CAMDEN, N.J. (Feb. 9, 2023) – When the Rutgers University-Camden softball team opened its 2022 season on a frigid cold March 4, the Scarlet Raptors dropped a doubleheader against SUNY-New Paltz. They went on to finish the campaign with an 8-19 record overall and a 5-13 mark in the New Jersey Athletic Conference.
 
Rutgers-Camden is looking for better results this year when it entertains New Paltz to open the season Feb. 25 as part of a softball tripleheader that also features Albright College. The Raptors will face Albright in the middle game of the day before Albright and New Paltz play the final game of the afternoon.
 
Rutgers-Camden will continue its season Feb. 26 with a doubleheader against New Paltz before it takes a break for its spring schedule in Florida March 11-17. The Raptors play three more March doubleheaders when they return north before heading into their NJAC schedule in April.
 
The Scarlet Raptors finished tied for eighth place in the NJAC last season, and they were picked for eighth again this season when the pre-season poll of the 10 conference coaches was released today. The NJAC coaches tabbed defending champion Rowan University as the pre-season favorite, giving the Profs seven first-place  votes. Kean University received the other three first-place votes and was picked for second, ahead of The College of New Jersey.
 
The top six spots in the standings will qualify for the NJAC playoffs, and the coaches completed their top six pre-season picks by listing Ramapo College for fourth place, followed by Stockton University and William Paterson University. The Pioneers of William Paterson were tabbed as the NJAC's "dark horse" team.
 
Montclair State University was selected for seventh, followed by Rutgers-Camden, Rutgers-Newark and New Jersey City University.
 
The Scarlet Raptors return 11 letterwinners on their 15-player roster, which lost four players from last season. The biggest loss was NJAC First Team center fielder Kimmy Musarra, who led the team in hitting (.385), runs (21), walks (14), steals (11), slugging (.410) and on-base percentage (.478).
 
Fortunately for the Scarlet Raptors, they have two of their three pitchers returning from last season in sophomore Lindsey Rodzon and senior Rachel White. Rodzon worked a team-leading 92.1 innings last season, posting a deceptive 5-10 record, which was hurt by 16 unearned runs. White's 1-6 record in 31.2 innings also was undermined by 10 unearned runs. Overall, the team allowed 33 unearned runs, over one-third of their total of 96 runs scored.
 
In addition to White, the Scarlet Raptors return a trio of seniors in second baseman Cate Petrucelli, shortstop Meg Gray and outfielder/first baseman Jayden Hunter. Petrucelli and Hunter have been with the team since their rookie seasons in 2020, while Gray returns for her second year after transferring from NJAC rival Stockton University.
 
Both Petrocelli and Gray started all 27 Raptor games last season, while finishing among the team leaders in putouts, assists, sacrifices, walks and HBP. Petrucelli also hit .246 with a team-leading 10 sacrifices. Gray led the club with 58 assists and seven HBP, while finishing third on the team with a .386 on-base percentage. Hunter, who earned NJAC Rookie of the Week honors during her first season at Rutgers-Camden, started  13 of her 21 games as a junior and compiled a .368 on-base percentage, the fourth-highest mark on the team. She also finished second with 72 putouts.
 
The Scarlet Raptors' top returning hitter is first baseman Zoe Rodriguez, a junior who played her first collegiate season at Rutgers-New Brunswick. She hit .326 and had a team-leading 88 putouts last season in her first year with the Scarlet Raptors.
 
Sophomore third baseman Luci Hutchinson had a fine rookie season, starting all 27 games and hitting .250, while finishing second on the team in assists (50) and sacrifices (7), third in walks (10) and fourth with a .358 on-base percentage.
 
Junior catcher Olivia Bull started all 26 of her games, finished second on the team in stolen bases (8) and third in both runs (11) and putouts (71).
 
Returning outfielders include junior Alexa McNee and sophomore Emily Dubiago. Dubiago led the team with 12 RBIs, while McNee finished second with 12 runs scored.
 
Another key veteran is junior infielder Danielle Quinones, an outstanding defensive player who compiled a 1.000 fielding percentage in 2022.
 
Newcomers include freshman outfielders Ava Maloof and Kamryn Kennedy, as well as freshman infielders Bella Lynch and Kennedy Kleszics.
 
Head Coach Meredith McCarthy begins her sixth season with the Scarlet Raptors, who will open up NJAC play April 1 when they host New Jersey City University in a doubleheader.