1998 PLAYER PROFILES
    


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Dana Bennett #4 Dana Bennett
Hometown: Hopewell Junction, NY
School: Hostra University*
Position(s): Infield
Bats/Throws: Right/Right

1997 Record:

23 for 105 (.219)

Despite a sub-par offensive season with the Brakettes, Dana Bennett was steady in the field as she won the starting second base job as a rookie last year. Dana had a strong finish at the plate last year to end at .219. In the Nationals, she hit .333. A three-year starter at Hofstra University, she recently compiled some outstanding statistics for the Flying Dutchwomen, who finished 39-17 and lost to UMass and Danielle Henderson in a best-of-three NCAA playing series. Named Second Team All-America East Conference, Bennett finished fourth in hitting at .319 with 60 hits in 188 at bats. She scored 40 runs and led the team with 15 doubles. She was third in RBI with 25. A resident of Hopewell Junction, NY, Bennett is majoring in physical education.

 

Jackie Catanese #19 Jackie Catanese
Hometown: Watertown, CT
School: Florida Atlantic*
Position: First Base
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
1997 Record:
Another newcomer to the Brakettes is no stranger to area fans. Jackie Catanese, a Watertown resident, enjoyed a superb scholastic career at Lauralton Hall in Milford, CT. Known for her heavy hitting in high school, Catanese has continued to swing a steady bat during her two years at Florida Atlantic University, playing for legendary Brakettes pitcher and National Hall of Famer Joan Joyce. This past year Catanese, a first baseman, hit .297 with 57 hits in 192 at bats. She scored 29 runs and delivered 21 while smashing 14 hits of the extra base variety. A two-time All-State pick at Lauralton, Catanese formerly played for the Connecticut Charmers.

 

Nikki Faessler #21 Nicole "Nikki" Faessler
Hometown: Milford, MA
School: University of Massachusetts*
Position: Catcher
Bats/Throw: Right/Right
1997 Record:
The starting catcher for NCAA qualifier UMass, Nicole "Nikki" Faessler will be playing her first year for the Brakettes. She is regarded as an outstanding defensive catcher who has potential to be a big-time power hitter, according to Manager John Stratton. While she only hit .215 at UMass, Faessler led the Minute Women with five home runs, many of them tape measure jobs. She also drove in 15 runs. A sophomore who is majoring in education/psychology, Faessler resides in Milford, MA. Nikki already has 10 game-winning hits at UMass.

 

Patti Fernandes #6 Patti Fernandes
Hometown: Stratford, CT
School: Illinois State University
Position: Outfield/Coach
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
1997 Record: 2 for 4 (.500)
Now in her ninth year with the Brakettes, Patti Fernandes again will serve as a player/coach for the ball club. An outstanding defensive outfielder and one of the quickest players on the team, Fernandes will make her contributions to the team from the third base coaching box. A graduate of Illinois State University, Fernandes has been the head softball and volleyball coach at Southern Connecticut State University for nine years. This year she led the club to a 21-20 overall record and its third straight ECAC tournament berth. During her first tour (1977-81) with the Brakettes, Fernandes was a member of the 1980 World Championship club. She owns a .257 career batting average.

 

Michelle Gates #17 Michelle "Mickey" Gates
Hometown: Chowchilla, CA
School: Mississippi State University*
Position: Infield/Outfield
Bats/Throws: Left/Right
1997 Record: 62 for 182 (.341) @ MSU
Michelle Gates is another outstanding addition. The Chowchilla, CA, resident enjoyed a fantastic sophomore season for Kathy Arendsen's Mississippi State squad at third base. The left-handed power hitter, who has started every game in the past two years, led the Bulldogs with a .405 average. Her team-high figures included 60 hits, 12 doubles, 10 triples and six home runs and 43 runs. She also drove in 35 runs. As a freshman, she hit .341 with 24 extra base hits and 48 RBI while being named second team All-South Region as a utility player. In her rookie year for Arendsen, Gates also had a 15-11 pitching record with 1.91 ERA. She also has been invited to the USA Softball training camp this summer.

 

Jenn Goodwin #27 Jenn Goodwin
Hometown: Braintree, MA
School: Bridgewater State University
Position: Infield
Bats/Throws: Left/Right
1997 Record: 47 for 140 (.336)
Reliable and consistent are good adjectives to describe Jenn Goodwin's first two years with the Brakettes. Now in her third year as the starting first baseman, Goodwin came to the Brakettes with the reputation as a good hitter. She did nothing to tarnish that with respective marks of .355 and .336. last year she had 47 hits in 140 at bats, including team highs of 30 runs scored, 7 doubles, 24 walks and 11 sacrifice hits. The pride of Braintree, MA, is solid defensively, and she committed only two errors as a Brakette. Goodwin was named to the ASA All-America Third Team at first base in 1996. She enjoyed a super collegiate career at Bridgewater State, where she hit .469 her senior year with 10 home runs and 58 RBI. She is the career home run and RBI queen at Bridgewater State.

 

Danielle Henderson #44 Danielle Henderson
Hometown: Commack, NY
School: University of Massachusetts*
Position: Pitcher
Bats/Throw: Right/Right
1997 Record: 23 Wins/3 Losses 0.21 ERA
Danielle Henderson is one of the hottest names in women's fast pitch softball today. The 6-foot-1 junior compiled a 27-6 record with 22 shutouts, 386 strikeouts and an 0.56 ERA in 225 innings this year for the Minute Women (42-12), who played host to an NCAA Regional tournament. With five no-hitters, including a perfect game against Fordham this year, Henderson also made her mark with the Brakettes last summer. While compiling a 23-3 overall record with 0.21 ERA, "Harry" struck out 406 batters in 191 innings. The strikeout figure was the 10th single-season best in team history and her 2.04 strikeouts-per-inning total ranked fourth in Brakette history. A 1997 College All-America and a two-time Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year pick, Henderson has been designated by USA Softball to level two of its elite athlete pool. She has trained at the USOC's San Diego Olympic Training Center with the U.S. National Team on a pair of occasions. She will be part of the selection process in early June and she is considered a potential member of the 2000 Olympic Team.

 

Jen Huyett #42 Jenn Huyett
Hometown: Seymour, CT
School: East Stroudsburg
Position: Pitcher
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
1997 Record: 20 Wins/4 Losses 0.61 ERA
For the past two years, Jenn Huyett has been a solid performer for the Brakettes. A 1995 graduate of East Stroudsburg, PA, University, where she was the career leader in wins and strikeouts, Huyett has compiled a 34-6 career record with a 0.74 ERA. Last year Huyett turned in a 20-4 record with 0.61 ERA. She had 137 strikeouts in 161 innings and she also held opposing batters to a meager .183 average. In a pair of National Tournaments, Huyett is a combined 3-0 with just one earned run in 20 innings. She fashioned a three-hit, 11-strikeout effort in a 6-0 win over Celina, OH, in last year's ASA event in Phoenix. An assistant softball coach at Yale University, Huyett also is the Director of the Oxford, CT, Senior Center.

 

Debra Larson #13 Debra Larson
Hometown: New Britain, CT
School: Adelphi University
Positon: Catcher/Infield
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
1997 Record: 27 for 86 (.314)
The starting catcher for the Brakettes the past two years and a steadying influence on a young pitching staff, Debra Larson is a key player as the team builds for a run at the National Championship. A veteran receiver and outstanding defensive player, Larson also has proved to be a solid offensive player. Last year she finished with a .314 average (27-86), the fourth highest on the team with 18 RBI. She led the club in the National Tournament with a .364 mark (4-for-1l). In her rookie season, Larson hit .356 for the Brakettes. A native of New Britain, CT, Larson starred at Adelphi University, where she earned All-Northeast laurels and helped her club to a pair of NCAA tournament appearances. The former Berlin High standout is the women's softball and volleyball coach at the University of Bridgeport.

 

Kristin MacLean #12 Kristin MacLean
Hometown: Brockton, MA
School: American International College
Position: Outfield
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
1997 Record: 29 for 102 (.284)
Kristin MacLean recently completed her collegiate career at American International College with a .374 senior season. She led the Yellow Jackets with 56 runs, 70 hits and 22 stolen bases and 18 doubles. She also had 31 RBI. MacLean was a first-team All-Northeast 10 Conference and MI-New England selection. The Brockton, MA, native is a two-year starter in center field for the Brakettes. MacLean finished the 1997 season strong to post a .284 average. Her two-run home run in the fifth inning of the National ASA Tournament game against the Decatur Breeze iced a 5-1 win last summer. Her two-year totals for the Brakettes show a .306 average (72-235) with 49 runs, nine doubles, 10 triples and two homers. She was named a Third Team All-American at the 1996 National ASA Tournament.

 

Keri McCallum #10 Keri McCallum
Hometown: Port Orchard, WA
School: Mississippi State University*
Position: Catcher/Outfield
Bats/Throws: Left/Left
1997 Record: 67 for 157 (.427) @ MSU
The Brakettes have added a "talent" in left-handed catcher Keri McCallum of Port Orchard, WA. In two years at Mississippi State playing for ex-Brakettes super star pitcher and National Hall of Famer Kathy Arendsen, McCallum has thrown out 33 runners attempting to steal. She was First-Team All-SEC and All-South Region as a frosh and was a key performer on this year's club which took a 29-18 mark into the SEC Tournament. The national leader with 11 triples last year, McCallum hit .427, which was 24th nationally, with 39 RBI. She was second on the Bulldogs team this year with a .397 average. When not behind the plate, Manager John Stratton will utilize McCallum in the outfield.

 

Donna McLean #14 Donna McLean
Hometown: Stratford, CT
School: Westfield State University
Position: Outfield
Bats/Throws: Right/Left
1997 Record: 45 for 156 (.289)
Donna McLean returns for her sixth season with the Brakettes. A resident of Stratford, CT, McLean has been a key performer for the past three years. Following a slow start last year, McLean came on strong to post a .289 average (45-156) with 27 runs scored and a team-high 27 RBI. She also led the club with 8 triples and 6 home runs. The team batting champion in 1996 with a .414 average, Donna was a Second Team All-America in the 1996 National Tournament. The former Westfield, MA, State, standout boasts a .299 batting average with 119 RBI in 269 Brakettes career games. This is her sixth year with the team. During her first tour, 1987-89, she set the Brakettes record with 10 RBI in a game when she hit for the cycle on June 28, 1987. McLean is the assistant softball coach at the University of Bridgeport.

 

Alicia Smith #16 Alicia Smith
Hometown: Katonah, NY
School: Hofstra University*
Position: Outfield/Pitcher
Bats/Throws: Left/Right
1997 Record:
A history major at Hofstra University, Alicia Smith is another first-year member of the Brakettes. In her two years at the Hempstead, NY, school, Alicia has already made a mark for herself. The third-leading hitter for the conference champion Flying Dutchwomen, Smith, a left-handed hitter, batted .320 as she started all 56 games. She had 54 hits and scored 31 runs while driving in 22. Dividing her time between the mound and center field, Smith played flawless defense for Hofstra. A Katonah, NY, resident, Smith was a First Team All-Conference pick and a Second Team All-Conference pitcher. She was 17-6 with a 2.19 ERA and 93 Ks in 137 innings this spring.

 

Jen Smith #5 Jen Smith
Hometown: Gilbertsville, PA
School: Hofstra University*
Position: Pitcher/First Base
Bats/Throws: Left/Right
1997 Record:
The Brakettes have strengthened themselves considerably with the addition of right-handed pitcher Jennifer Smith, a standout at Hofstra University. Selected as the America East Conference Pitcher of the Year and MVP of its tournament, Smith compiled a 20-11 record with a glossy 1.18 ERA as a sophomore this year. She struck out 172 hitters in 220 innings and held the opposition to a .186 batting average. Manager John Stratton will keep her bat in the lineup when shes not pitching, probably as a DH. A powerful left-handed hitter, Jennifer led Hofstra with a .385 average with 72 hits in 187 at bats. The Gilbertsville, PA, resident accounted for 15 extra base hits and led the Flying Dutchwomen with 32 RBI.

 

Ellen Spruce #11 Ellen "Frankie" Spruce
Hometown: Binghamton, NY
School: Adelphi University
Position: Infield
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
1997 Record: 49 for 157 (.312)
The Brakettes solidified their infield last year with the acquisition of Ellen "Frankie" Spruce. The Binghamton, NY, resident didn't disappoint area fans with her outstanding play both with the bat and in the field. She finished fourth in hitting with a .312 average and was second in hits with 49 (157 at bats). Spruce had 10 extra base hits, scored 27 runs and drove in 21 runs, while saving many potential hits with a magical glove at shortstop. Spruce came to the Brakettes after three solid seasons with the North Tonowanda, NY, Shamrocks, during which time she was a three-time ASA All-America. She is currently employed as a French teacher at Vestal, NY, Middle School. Spruce was a three-time All-Northeast Region pick at Adelphi, where she participated in two College World Series.

 

Jessica Yanosy #15 Jessica Yanosy
Hometown: Milford, CT
School: University of Connecticut*
Position: Infield
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
1997 Record: 53 for 144 (.368)

 

If Jessica Yanosy comes close to equaling her rookie season with the Brakettes, it will be another enjoyable summer of softball for the Milford, CT, resident. Yanosy stepped right into the starting lineup after her Jonathan Law High School career ended and she never missed a beat. Playing in 41 games, Yanosy became only the second "rookie" to win the team batting title as she finished with a .368 average (53-for-144). She was third in runs scored with 25 and third in RBI with 21. In the National Tournament, the outfielder/lead-off hitter hit .357 and earned Third Team All-America, the only Brakette named for the team. In her freshman season with the University of Connecticut, Yanosy finished with a .287 average (45-for- 157) with 24 runs and 21 RBI. For UConn, she played outfield, second base and finished the year starting at shortstop.