The Spring 2020 season was off to a fantastic start at Stockton University before its unfortunate cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Osprey baseball, men's lacrosse, softball and women's lacrosse teams were a combined 18-5 (.783 winning percentage) in the abbreviated slate of games.
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Although the end came much too soon, especially for seniors whose careers came to a premature and unceremonious close, there were several highlights for the four Stockton teams that played games during a spring season that lasted just over three weeks.
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Baseball
Stockton capitalized on seasonable weather to play 11 games in 18 days, posting an 8-3 record under rookie head coach
Rich Gawlak, who took over in February and quickly got his team up to speed. The Ospreys gave Gawlak his first victory as a college head coach with a 5-2 win over Penn College in the season opener. The triumph sparked Stockton to a 5-0 start.
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Rico Viani was a dual threat with a .500 batting average, 15 RBI and 12 runs on offense plus a 1-1 record, 17 strikeouts and a 2.13 ERA on the mound.
John Perrino hit .465 followed by newcomer
Marco Meleo with a .429 average plus team highs of 16 runs and eight doubles. Meleo hit safely in each of his first 11 games in an Osprey uniform.
Evan Geisler also was a key addition with a .400 average.
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Mike DeSenzo was named NJAC Player of the Week after going 3-4 with five stolen bases and three runs in the season-opening twinbill sweep of Penn College. Freshman
Aaron Winsker got his career off to an impressive beginning with a 2-0 record and 2.00 ERA in his first two college starts. Winsker was chosen NJAC Rookie Pitcher of the Week twice.
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Men's Lacrosse
Expectations were high for the talented Stockton team and the Ospreys showed their promise with a 5-1 record. Stockton reeled off five straight wins before its only blemish, a 14-13 setback at #6 Ursinus in a game that the Ospreys dominated for three quarters. They finished fourth in the Also Receiving Votes section of the USILA poll, a position that equated to 24th in the nation.
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Dante Poli led the Stockton offense with 19 goals and nine assists for 28 points while
Erik Anderson contributed 12 goals and a team-high 14 assists for 26 points. Poli and Anderson each were selected CSAC Player of the Week once. Anderson reached a pair of career milestones with his 100th goal and 200th point in the match at Ursinus.
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Luc Swedlund and
Eric Ellis chipped in with 18 and 14 goals respectively, and they joined Poli as Maverik DIII Media All-America Honorable Mention selections by Inside Lacrosse.
Logan Holleritter topped the team with 42 ground balls while fellow defender
Matt Honchalk was chosen CSAC Defensive Player of the Week once.
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Softball
Stockton split a pair of one-run games against Penn State Brandywine in its lone doubleheader of the 2020 season. In her Osprey debut, transfer
Samantha McErlane took a shutout into the bottom of seventh before the Lions rallied to edge Stockton 2-1 in the opener. The Ospreys returned the favor by winning the nightcap 3-2 in eight innings.
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Alexandra Cosenzo,
Madison Kelly,
Liani Ortiz and freshman
Jayla Jamison rapped two hits apiece on the day. Jamison's safeties were her first two career hits. Cosenzo, Ortiz, Kelly and McErlane each recorded one RBI, with Cosenzo also ripping a triple and Jamison adding a double.
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Marissa Semeraro pitched all eight innings to earn the win in game two. The junior allowed just one earned run and scattered six hits. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth, Semeraro induced a fielder's choice at home for the second out and then struck out the next batter for the final out to clinch the 3-2 triumph.
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Women's Lacrosse
Stockton dominated its four opponents by a combined score of 70-22 on the way to a perfect 4-0 record. The Ospreys won all four of their games by at least seven goals and trailed for just 13 of 240 minutes played. They scored at least 16 goals in each contest and did not allow any of their foes to reach double figures on the scoreboard.
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Casey Shultz led the team in three scoring categories with 18 goals and eight assists for 26 points.
Jennifer Toal and freshmen
Jade Rivera and
Holly Yannacone each chipped in with 10 goals and two assists for 12 points. Rivera and Yannacone each were chosen NJAC Rookie of the Week while Toal, who led the team with 13 ground balls, was selected NJAC Defensive Player of the Week.
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Michelle Pascrell filled the stat sheet with nine goals, 11 ground balls, seven draw controls and six caused turnovers.
Jessica Catalioto topped the Ospreys with 18 draw controls while
Kylie Evans paced the defense with seven caused turnovers.
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