERE for the Wesley softball Facebook salute.

MAHOSKI INTERVIEW

She's De La Warr Historical Society president
CAC interviews Wesley Wolverine
Samantha Mahoski at conference website

CLICK HERE to read the full Capital Athletic Conference's (CAC's) profile of Wesley Wolverine sophomore #25 1B Samantha Mahoski (Schenectady, NY)

Samantha Mahoski

A few excerpts from the profile interview...

SAMANTHA: “Being a history major has allowed me to widen my horizons and see many different things from multiple perspectives.”

SAMANTHA: “My favorite spot on campus would have to be the softball field. Being there allows me to forget about everything else in the world and focus on one thing. On the field, nothing else matters.”

SAMANTHA: “...my favorite place to visit (outside of home and campus) is the ocean... Its beauty is beyond measure and the sound of the waves is therapeutic. Walking along the beach with my toes in the sand is pure relaxation.”

SAMANTHA: “While being an athlete at college, I have realized that being a part of a team is the most important aspect to my game. My teammates push me to become a better player and they are there for me no matter what. It is through my team that I have gained the closest friends and the best of memories. At college, my team has become my family and it is something that I will never forget.”  

SAMANTHA: “The ignorance of education is an important societal issue facing college students today. Many students go to college with limited knowledge because of the failures seen across the education system in America. Because of this, students have a hard time learning on a higher educational level. It is also becoming more rare that students have the ability to critically think and have rational thought because of a heavy reliance on memorization.”

SAMANTHA: “It is important that everyone fully realize that no race, gender, or ethnicity is better than the other. If the belief that everyone has the same basic natural rights could be enveloped across the globe, then inequality could be dissipated."

SAMANTHA: “My favorite form of entertainment is reading. It is simple, yet intriguing and it forces you to use your mind.”

SAMANTHA: “Alice Paul, Hillary Clinton, and Eleanor Roosevelt are three people that I would like to have dinner with. Each of these women is extremely inspiring and have made great strides throughout history and have also touched on the concern of gender issues. Alice Paul was extremely determined in her cause and her ability to overcome anything that was pushed her way. I find Hillary Clinton to be a crusader of many issues facing domestic and international problems today... Lastly, Eleanor Roosevelt was the driving force of the many social programs implanted during the great depression and was also a crusader for equality in society.”

SUCCESSFUL SEASON

See you in September
Wesley Wolverines end season
with most victories in 13 years

Good job young ladies & coaches... the Wesley Wolverine softball team (17-17) has completed it most successful season since 2001 and the team's 17 triumphs are the most games won since 2005.

The photos below are from yesterday's doubleheader versus the Arcadia Knights. You will have to wait another four-to-five months now to watch a Wolverine softball uniform get dirty again.

CLICK HERE for the official recap of the season's final games.

BENDY'S LAST GAME

Senior's last Wesley game
Thanks Bendy: for all the years 
watching you play so hard & well

Today, senior #16 3B Ashly Bendorovich (Levittown, PA), AKA "Bendy", played her last game as a Wesley Wolverine softball player.

She went out with a bang – 2 hits, a run scored, a stolen base – and a big splash... or, actually, a barrel of water dumped by a celebrating Wolverines team on the heads of Ashly and Head Coach Juli Greep right after the final out of the winning game!

BELOW: Scenes from Wesley's DuPont Field during a pregame ceremony today to honor Ashly Bendorovich...

MVP, SENIOR AWARDS

Freshman catcher
Nina Marcano named Wolverine
MVP for the 2014 softball season

Ashly Bendorovich

The Wesley College 2013-14 All-Athletics Award Ceremony was held this evening, Wednesday, April 23, for the school's 15 sports teams. (CLICK HERE for the full story.)

The Wesley Wolverines lone softball senior #16 3B Ashly Bendorovich (Levittown, PA) was recognized for her four-years of aggressive play, while freshman #18 C/3B Nina Marcano (Middletown, DE) was named the softball MVP for the 2014 season.

Nina Marcano

Ashly, a co-captain, has been a versatile centerpiece for the team with a topnotch glove, a strong bat, and a can-do school spirit extraordinaire.

Nina's MVP numbers this spring tell it all...

Nina ranks on team: ● #1 with 8 doubles (11th in conference), ● #1 with 5 triples (2nd in conference), ● #1 with 5 home runs (8th in conference), ● #1 with 25 RBI (12th in conference), ● #1 with 9 stolen bases (6th in conference), ● #1 with .719 slugging percentage (6th in conference), ● #2 with 96 at bats, ● #2 with 28 runs scored (10th in conference), ● #2 with .455 on base percentage (11th in conference), ● #2 with .970 fielding percentage, ● #3 with 36 hits, ● #3 with .375 batting average (16th in conference).

She's not done yet – actually, she has just begun! -- with still two more games to play this season and three more years to compete.

Steph Caracozza

Sarah Saunders

The awards program also noted that:

► Sophomore #2 P/OF Sarah Saunders (Wayne, NJ) and sophomore #8 OF Steph Caracozza (Melbourne Beach, Fla.) have cracked Wesley's top ten in several categories, including RBI and hits, respectively. Sarah's six RBI at Cabrini were the most by a Wesley player since the 2010 season.

 
► Wesley's 16 victories are the most since the 2005 season. The softball program has now won 298 all-time games.

Photos of the award winners with Head Coach Juli Greep at the evening's event...

PHOTOS ABOVE & BELOW: Waiting patiently at the door to congratulate their teammates after the Awards Ceremony concluded were co-captain sophomore #22 C/UT Morgan Seymour (Smyrna, DE) and sophomore #25 1B Samantha Mahoski (Schenectady, NY).

LAST GAME

End of 2014 season
Last games played
at home tomorrow

   The lone Wolverine senior #16 third base  

   Ashly Bendorovich will be wearing the 

   blue & white for the last time on Thursday. 

   A consistent, dependable run producer, 
   Ashley  led the team in RBI last season 
   with 26 and she is a close second in RBI 
   this year with 24 (to Nina Marcano's 25).

Thursday
April 24

Arcadia Knights vs.
Wesley Wolverines

DOUBLEHEADER
3:30 PM & 5:30 PM

DuPont Field
500 Mary Street, Dover, DE 19901

Weather:
Sunny, breezy, and pleasant. Hi of 64.

PREVIEW: The Arcadia Knights, 16-18 overall (7-7 conf.), are led by sophomore pitcher #7 Erin Wilson, 9-7, with 1.90 ERA and the bats of sophomore shortstop #30 Alicia McMahon, .394 average, .843 slugging, and senior catcher #17 Leanda Helms, .352 average, .994 slugging. Head coach Linda Detra has 400+ victories for Arcadia. 

#1 TRIPLES

#1 in triples
Wolverines no strangers
to base paths this season

The bats and speed of the Wesley Wolverines have produced a Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) leading 18 triples this season.

In a field of eight teams, the Wolverines are third in hits, batting average, on base percentage, runs and RBI. 

The only teams besting Wesley in these six categories are the nationally ranked Salisbury Sea Gulls and Christopher Newport Captains. The Capitains are the league champions.

Other teams in the competitive conference are Frostburg State, Mary Washington, York (PA), Penn State Harrisburg and SouthernVirginia.

CAC leaders

BENCH CHEERS

Winning team attitude
Wolverine bench in the game
throughout every single inning

The Wesley Wolverines demonstrate remarkable teammate support in the dugout. Whether Wolverines are batting or on defense, the bench is standing, shouting, alive with cheers and chants. Those on the field, too, can be heard offering encouragement to each other.

Wolverines celebrate on the field
Photo by Jose Marcano

Unfortunately, there is not a true photo to post that shows this Wolverine bench spirit and intensity during the games, but the video below, which many may have already seen, reflects just how important fraternity is to winning.

In the video, four time All American Brittany Rogers suddenly finds that a freshman slap hitter will pinch hit for her, possibly taking away her last at bat of a brilliant college career, while a College World Series game is on the line. Brittany is not sulking about it...

SCHEDULE CHANGE

Home game/ final game of season

NOTE: SCHEDULE CHANGE...

The Wesley Wolverines home game and final game of the season versus the Arcadia Knights that was previously scheduled for this Monday, April 21, has been moved to a day later in the week.

Doubleheader will now be played at DuPont Field, Dover, DE on this coming Thursday, April 24 at 3:30 PM and 5:30 PM.

CABRINI PHOTOS

More Marcano photos
Dusty day for Wolverines
outside Philadelphia, PA

The away games played last Monday, April 14, against the Cabrini Cavaliers had more than enough excitement on and off the field in the Wesley Wolverines sweep of the doubleheader.

It started with a late arrival thanks to a charter bus that could not quite fit through an underpass. It continue in a beautiful hilly, wooded campus venue, though played on a windy softball field swirling with dust and dirt. Then, all the while, each team rushed to complete two games in their own separate contest with a setting sun. (The final game was official, but called after six innings because of the impending darkness.)

These conditions are not ideal for photography – i.e., dust and dimming light, but Jose Marcano, as he always does, kept collecting shots through every inning as the 75 photos in the slideshow below will attest. (The images posted here are culled from 435 he took that day.)

MARCANO SUNY PHOTOS

Last Sunday, April 13
Wolverines play pink softball,
strike out cancer doubleheader

The Wesley Wolverines, wearing pink shirts, hosted the SUNY Cobleskill Fighting Tigers for a PINK/ STRIKE-OUT-CANCER DOUBLEHEADER, last Sunday, April 13.

Jose Marcano recorded every inning in more than 400 photographs.

Posted here are 45 of his shots in the slideshow below... 

MORGAN CAC PROFILE

Two-sport athlete, student council member
CAC interviews Wesley Wolverine
Morgan Seymour at conference website

Morgan Seymour

CLICK HERE to read the full Capital Athletic Conference's (CAC's) profile of Wesley Wolverine sophomore #22 C/UT Morgan Seymour (Smyrna, DE).

Morgan Seymour
Photo by Jose Marcano

A few excerpts from the profile interview...

INTRODUCTION: “... one of the top hitters on the Wesley College softball team this season, but she adds more to the campus than just a strong glove and bat in the middle infield and at the top of the lineup. She’s a two-sport athlete, she’s learning about all aspects of collegiate athletics and she’s a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council..."

MORGAN: "... My most memorable experience (in collegiate athletic career) was beating Salisbury last year in the CAC field hockey tournament... I had never been so proud to be a part of Wesley College athletics, the school and community support at every game is an indescribable experience...."

MORGAN: "...I enjoy dancing. I love to dance, especially when I am nervous (which if you ask my team is most of the time) - it relaxes me..."

MORGAN'S ADVICE TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN: Enjoy life while you are young; experience everything you are able to at least once. The worst thing you can do is regret not trying something because you were scared or didn’t want to embarrass yourself."

SALISBURY MARCANO PHOTOS

Marcano photos, Weds. April 9
Wesley Wolverines battle
rival Salisbury Sea Gulls

The Wesley Wolverines play a tough schedule. Just look at the strength of the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) teams, a league often with a couple or more nationally ranked members in it.

Or, check out the photo slideshow below from the digital SLR of Jose Marcano.

In these 47 shots, the Wolverines take on the Salisbury Sea Gulls, who are ranked #1 in USA, have a student body almost 6 times the size of Wesley and, as a natural geographic rival, sit just 60 miles south of the Wolverine campus.

Watch the Wolverines acquitted themselves very well...

SCHOLAR'S DAY

On Scholar's Day
Samantha Mahoski shares 
California Bay Country trip

Samantha Mahoski

Last Tuesday, April 15, sophomore #25 1B Samantha Mahoski (Schenectady, NY) hit an academic grand slam at Wesley College's annual Scholar's Day, where presentations and recitations throughout the campus showcase student expertise in a variety of fields. It is an event that brings the entire Wesley College community together to celebrate scholarly endeavors.

Samantha participated with a PowerPoint presentation on the California Bay Country. She was joined by a fellow student and co-presenter Kourtney Lake. Her Wesley Wolverine softball teammates showed up in full force to demonstrate their enthusiastic support.

Last semester, Samantha and the Wesley History Department visited California's Napa and Sonoma Valleys and the cities of San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and Monterrey. On Scholar's Day, Samantha explained what she had learned on the trip, specifically giving an in-depth analysis of the similarities and differences between each West Coast bay “country” as well as her insight into the diverse history and culture of California.

Samantha making Scholar's Day presentation

Samantha plays a near perfect first base, while more than excelling in the classroom. That's the beauty of Division III sports' focus. Taking precedence over batting average, fielding percentage, or even games won are the college courses, where individual learning, good grades, and ultimately “the degree” are paramount. It's play hard, but study harder. Samantha is a role model that balances both extremely well.

CLICK HERE for more about student-athletes participating in Scholar's Day.

Samantha's Wesley Wolverine softball teammates 

celebrate her Scholar's Day academic achievement.

MARCANO YORK PHOTOS

Marcano photos
Wolverine batting, base running,
glove work caught in digital images

Conference games are always exciting.

None more so than when the York Spartans were in town. There was plenty of action (and, to be honest, quite a bit of frustration, too) for the Wesley Wolverines in the doubleheader that day, Sunday, April 6.

Jose Marcano, a Wolverine parent, captured many of the key bats, crucial fielding plays and decisive base running in more than 450 photographs – most shot in burst mode – from his position behind the center field fence. The slideshow below features 47 of his images...

NITTANY LIONS PHOTOS

Saturday, April 5 games
Photos revive hard play of
Nittany Lions doubleheader

Jose Marcano, father of freshman #18 C/3B Nina Marcano (Middletown, DE), has a knack for digitally capturing the action in the fast paced fastpitch college softball game. He has taken hundreds of photographs of Wesley Wolverines play. The Wesley softball blog will post many of his shots in the days ahead as there is time to process them.

In the slideshow below are three dozen plus photos taken by Jose at the Penn State-Harrisburg games.

CABRINI GAME

Big day for hits

Three homers, four doubles
highlight Wolverine batting

The Wesley Wolverines vs Cabrini Cavaliers doubleheader yesterday, Monday, April 14, saw plenty of Wolverines rounding the bases. 

Sarah Saunders

The team scored 14 runs on 24 hits, including three home runs and four doubles over 13 innings played.

Sophomore #2 P/OF Sarah Saunders (Wayne, NJ) and sophomore #8 OF Steph Caracozza (Melbourne Beach, Fla) delivered 5 hits each. Sarah slammed a home run and two doubles, while Step added a double, as well.

Sophomore #6 MI Breanna Hartman (Red Bank, NJ) has two hits and her own double.

Sophomore #32 C/3B Kayla Fromal (Middletown, DE) and freshman #18 C/3B Nina Marcano (Middletown, DE) each belted a home run a piece.

Sarah Saunders and Steph Caracozza

Breanna Hartman and Kayla Fromal

NINA MARCANO

Outstanding week & season
Nina Marcano wins
honor roll recognition

For the second time this season, Wesley Wolverine freshman #18 C/3B Nina Marcano (Middletown, DE) has been named to the Capital Athletic Conference's (CAC's) Weekly Honor Roll. The CAC cited Nina for hitting a team high .438 last week with a home run and three RBI.

Nina has made her mark in the CAC. She ranks first in the league with 5 triples, sixth with 5 home runs, seventh with a .719 slugging percentage, ninth with 8 doubles, and tenth with 25 RBI.

PHOTO: Nina Marcano slams her fifth home run in today's (April 14's) game versus Cabrini Cavaliers.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS

Kent County group
Wolverines practice with
Special Olympics softball
 
After the Sunday doubleheader, the Wesley Wolverines took to DuPont Field to join the practice session of Kent County (DE) Special Olympics softball players.

The Wolverines worked out with one group on the basics of throwing and catching, while they also batted -- without holding back, by the way -- against another team of Special Olympic fielders who quickly demonstrated they were not new to the game and more than skillful playing it!

In the slideshow below are 75 photos from the Sunday evening practice...

SUNY GAME

Wearing pink to strike out cancer
Two hard fought games today
produce a single Wolverine win

The Wesley Wolverines played two entirely different games today in a doubleheader at home against the SUNY -Cobleskill Fighting Tigers.

In game one, Wesley fielded without errors behind freshman #12 P/MI Lindsay Siok's (Milford, DE) beautifully pitched two earned runs over seven innings, where she allowed only 4 hits for the game. But the Wolverines spread out just six hits of their own to deliver a single Wesley run scored in the game.

That kind of play completely turned around in game two, when -- behind freshman #9 P/OF Lily Engel (Dover, DE) hurling four earned runs, no walks, and striking out five – the Wolverines did misplayed three balls, but also doubled their production from game one to slam twelve solid hits that sent nine runners crossing home plate.

CLICK HERE for the official recap and box scores of the two games.

Here are a few shots of the day's action...

FOUR SINGLES from sophomore #8 OF Steph Caracozza (Melbourne Beach, Fla.).

A TRIPLE & TWO SINGLES from freshman #18 C/3B Nina Marcano (Middletown, DE).

THREE SINGLES from sophomore #32 C/3B Kayla Fromal (Middletown, DE).

A TRIPLE & SINGLE by sophomore #2 P/OF Sarah Saunders (Wayne, NJ).

A DOUBLE & SINGLE by freshman #21 C/3B Whitney Dibb (La Mesa, CA).

A DOUBLE & SINGLE by freshman #5 C/1B Alora Wilson (Salisbury, MD).

Breanna Hartman

Other key hits were...

► A DOUBLE & SINGLE by sophomore #6 MI Breanna Hartman (Red Bank, NJ).

► SINGLES from senior #16 3B Ashly Bendorovich (Levittown, PA) and junior #11 OF Brook Creighton (Rock Hall, MD).

Then, the arms in the circle threw...

TWO EARNED RUNS ON FOUR HITS by freshman #12 P/MI Lindsay Siok (Milford, DE).

FOUR EARNED RUNS, FIVE STRIKE OUTS, NO WALKS by freshman #9 P/OF Lily Engel (Dover, DE).