Philadelphia, Pa. – (3/1/2019) – With 10 seniors on the roster and first-year Head Coach Pete Berrios at the helm, Chestnut Hill College is primed for strong 2019 campaign. "I am very excited and proud to be the Head Coach of this program," gleamed Coach Berrios. "These are really great young women, who have been working extremely hard this off-season." The Griffins, who last won double digit games in 2017 (14-28, 12-14), are making great strides under Berrios' tutelage and have set extremely high expectations for 2019. "We are already changing the culture. We want to win a CACC (Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference) Championship. With that desire, communication, and great team defense we are ready to compete and make things happen in 2019."
 
In 2018, catcher Brielle Riotte (Elizabeth, N.J.) (.321; 27-for-84, 16 RBI), shortstop Lily Winn (Los Angeles, Calif.) (.315; 29-for-92, 11 RBI), and first baseman Alex Sauer (New Milford, N.J.) (.309; 25-for-81, 11 RBI) offered plus-.300 batting averages and double-digit runs-batted-in (RBI), while Nichole Eberhard (Philadelphia, Pa.) aced the pitching staff with four wins (4-11), five complete games, and a 4.73 ERA. But those are only four of the Griffins' 10 seniors as outfielders Jordan Clark (Greenwood, Del.), Marissa Maioran (Rockaway, N.J.), Ariel Magee (North Cape May, N.J.), first baseman Kaya Swanek (Pittston, Pa.), as well as pitchers Jessica Heaton (Berlin, N.J.) and Hunter Irvin (Egg Harbor Township, N.J.) have reached their swansong seasons. "Winn has a chance to be an all-conference player," endorsed Berrios. "She is very competitive and has strengths on both offense and defense." He continued, "Riotte is a great leader and a big hitter in the middle of our lineup. Sauer and Irvin are leaders as well. Sauer brings an edge and attitude to our defense."
 
The Griffins' junior class includes a pair of utility fielders in Alessandra Messina (Ambler, Pa.) and Cailey Stevenson (Burbank, Calif.) and transfer pitcher Kaley Wise (Hamilton, N.J./Mercer County Community College). "Messina solidifies our middle infield. She has tremendous footwork," praised Berrios. She batted .299 (23-for-77) while serving as Chestnut Hill College's starting second baseman in 2018.  Wise will make a significant contribution to the Scarlet and Gold's 2019 success. She earned All-Garden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) and All-Region 19 First Team selections while helping Mercer County Community College reach the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) World Series last year.
 
Sophomores include outfielder Devon Horner (Mt. Laurel, N.J.) and pitchers Julianna Barry (Northridge, Calif.) and Gabrielle Merryman (Sewell, N.J.), who combined to go 2-5 with a 4.92 ERA as freshmen. "Horner will shine in the outfield," commented Berrios. She made 14 starts (19 games played) in 2018 and was rather productive in her limited time, producing five runs and three RBI with just five hits and three walks.
 
The Scarlet and Gold also adds two freshmen for the 2019 campaign as Victoria Grillo (Staten Island, N.Y.) and Lily Reid (Texas City, Texas) join the fold.
 
"We have six pitchers who will compete for time in the circle," cited Berrios. "I expect our pitching staff to be very strong. Our emphasis will be on our tempo. We want to play much faster than we have in the past." As for the offense, "We want quality at-bats, no wasted opportunities, and to be great when we have the chance to do so," said Berrios.
 
Chestnut Hill College will get their first chance to prove themselves on Sunday, March 3, when they open an eight-game stay at the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic with contests versus Mansfield University (9:30 a.m.) and the University of Michigan Dearborn (11:30 a.m.).