VITELLO NAMED NEW W&J SOFTBALL COACH
Washington & Jefferson College has hired Nicole Vitello as the new head coach of the President softball program. Vitello, who recently had been hired as an assistant at W&J, replaces Stephani Ehrenfeld Moore, who resigned to become an assistant coach at NCAA Division II California (Pa.). Vitello was previously head assistant coach at Allegheny College and was a standout player at SUNY-Binghamton.

PRICE HIRED AS NEW THOMAS MORE COACH
Thomas More College has hired Emily Price as the new head coach of the Saint softball program. Price, who replaces Everett Roper, comes to TMC from the University of North Carolina, where she was a four-year letterwinner at shortstop before graduating in 2004. She spent last season as a volunteer coach at her alma mater.

ROPER RESIGNS AS TMC SOFTBALL COACH
Thomas More head softball coach Everett Roper has resigned to take the same position at NCAA Division II Saginaw Valley State. The 2006 PAC Coach of the Year who led the Saints to the 2007 PAC softball title, Roper was 157-179 overall in his career, including a 134-76 mark over the past six seasons.

WESTMINSTER, W&J EARN BIDS TO 2007 ECAC DIVISION III SOUTH REGION TOURNAMENT
A pair of PAC teams have been selected to compete in the 2007 ECAC Division III Softball Championship Tournament, to be held May 10-13. Westminster (24-13) has earned the top seed and earns a bye to advance to the four-team, double-elimination weekend tournament beginning on Saturday at La Roche College in Pittsburgh at 2 p.m. against the winner of the play-in game between fourth seed Penn State-Behrend and fifth seed Neumann. W&J (19-14) is the third seed and will host sixth seed Kean in a play-in-game Saturday at La Roche at noon. The W&J-Kean winner will advance to open the weekend double-elimination tournament against second seed La Roche later on Saturday.

PAC PLACES 11 ON 2007 COSIDA/ESPN THE MAGAZINE ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT II TEAMS
The PAC has placed a total of 11 players on the 2007 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II College Division softball teams, released May 10. First team recognition went to W&J senior IF Stacey Bugle (3.71 GPA, Information Leadership Technology) and Grove City senior OF Paula Rice (3.86 accounting). Second team selections were IFs Rachael Risbon and Amy Fisher of Grove City and Melissa Cashell of Waynesburg, OF Amber Nichols of Thiel, and P Autumn Minor of Waynesburg. Third team laurels went to Grove City C Abby Greiner, W&J IF Valerie Schultz, W&J OF Amanda Howard, and Bethany P Heather Immesberger. The two first team honorees now move to the Academic All-America ballot.

THREE PAC PLAYERS NAMED ALL-REGION
A trio of PAC softball standouts have been named to the 2007 NFCA All-Region softball teams, released on May 7. Thiel senior OF Amber Nichols and Washington & Jefferson sophomore IF Valorie Schultz were both tabbed to the East Region second team, while Thomas More senior Sommer Case was selected to the Central Region second team.

W&J'S BUGLE NAMED PAC SAAC SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE MONTH FOR 4/07
The Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) has selected softball standout Stacey Bugle of Washington & Jefferson College as the PAC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Female Scholar-Athlete of the Month for April, 2007.

SAINTLY PITCHING & DEFENSE LEADS THOMAS MORE TO 2007 PAC SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP; 2007 ALL-PAC SOFTBALL TEAMS RELEASED
Allowing just two runs in three wins, the Thomas More Saints swept their way to the school's first-ever PAC softball title at the 2007 PAC Softball Championship Tournament, which took place May 4-5 at top-seeded Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pa. After topping W&J 1-0 in the opening round and dispatching Westminster 4-1 in the winner's bracket final Friday, the Saints clinched the title with a 3-1 championship win over the #2 seed and defending PAC champion Presidents on Saturday. The 2007 All-PAC Softball teams were announced at the tournament on Friday, with Westminster senior P/1B Jennifer Pancake earning MVP honors and Titan mentor Jan Reddinger garnering Coach of the Year laurels.

The Bethany Bison posted a 3-0 tournament record en route to its 12th PAC softball crown.