Baseball starts season 0-3: The Stags traveled south to Mobile, Ala., for the Coca-Cola Classic to start their season. They struggled during the three-game event as Fairfield fell to host South Alabama in the opening game, 11-1, then lost to Xavier 12-7 and ended the event with a 13-3 defeat at the hands of No. 20 Kentucky. Freshman Tucker Nathans, who is also a starter on the soccer team, was one of the lone bright spots of the week. Nathans started all three games at third base and was 5 for 11 (.455) at the plate. Senior designated hitter Peter Allen also had a strong showing, with a .455 batting average, a double and a triple.
Third-ranked women’s lacrosse opens season: The Stags were picked to finish third in the MAAC conference in the preseason coaches poll. Fairfield began its season against Yale in New Haven on Wednesday night (see www.fairfieldmirror.com for results). Senior defenders Mary Vallely and Katie von Hoffmann were both named to the preseason All-MAAC First Team. Von Hoffmann was a member of the All-MAAC Second Team two seasons in a row, while Vallely was the 2007 MAAC Defensive Player of the Year. She finished 10th in the country last season in turnovers forced, with 37 on the year.
Softball prepares for 14-game Florida trip: While other Fairfield students are enjoying spring break destinations, the softball team will be all business in the Sunshine State. The Stags will play 14 games in a nine-day span during the spring recess, all in Florida. Fairfield begins its season in Orlando, where they will play eight games from March 1-4. The Stags will then travel to Tampa Bay to take part in the University of South Florida-Adidas Tournament, where they will play six more games before returning home on March 9. Fairfield was picked to finish fourth in the MAAC in the preseason poll.
Women’s tennis falls, men snowed out: The women’s tennis team lost to Fairleigh Dickinson 6-1 at the Stamford Indoor Tennis Arena on Sunday. Paulina Rys ’10 recorded the Stags’ only point with a win at the third singles spot. Meanwhile, the men’s team’s match against Temple, scheduled for Friday night, was postponed due to the snowstorm that swept through the Northeast. The women’s team has started its spring season slowly, with a 1-3 record. The men’s side is 2-1 so far. Both teams are preparing for the MAAC season, which will begin on March 18, when the teams host Saint Peter’s for a conference double-header in Fairfield.
Male athlete of the week
ATHLETE: Doug Kuring ’11 SPORT: Lacrosse ACHIEVEMENT: Kuring made a splash in his debut against Providence by recording three points, including the game-winning goal. He was named ECAC Co-Rookie of the Week on Monday for his efforts. Kuring picked up two assists early in the game, both on goals by Travis Nelson ’08. But his best moment came with 2:02 left in overtime, when he scooped up the ball with his back to the net and threw it into the goal for a win.
Female athlete of the week
ATHLETE: Baendu Lowenthal ’09 SPORT: Basketball ACHIEVEMENT: It may have been a rough weekend for the women’s basketball team, but it was a good one for Lowenthal. She averaged 23.5 points and 10 rebounds in the two games last week, against Saint Peter’s on Monday (a win) and Siena on Sunday (a loss). On the season she is averaging 14.7 points and eight rebounds per game, averages that rank among the top five players in the MAAC.
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