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NEW HAVEN, CT - The Caldwell College and Georgian Court University softball teams both received votes in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division II Top 25 Pre-season Poll. Both squads advanced to the 2009 NCAA East Regional Tournament last season.

Head coach Dean Johnson, who starts his 16th season, returns eight starters among 12 letterwinners from a year ago for the Cougars, including three-time All-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) shortstop Danielle Genovese. Senior first baseman Kyrie Timbrook, junior pitcher Brittany Pulido and sophomore outfielder Kelly Ryan also return after All-Region and All-CACC campaigns in 2009. Additionally, sophomore third baseman Marisa Tamez received All-CACC honorable mention.

Caldwell, which went 37-18-2 in 2009, received 31 points in the poll, the highest total for a CACC team and the third-most in the East Region behind No. 7 Le Moyne and No. 18 C.W. Post. The Cougars will play both teams this season, as well as No. 25 Lock Haven, the defending Division II national champions. Le Moyne, which eliminated the Cougars from the East Regional last season, visits Caldwell Field on Mar. 21, while C.W. Post comes to Caldwell on April 28. The Cougars will face Lock Haven on the first day of the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla., Mar. 13.

Georgian Court advanced to the NCAA East Super Regional last season and fell, two games to one, to Le Moyne for the right to advance to the Division II World Series. The Lions finished with a 40-17 record last season and claimed the CACC Championship without recording a loss. The Lions clinched the title with a 2-0 win over Caldwell.

GCU will be guided by first-year head coach, Freddy Flores. The Lions will welcome back junior pitcher, Diana Sansevera, who was tabbed the 2009 CACC and ECAC Pitcher of the Year and the CACC Tournament MVP. She was also a first team All-CACC and All-ECAC selection. She was a Daktronics Honorable Mention All-American and first team All-Region pick, and a Louisville Slugger/NFCA second team All-America and All-Region first team choice.

Also back for the Lions is first team All-CACC pick, Brooke Hull and second team honorees, Rachel Ruch and Courtney Cuevas. Ruch was voted the CACC and ECAC Rookie of the Year in 2009 and was a first team All-America pick as a utility player.